Another first experience for me, Shore Diving

[AZjohn]

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to post another first experience for me, shore diving.

I met a new diving buddy down in San Carlos Mexico who was nice enough to invite me for a couple of shore dives. My very limited experiences so far have been all boat dives. I knew shore diving was going to be a little different and after reading several experiences here on Scubaboard I knew that I could be having a very humble experience (lol).

Our first dive was entering over a rocky shore line. Having a 7mm suit and 34 pounds of weights walking in with 3mm boat boots with very little sole on them made this an extremely slow and delicate procedure (lol). My next purchase this week is for some shore diving boots with thick soles. But thank God I didn't fall down either entering or exiting the shore. I was feeling good about the whole adventure until we changes dive sites for our second dive....

The second dive spot required walking about 100 yards to the shore line in some real soft sand. Once we entered the water there was a steep drop off of the sand but having my BC inflated there wasn't really any issues. That was until the dive was over and had to come out the same way we entered (lol).

So this was the humble experience I was waiting for. I was trying to get my fins off while getting hit by small but continuous waves. I ended up rolling over one way and then the other just trying to do a simple thing like removing my fins. Once I got them off I tried to stand up and walk up this steep incline. I just couldn't get up and was getting very worn out trying again and again. My buddy and I tried to help each other stand up but we both were just felt overweighed and unbalanced.

We decided to throw our fins up on shore so we didn't have that to deal with that. BIG MISTAKE, the next wave picks them up and started to pull them back out to sea (lol). So we scrambled to retrieve our fins again and throw them further up the shore. Next wave came and off the fins go back to sea again (lol). All I could do was start laughing at this point (which is difficult with a reg in your mouth).

There we are, bent over on all fours, gasping for air and only a couple of feet from exiting the water and laughing because I can't stand up and keep trying to keep my fins from drifting back out in the ocean. Then my buddy says, let's dump our weights and throw them on shore. I'm thinking, this sounds like a good idea, why didn't I think of this? So with all our might we pull one pouch out at a time and throw them as far on to the beach as we can, which I'm embarrassed to say is only a foot. But once we dumped our weights it was easy to stand up and walk out of the surf.

So, what I learned from this experience is one, keep the reg in my mouth no matter what (I read this on scubaboard many times) BUT don't start laughing, and two, if you are diving in cold water and have freaking 34 pounds of weights like I did, pull them off and ditch them on shore so you can stand up. And last, do not throw fins on shore if the waves can pull them back (lol).

Thanks,
John

 

[J.R.]

Welcome to shore diving... wait until you have the 'urchin experience'...

 

[ScubaSteve]

Well, it sounds like you had fun. A couple points to consider. If there is any way of YOU being pulled back to sea, then ditching your fins may not be the best solution anyways. I know people that have large D clips that they clip to their BC and then can clip their fins to for carrying them. As you have pointed out, ditching the weight first is perhaps the better starting point. But remember, while this will make it easier to get up, it might also make it easier for a wave to topple you. This really is more of a problem for unique and specific entry types. Most of my diving has been shore (to conserve the almighty dollar) and there is only 2 that I can think of where ditching my weight first truly made it easier. But, remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With more expeience comes less weight carried.

And also, when selecting your new boot, might I recommend you get a fairly firm soled boot? I found this helped a great deal because even a "soft thick" sole made it awkward to walk on anything rougher than pavement (slight exaggeration). This made shore diving much more enjoyable.

 

[rstofer]

"Rock Boots" - that's what you need! DUI Rock Boot There are probably others.

Don't forget the ever popular method of crawling out on your hands and knees! I'm old and I haven't done many shore dives. Regrettably, I find hands and knees the method of choice. Aging isn't for people with large egos...

If the 4 of us keep diving, I will probably just buy a boat. My first > 100 dives were, except for 1, all boat dives. I LIKE boat diving. I like inflatable diving. I hate beach entries.

Enjoy!

Richard

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

Gotta agree with rstofer on the crawling thing.

My first quary dive I had an experienced buddy show me the settle down on your hands and knees in the shallows and slide over the rocks approach. After watching others try to either wade through the shallows with fins on or put their fins on while perched on a jagged bunch of rocks at the edge of the droppoff, I was very happy to have that piece of training. Ego is best left to the young

 

[SkipperJohn]

I never considered beach diving but when I did it I loved the simplicity of it (the 1 time I did it).
Having snorkeled this way for many years here's a few tips that may help. Swim as long as you can. By the time you stand up the water should be below your waist. Walk out backwards or better yet sideways. Nothing like seeing that wave about to hit you before it does. And being sideways the wave will have far less impact and with a wide stance you can stay upright better.
I was taught by my instructor to use the fin straps like a candle and sling them onto my arm leaving both hands free. This too worked well for me.
Of course in my limited experience I never did this in rough surf with gear on, but I have with just fins mask and snorkel.

 

[TSandM]

The only problem with swimming in too far is that, with all that gear and weight, it may not be very easy to stand up without some help from the water.

I've done dives a few times in places where there was a steep sand break like that, and it's a challenge to get up, even in very small surf. (I think I picked Monastery beach "sand" out of my gear for MONTHS after that dive!)

 

[sabbath999]

"aging isn't for people with large egos...

word.

 

[AZjohn]

The only problem with swimming in too far is that, with all that gear and weight, it may not be very easy to stand up without some help from the water.

I've done dives a few times in places where there was a steep sand break like that, and it's a challenge to get up, even in very small surf. (I think I picked Monastery beach "sand" out of my gear for MONTHS after that dive!)

You got the picture TSandM,

Trust me, I have no problem or pride not to crawl out on my hands and knees out of the ocean. But it wasn't possible to walk up this sand break thus that is why we were on our hands and knees after getting over this little hurdle. At this point we were only in a foot and a half water with just small waves coming in (no worries about getting rolled or anything). But coming out further on shore on our hands and knees still wouldn't have helped us stand up. And I knew I needed to keep my BC on to walk back 100 yards to the pickup truck.

When we started this dive we were the only two on the beach. When we returned from the dive and were flopping around on all fours there were about a half dozen local fishermen on the shore to the left of us. They were just starring at us with the look on their face like "what the hell are these two guys trying to do" (lol). I think between them looking at us trying to get up while trying to catch our fins floating out to sea, I just couldn't help but laugh at the whole picture

Thanks for everyone's input, you all help me learn more!
John

 

[SkipperJohn]

sounds like an AFV missed opportunity.