Reef Etiquette...Do's and Dont's on the reef

I realize this is a bit long but maybe you'll find it a bit interesting if you take the time to read it. I was thinking today. My wife and I have been going down to Key Largo to dive every summer for quite a few years and about 4 years ago we decided to start taking our own boat down which we use to dive from. Before we actually took our boat for the first time I tried to educate myself as much as I could about boating on the reefs and the etiquette that goes along with that. I didn't find a whole lot. Especially something comprehensive and all in one place. I found a little here and a little there. A lot of it was on this forum actually. I took what I read and what I had learned from going out on dive boats and from watching others on the reef and kind of combined them to come up with my own plan. We will be making our trip down this June and as I was already trying to get things planned out I started thinking about posting this. I figured maybe we could get a good post going and maybe we could all learn something. Most of all me. After all, we all want to have a good time on the reefs and not inconvenience anyone else. I don't. Especially if it's because I didn't know something that I should have known. For example...proper technique for approaching and departing the mooring balls. Deploying a long current line or granny line or whatever you may call it. I mean...is it ok to just let your 50 foot line stay out behind the boat while you dive? We all probably have our own way of doing things but is it the right way? I certainly don't want to ruin someones trip to a reef because I was ignorant and didn't know the do's and don'ts and I especially don't want someone ruining mine. This can be boater and/or diver etiquette. So...what ya got? I know that there are a couple of recent threads on these subjects (I did a search) but I figured what the heck. The purpose of the forum is to learn and to share so why not put it together in one. Maybe it will be great and make sticky status. You never know what you might say that just might help someone. And I realize I misspelled Don'ts in the title. Sorry about that.

1. Don't ever leave the boat completely un-manned. The currents can be more powerful than anticipated, and its possible that you may not make it back to the boat.

2. Make sure the person on the boat knows how to (a) start the engine; (b) un-hitch from the mooring; and (c) work the radio. Believe it or not, people have been left on the boat who have no idea how to work the boat.


I'm sure there are many other ideas you'll discuss, but these are paramount...there have been fatalities when all four divers on a private boat went diving together and were swept aft of the stern by current. One diver finally was able to ditch his gear and swim against the current to the boat, but couldn't detach the vessel from the mooring, couldn't start the engine, and couldn't call for help with the radio. The rest didn't make it.

Have fun in Florida, and dive safe.

Doc

There was that movie (true story) where a bunch of people all jumped off the boat, and found they forgot to let the ladder down first. Nobody could get back on the boat.

We keep a granny line out only when anchored deep,on the mooring balls that's asking for trouble due to traffic.

We will empty the boat only on occasions where there is a chase boat or in conditions where current isn't an issue..Christ Statue,lobstering in 20' etc...

Slow and look for bubbles anywhere there are buoys or a dive flag,we see them as far away as 100-200 yds or more.We have rescued 4 divers so far that were lost by, unable to find or return to their boat.

Anchor carefully and only in sand,we will set the anchor by hand each time.

Brown,brown run aground is a good rule of thumb.The closest distance between two points in the Keys is often not a straight line.

Doc Intrepid:

2. Make sure the person on the boat knows how to (a) start the engine; (b) un-hitch from the mooring; and (c) work the radio. Believe it or not, people have been left on the boat who have no idea how to work the boat.

Click to expand...

I participated in a rescue summer 2009 with such a condition. Everybody was OK eventually and we had a good laugh on the way back to the dock, but there were some divers floating for quite some time, and a clueless guy left on a boat for quite some time, who were relieved when we showed up to reunite the bunch.