The anchor chain clatters and engines drone down and sputter silent; you’ve arrived. You and your buddy help each other gear up with anticipation; this dive promises to be great.
For this dive, there’s no long surface swim or entries through surf because you’re only 15 metres/50 feet from the dive site – 15 metres/50 feet above it. You enter the water, and in moments, you and your buddy descent to the site. Experiences like these attract divers to boat diving; in fact, virtually all divers end up diving from a boat sooner or later, whether it’s a skiff or a giant live-aboard sailboat.
Yet surprisingly, some divers learn to dive and make dozens of dives before they ever set foot on a dive boat; others learn to dive from one type of boat, but have little experience diving from others. If you fit in either group, the Boat Adventure Dive will speed your transition to diving from boats or boats you’re not familiar with.
Diving and boats make an obvious match, though there’s lots of excellent diving from the shore. Even where you can shore dive, divers often prefer to go by boat to enjoy several practical advantages – and because it adds to the fun and adventure, which is reason enough.
To begin, boat diving gives you access to dive sites beyond a reasonable swim from the shore. When boat diving, if you find poor conditions at the dive site, it’s easy to move the boat to some place better.
Boat diving is sometimes a bit easier in hat it avoids surf, mud, or long hikes to and from the car with your equipment on. This also helps reduce wear on the equipment. In some areas, there’s no shore diving available – when you dive, you go by boat.
Boat diving is fun because it puts you with others who share your love of adventure and the diving lifestyle, giving you the opportunity to become friends, dive with them and learn from their experiences.
Finally, one of the best reasons for diving from a boat is that boating – like diving – is a fun recreation and a great way to spend time near the water.
Boat terminology.
“Avast me hearties! You there! Swab the deck or we’ll haul you o’er the yardarm!”
Even the most ardent landlubber is probably aware, perhaps from television or movies, that by convention, boats have their own terminology and names for things.
While some terms hang on purely through tradition, others come from practical needs, such as not confusing the boat’s left with your left. Regardless of where boat terms come from, knowing the most common ones allows you to communicate effectively with the crew and others on the boat. A quick tour around a boat is all you need to become familiar with boat terminology.
Imagine you’re walking on a dive charter boat. You’re at the stern, or extreme rear of the boat. You’re faced forward, that is, toward the front, where you can find the bow (the pointy end).
As you face forward, the boat’s port side is your left (just remember “left-port” – both have four letters) and its starboard side is on your right. Port and starboard don’t change – they’re always the boat’s left and right. If you turn around so you face the stern, you’re facing aft and now starboard is on your left.
Walking around the boat, you notice a breeze blowing across the deck. The side it comes from is windward, with the opposite leeward (pronounce it “loo-ward” if you want to impress everyone with your saltiness).
You also notice a companionway, or passage, that leads below to the areas under the top deck. You go below, where you walk by the boat’s head (toilet) and where the crew’s cooking lunch in the galley (kitchen – but the cook is not the “galley slave”).
After a bite to eat, you decide to watch the captain steer the boat, and (with permission) you climb a ladder to the bridge, where the boat’s wheel (steering wheel), compass and other controls are found.
(On other boats, the bridge may be called the wheel house.) Returning to the deck, you walk aft along the rail – the outer edge of the boat deck – and relax, sitting near the transom, that is, the planking that forms the hull’s stern section.
The boat you dive from for your Boat Adventure Dive may have all or only some of the described areas, depending upon its size and nature. You may also hear self descriptive terms important to divers: tank racks, bunks, diver exit/entry area or brightwork. If you don’t understand something, be sure to ask the crew or your instructor to define it for you.
Dive boats range from small inflatables, to pontoon boats, to giant cruisers, live-aboards and motorsailers, and sail on everything from medium sized lakes to high seas.
Regardless of type or where it sails, there are three features that a typical dive boat needs:
The first is ample deck space. “Ample” is a relative term depending on the boat’s size, but dive gear takes up a lot of room, and you need adequate space for gear, you and getting kitted up. Stability is the second requirement. The less a boat pitches, the easier it is to don equipment, enter the water and exit the water.
Finally, the boat needs ample engine power to drive the boat, its passengers and lots of heavy equipment to the dive site. Again, “ample” is relative, depending on the water conditions and how far you’re going.
Because there are so many types of boats, it’s hard to place some boats into a particular category. But to discuss the subject we need to generalize, so let’s divide boats into four categories based on broad characteristics. That makes it reasonable to discuss the techniques that apply to diving from various types.
Inflatables: Where divers want fast, stable, portable and relatively inexpensive dive boats, you’ll find inflatables. They range from about 3 metres/10 feet to more than 6 metres/20 feet in length and can carry two to five or six divers (or more).
