For All of Us "Northernerns"

[LittleOne]

For all of the people up north who resort to quarry diving, the first time on a dive boat is...different. Help us out. Some things you wish you would have known BEFORE your first boat dive.

 

[CheddarChick]

Hold onto your mask as you do the giant stride....

 

[Land Locked]

How addictive clear vis and warm temps are!

Really, I didn't know I should place one hand on the back of my head doing a back roll off a 6 pack.

 

[Garrobo]

1-I really didn't need that 3mm Hender$on Hyper$tretch, full length wetsuit, hood, gloves or booties. 2-The ocean water has a bad habit of moving around sometimes. It's called 'current'.

 

[trtldvr]

The 2 most important things to remember are: 1. the ocean is big and, 2. boats move.

The ocean is big:
So always have signaling devices. Both visual and audible.
Always start your dive into the current (unless you are drift diving). This way the current will cary you closer to the boat rather than away from it.

Boats move:
Keep lead on the deck, not the bench.
If you use integrated weights, do not put them into the BC until you arrive at the dive sight. The weights can pull the BC out of some types of racks.
Since boats move, boat ladders move. Even on a calm day. Don't crowd the ladder unless you want a luxfor tattoo on your forehead. Keep your reg and mask in place until you are securely on deck (even when the DM ask you how the dive was).


Safe dives
trtldvr
www.divealive.org

 

[Divrdug]

Expect the taste of salt water not fresh water. Getting too much of it in your mouth can speed the onsret of sea sickness

 

[NudeDiver]

For all of the people up north who resort to quarry diving, the first time on a dive boat is...different. Help us out. Some things you wish you would have known BEFORE your first boat dive.

Here is something to know before you sign up for a liveaboard boat trip. Hope it is related enough to be on topic.

I certified in Alaska, did my 4 dives, and then went to Australia. I had arranged to make 4 liveaboard boat trips while down there - 3 3-day trips and 1 7 day trip. What I found was that each boat had different "rules" for how the dives would be conducted. These rules included things like maximum depth, maximum length, prohibition against "reverse profiles" and such things.

On the first trip, they had a maximum 40 minute dive limit AND a 50 bar rule (back on the boat with 50 bar or more). That didn't really bother me, since I was a new diver and couldn't stay down that long anyway.

On the second boat, they just had a 50 bar rule - you're back on the boat with at least 50 bar, but no set time limit. This was reasonable.

On the third boat, there were essentially no rules. The deck was open from time A to time B. You could stay in as long as you wanted, go as deep or as shallow as you wanted, and make as many dives as you wanted. They preferred you back on the boat with 50 bar, but they didn't seem to be real concerned about it. They also allowed solo diving if you could show you were capable.

On the fourth boat, they were nazis (and I had heard about it from someone on the third boat who was just coming off having dived on my 4th boat). Based on what this person told me, I would not have made the 4th trip, but I had already paid, so there wasn't anything I could do. They were very strict about how long, how deep, reverse profiles, etc. They checked your dive computer to see if you exceeded their limits and if you did, you got banned from the next dive. I got banned from a dive for doing 0.1M beyond their maximum depth for that dive. And we're not talking about going to 40M or something. On that boat, the first dive of the day was 20M max. Each successive dive was 2M less - and if you happened to go deeper than your previous dive, even if it was less than their limit, then you were banned for the rest of the day. If you had some other violation, you were banned for the the next dive. They also had maximim time limits, and the 50 bar rule. It was rather ridiculous. Some of my times ended with a half tank or more of air.

Had I known the rules for the 4th boat BEFORE booking, I never would have booked that trip.

So, the tip I am trying to pass along here is, if at all possible, find out the dive deck rules BEFORE booking. In the case of the 4th boat here, it was ProDive Cairns (Australia). I'll never dive with them again. ProDive Airlie Beach and ProDive Townsville were MUCH more reasonable - although now the 40 minute limit would bother me. Mike Ball's 7-day trip out of Townsville was just top notch - but also very highly priced. Still, if you ever spend the money to go to Australia, it is THE trip to take.

Good luck!
nd

 

[ereediver]

I would add, Don't put you fins on until you are at the entry point, usually at the stern...back of the boat. When waiting to board after the dive. Keep your fins on until you have a hand on the ladder. Keep an eye on you fins. Should a fin strap come off, good bye fin. Learned that the hard way. Most charter boats I've been on have either the 40 min, or 500 psi rule. P.S. no banana's old superstition, but some Captains won't allow then. Have fun

 

[NudeDiver]

Most charter boats I've been on have either the 40 min, or 500 psi rule.

A 50-bar (or PSI equiv.) rule is reasonable. A 40 minute time limit, regardless of how much air you have, is not. IMHO.

P.S. no banana's old superstition, but some Captains won't allow then.

Eh? Huh? What? Explain this one.

 

[ereediver]

Well as I was told, It came from the days of wooden ships. Something to do with when bananas rot, they weaken the wood, but anyway they're back luck. I was on a charter boat in North Carolina, I was asked if I had bananas in my snack box. When I said yes, they told me to eat it before I boarded, or throw it away. Thats when they told me about bananas being bad luck. Went on to say last peron who boarded the boat with a banana broke his arm. So that's the best to explaination I got. Now back to the show.
The 40 min rule, so far is about how long I get out of an al80 anyway. When my air consumption gets better, I'll probably agree with you NudeDiver.