The “typical” inflatable is constructed from two air-filled tubes (subdivided into compartments so it won’t sink with a hole in it) that converge at the bow and a solid or inflated keel.
The boat’s solid transom usually sports an outboard motor, and the boat may have either arigid or flexible hull. In general, inflatables are considered “small” boats.
Hard-hull Day boats: These boats include runabouts, pontoon “flat-tops,” small sailboats, skiffs, ski-boats and other small-to-medium open boats. Hard-hull day boats range from about 3 metres/10 feet to more than 6 metres/20 feet, and typically are used for single-day, short distance excursions.
The best dive boats in this category are designed specifically for diving or fishing, with lots of deck space; most hard-hull day boats can be trailered.
Cabin-cruisers: Ranging from about 6 metres/20 feet to well over 10 metres/30 feet, cabin-cruisers are boats with at least minimum accommodations for extended trips, including overnight trips. This group includes medium-sized sail-boats, yachts and most medium-sized hard-hull boats.
Some types of dive charter boats fall into this category. The best cabin-cruisers for diving are those with ample deck space.
Live-aboards: This boat category includes all the large dive boats: converted fishing vessels, large charter boats (sail or engine power), Yacht and even cruise ships. The length starts at around ten meters/30 feet and go up from there.
“Live-aboard” denotes the ability to comfortably accommodate large groups on long-distance trips, even if the boat isn’t specifically used for multiday trips. Ironically, diving from smaller boats.
Some are so large that after cruising to a dive destination, you may use an inflatable or skiff to go from the live-aboard to various sites.
When boat diving, you’re often farther from assistance than when diving at many shore dive sites, so dive boats carry equipment for handling emergencies and summoning aid.
As a boat diver, it’s a good idea to be familiar with the purpose and location of emergency equipment available on “ typical” dive boats. It’s also a good idea to find out what safety/emergency equipment is available and where it’s stored when checking aboard an unfamiliar dive boat.
Personal flotation devices.
Personal flotation devices, also known as PFDs, or “life preservers” include life rings, buoyant cushions, ring buoys and life jackets. In most areas, laws/regulations dictate that a boat must carry a recognized PFD for each person on board. On smaller boats, you’ll usually find PFDs tucked away to the side where they are handy and visible, but out of the way.
On medium-sized and larger boats, they frequently stored in marked compartments, with a few life rings hanging out to throw if someone falls overboard.
Fire Extinguishers.
The problem with a fire on a boat, is that there is no where to run. This is why the crew takes fire prevention and smoking rules very seriously.
Just in case, you will notice fire extinguishers generally in the galley and engine areas. Small boats, like inflatables or skiffs have little to burn and may not carry one, though having one aboard is always recommended.
Sound Signaling Devices.
Bells horns and whistles warn off other vessels in low visibility, summon divers, or signal emergency and distress. On medium-to-large boats, these devices are usually controlled from the bridge. Smaller boats may rely on mouth blown whistle or hand-held air horns.
The emergency whistle on your BCD may do the job in a pinch.
Visual Distress Signals.
Devices for visual signalling include flare guns and strobe lights. You use these to summon aid at long distances, especially when a marine radio isn’t available.
You also use these to help guide emergency vessels you have summoned by other means. These tend to be kept in the general vicinity of the bridge.
First Aid Kit.
You’re likely to fin the boat’s first aid kit in a water-tight container in an area where it’s not likely to get wet. On larger boats, it can be found bellow; on smaller boats, look under seats or in other “dry” areas.
Oxygen Equipment.
As you recall from your Padi Open Water Diver course, oxygen is important for emergency care for most serious dive accidents. For this reason, it’s highly recommended that oxygen be carried on dive boats.
Generally, oxygen is kept near the first aid kit.
Marine Radio.
Marine radio is used for general or emergency communication (in many areas, VHF 16 is reserved for emergencies). You’ll usually find the radio on the bridge, though hand-held marine radios have become quite common.
Besides marine radio, in a growing number of areas you can use mobile telephones well away from shore, and contact help that way if necessary.
Bilge Pump or Bailer.
On medium and large boats, an electric bilge pump rids the boat of water washing over the side in rough water. Electric bilge pumps are normally automatic, with manual switches near the boat’s wheel. Many boats also have a manual (hand) backup bilge pump which will be below, close to the boat keel.
Small boats usually don’t have bilge pumps, so to handle excess water they may have plugs/valves that drain water while underway, or a “hand bailer” i.e., a bucket.
If there’s anything that discourages would-be boat divers, it’s fear of seasickness. Seasickness ranges from an unpleasant feeling of mild queasiness to severe dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
It’s always unpleasant and it pretty much knocks the fun out of the entire experience. Once you’ve had it happen, you sure don’t want to repeat it.
Since the only cur for seasickness is solid ground, prevention is everything. Although its exact nature isn’t completely understood (though known to be related to disturbance of balance organs in the inner ear), several tips and techniques can help you avoid seasickness.
The most common preventative is to use seasickness medication, which may be any of several drugs sold under various brand names. You take this before boarding, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Some of these may cause drowsiness or have other effects that you want to avoid while diving, so check the label and try the medication when you won’t be diving.
Other “medications” include ginger root and “acupressure”. Little medical evidence supports the effectiveness of many of these, but many people claim they work. If you have any questions or concerns about seasickness medications, consult your physician.
Some other tips may help prevent seasickness: Get plenty of sleep, avoid alcohol and eat a balanced meal before trip. On board, stay in the fresh air and out of engine fumes. Avoid intricate tasks like reading or preparing photo equipment while underway. It may help to look at the horizon.
If you get seasick, take heart. Your illness won’t be permanent. If you feel nauseous, don’t go in the head (it’s cramped quarters and stuffy atmosphere will make you worse), but instead go to the leeward rail.
If the sea is rough, have someone hold your belt or arm so you don’t fall overboard- avoid being on deck alone, especially while underway and at night. After being sick, try sipping water to settle your stomach and to avoid dehydration. Stay in the middle of the boat, which is the most stable, and awa from the bow, which is the least stable.
Preparation:
Once you’re at sea, up the river or out on the lake in a dive boat, youre on your own to a large extent. If something’s not on board, you’re going to do without it, and if you’re not physically or mentally prepared for trip, you’re probably going to have stick it out. This is why a fun and successful boat dives starts with preparing your gear and yourself properly.
Preparing Your Equipment:
The rule of thumb for anything on a boat is “as little as possible”. Space is a premium, so try pack efficiently, use collapsible soft-sided bags, forget nothing essential and make sure everything works before leaving.
Begin by inspecting your gear carefully in advance, and have it serviced as needed.
Mark each piece clearly (you may be surprised how man people on a crowded dive boat have equipment just like yours), and use a checking list, like the one in the Adventure Log, to be sure you have everything.
After you inspect each piece and have it serviced, marked and checked off, pack in your dive bag in the reverse order that you will need it. That is, what you need first ends up on top, and what you need last waits at the bottom. This allows you to kit up directly from the bag without scattering everything all over the deck.
Finally, have your tanks filled in advance and pack a separate a bag with small items like dry clothes, a towel, money etc. Don’t forget your certification and logbook, which the crew may want to check. Also, when boat diving, attach an audible and visual surface signalling device to your BCD.
Audible devices like whistles or air horns can easily be heard at night or in limited visibility conditions and visual signalling devices like a signal mirror or surface marker buoy (safety sausage) can be easily seen in the daytime.
Although you don’t want to bring anything unnecessary, do bring your save-a-dive kit. You and your buddy may want to carry some spare gear between the two of you – nothing excessive, but enough to assure you don’t miss the dive due to an unexpected malfunction.
Preparing Yourself.
As you learned in the previous section, preparing yourself is an important part of avoiding seasickness, the night before the dive, avoid alcohol 9but do drink plenty of water, juices and other non-caffeinated liquids so you are well hydrated), eat well and get plenty of sleep.
Be sure to tell someone where you’re going, including the boats name, location and destination. If you’re using seasickness medication, take it sufficiently in advance according to the instructions or your physician’s directions.
Even if most of your boat diving will be from small boats like inflatables, you’re probably going to dive from charter boats from time to time. Charter boat boarding procedures vary from boat to boat, but follow the same basics:
Plan to board and check in at least half an hour prior to departure. When you arrive, ask for permission to board and wait until a crew member invites you aboard. This is important because they may have deck hatches open or completing maintenance and may not be ready for passengers.
Once aboard, ask where and how to stow your equipment – the procedures for this can vary greatly from boat to boat, so check if you’re not sure. Assume that anything left on open deck will get wet – on small boats, you may want to leave anything that can’t get wet either at home or in the car.
Most charter boats have a sign-in sheet and/or liability release (assumption of risk). Read and sign these prior to the boat’s departure, and attend to any other pre-boarding procedures the crew requires. They may have you set up your gear before the boat leaves the dock.
At some point, the crew will brief you on their operating procedures. They may do this before setting sail, while underway or after anchoring. Either way, listen up, even if you’ve been on the boat before, because they may vary procedures depending on conditions or the dive site.
Once the boat is underway, relax and enjoy the ride. If the water’s a bit rough, avoid moving around more than necessary. If you must move around, use handholds and move carefully. If you must climb a ladder, always face the ladder, whether going up or down.
Pre-dive Procedures.
Depending on the type of boat you dive from, you can expect a pre-dive orientation or briefing. The most extensive briefings can be expected on large charter boats, and usually include a boat facility orientation, general characteristics of the dive site, confirming that everyone has a buddy, and a review of communication, emergency procedures and general safety rules.
During the boat facilities orientation, you can expect a description of the boat, where to find the head, galley, etc, and any areas that may be off-limits. The dive site orientation will cover the bottom depth, topography, pints of interest and possible hazards, local regulations, entry and exit techniques and general suggestions for planning your dive.
If you don’t have a buddy, the crew will let you and other divers find and form buddy teams among yourselves, and they will review any special buddy team procedures that may apply. (such as if you are drift diving) Finally, the crew will review communications, their procedures for handling emergencies and rules they expect you to follow to ensure the safety of other divers and your self.
After briefing and orientation, you will generally begin gearing up, but the procedure varies with the boat. Diving from a small boat, you may have prepared all your equipment before leaving the dock, so that you and your buddy need only slip into your scuba units.
In some cases, especially when diving from a hard-hull day boat, you may put your scuba units over the side on lines to put on after you enter the water, leaving deck space for getting into your exposure suits.
When diving from a private boat, part of your preparation should include having someone stay aboard to tend the boat, act as a lookout and to raise a dive flag.
On most larger boats, you’ll suit up as you would when shore diving, but work from your bag so you save space. Watch your balance if the boat’s rocking, stay seated as much s possible, use hand-holds, and be sure not to leave a scuba tank unsecured – rolling loose on a boat deck can do a lot of damage or cause injury.
Put on all equipment except mask and fins, and conduct your pre-dive safety check (Blonde women really are fun) with your buddy, being careful to steady your self, walk to the entry/exit area. Don your mask, and then your fins just before entering the water.
Some boats will have variations on suiting up procedures.
Boat Diving Techniques:
By now, it’s clear that boat diving techniques vary a good bit. When making your Boat Adventure Dive, your instructor will detail the procedures for the specific boat you’ll be on, which will probably follow these general entry steps.
When you’re ready to enter the water, make sure your buddy is ready, too. If you’re diving from a charter boat, you’ll also need to let the divemaster log you out, which is important later in accounting that all passengers come back aboard. Go to the entry area with tour buddy and partially inflate your BCD.
Put your regulator in your mouth, make sure the entry area is clear, hold your mask firmly and enter using an appropriate method for the boat type. When using accessories such as cameras, have someone hand hem to you after entering. After entering signal that you are “OK” then clear the area so that others can enter.
Entries from inflatables and small boats.
On small boats close to the water, the easiest entries are usually the sitting back-roll or the controlled seated entry. You may find it easier to put your scuba unit in the water, enter, slip into your unit, and then have someone hand you your weight belt, weights to slip into your weight system.
Entries from cabin cruisers or live-aboards.
There’s more entry variety from larger boats, dictated largely by height of the entry area. If you’re entering from a couple of meters above the water, you’ll probably use the giant stride. One option is to make a sitting back-role or controlled seated entry from the swim step.
As a general guide, remember that the best entry is usually the easiest entry. If you have a physical challenge that makes the “routine” entry unsuitable, the crew can often suggest and assist with an alternate method. Don’t forget to have the crew check you “out” on the dive roster before you enter.
After entering, you may be using various lines to make swimming, equipment handling, descents or just staying in place easier. A few common lines are.
Mooring or anchor line.
The mooring or anchor line is just that: the line holding the boat in place. It is commonly used for descents and ascents.
Trip lines.
These lines are attached by a buoy to anchor and rise almost vertically to the surface. Although the primary purpose of the trip line is aid anchor retrieval, they’re sometimes used to ascend and descend on.
This is particularly true when the waters rough, making use of the anchor line, which jerks up-and-down as waves rock the boat, unfavourable. When ascending along a trip line, take care not to pull up with great force because it may dislodge the anchor.
Descent lines.
Also called reference lines, descent lines are heavily weighted lines dangling from the stern or other part of the boat. They are used to aid descents/ascents, particularly when using a mooring line or the anchor line is undesirable.
Gear lines.
Gear lines are any lines used to suspend equipment before or after a dive. These are commonly used for accessories, or for scuba units when donning and doffing them prior to entries and exits.
Current lines.
When diving in a current, a current line is trailed behind the boat with a float. The line provides you with a way of hanging on without drifting away while waiting during entries and exits. It also helps after a dive if you surface and have to swim for the boat by giving you a larger target if the current carries you past the boat. Current lines also called stern or trail lines.
Tag lines.
Tag lines, also known a swim lines, run from mooring or anchor line to the entry area or to the current line. In stronger currents you use the tag line to pull yourself from the entry area to the mooring or anchor line, where you then descend. On your return, you take the mooring line to the tag line and then the tag line to the current line to wait your turn to exit.
Descents.
Once in the water, you’ll spend a brief time on the surface before descending. Orient yourself to the boat and/or shoreline using both natural and compass navigation techniques.
Make your standard five-point descent along a mooring, anchor, descent or trip line mandatory, though you generally want to do this even without a current.
Line descents. When there’s little current, it’s best to use a line primarily as a visual reference. If you’re diving from a small boat, for example, you might accidentally dislodge the anchor by pulling on the anchor line. When diving from a large charter boat in a current, on the other hand, you may have no choice but to hang onto the mooring or anchor line to keep the current from carrying you away.
In this instance, dislodging the anchor’s unlikely. Any time you descend along a line from a boat, keeping mind that the line tends to jerk up and down as the boat or mooring buoy rides swells. Avoid letting the line jerk you up suddenly, as this may cause injury.
Free descent. In calm water, you can descend without a line. If you do so, take care to avoid disorientation, watch your descent rate and maintain buddy contact.
On the Bottom.
Once you reach the bottom, you usually follow a single general heading away from the boat. This usually means you dive ahead of the boat, into the current. By doing this, the current helps carry you back to boat at the dive’s end, so you’re not fighting to get back.
The current also establishes a navigation reference. If you are near shore, you may dive between the boat and shore to stay out of boat traffic.
Avoid long swims away from the boat. Ideally, you want to return to the boat underwater so you can ascend comfortably along the anchor line. Charter boats will try to anchor in the best spots, so long swims away from the boat aren’t often necessary – often, the best diving is right around the mooring anchor block r beneath the boat.
Return to the ascent point with ample air to search for it if you have trouble locating it. If you find it right away, you can spend the last minutes of the dive in the immediate area.
End the dive with a controlled ascent following the S.A.F.E. Diver guidelines in the Deep Diving section – no faster than 18 meters /60 feet per minute and make a three minute safety stop at 5 meters/15 feet.
Especially if there’s a current, ascend along a line- either the boat’s mooring or anchor line or a weighted line – to help control your ascent rate and maintain your safety stop depth without getting carried away from the boat.
After your safety stop, come to the surface near the boat, inflate your BCD and signal that you’re O.K. Swim back to the boat and wait your turn to exit the water. If there’s a current, follow the swim line and hang on to the current lines as you wait your turn to exit so you don’t get carried away.
When diving from charter boat, be patient and stay out from under a diver who’s climbing the boat ladder, in case the diver slips and falls, or the diver’s cylinder slips loose. When it’s your turn to exit, time the swells and let them carry you on to the swim step or stern platform.
If you’re diving from a small boat, you’ll normally slip out of your scuba unit and hang it from a gear line or pass it up to someone already aboard. Generally, one diver climbs aboard at a time; on some boats, someone needs to counter balance the boat’s opposite side while you climb aboard.
When diving from any boat, don’t remove your fins until you’ve made firm contact with the boat. Hand up cameras and any accessory equipment. If you have a physical challenge that makes the “standard” exit unfeasible, you and the crew will determine a suitable method to use before the dive.
Drift diving, in which you and the boat drift in the current, uses somewhat different exit procedures – see the Drift Diving section for details.
Post-dive Procedures.
Once you’re back aboard from the last dive, you want to stow your equipment as soon as possible to prevent damage to it and to keep the deck clear. A few guidelines: First, don’t drop your weights, because this can damage the boat, gear and feet. Secure your weight system and your tank where they won’t slide around and bash into things or people.
If you’re diving from a small boat, you may leave your exposure suit on and gear assembled until you reach shore. Aboard larger boats; it’s usually easiest to take off and disassemble your equipment, putting each piece in your gear bag as you go. This keeps the deck clear and minimizes the probability of losing anything.
On charter boats, the divemaster or a crew member will give a roll call after each dive. This procedure makes sure everyone is aboard and accounted for before leaving the area.
Don’t leave the deck until your name has been called and you’ve been checked in. Also, never answer for another diver, even if you’re “sure” the diver’s asleep below or something. All divers need to be physically present for roll call.
