SGR Jeff
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Article: Beach Diving Done Right
- Thread starter SGR Jeff
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Pretty good piece, but it assumes a rather gentle entry, if we assume, say, Monastery Beach, CA then these two sections are inappropriate. Especially the bolded areas.
Surf Entry – Get to the waterline and watch the surf. With your mask around your neck and fins in hand (with straps already adjusted), wait for the lull in between sets to make your entry. It is important to get out of the surf zone as soon as possible. Get to about chest deep water and turn to face the beach and use the Figure 4 to put on your fins while keeping an over-the-shoulder eye on the surf. Stay close to your buddy during the entry. If one of you is having a problem, the other can help stabilize while fins are being strapped on. Pro Tip: If you are bringing a camera or a·dive light that won’t fit into your BC pocket, clip it!·You might think you have an iron grip, but even a moderate three-foot wave can prove you wrong.
Exiting the Dive – On your way back in from your dive, make sure to surface well before you reach the surf zone. Inflate your BC and swim toward shore while watching the surf. Gauge the sets and get a feel for when the next lull is going to occur. When it does, stay close to your buddy and swim for the beach. When you get to chest deep water, remove your fins and quick-march out of the water, keeping an eye peeled over your shoulder for any breakers looking to sneak up and embarrass you.
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In severe beach breaks you should put your fins on before entering the water, enter solo, snorkel in your mouth, time your entry to the break and get out beyond the break as fast as possible. Go under the waves if you need too. Then your buddy should do the same. I've watched two many buddy pairs smashed into each other to suggest any other way.
Exiting is the opposite, I'd recommend snorkel in the mouth, BC deflated, body surf in on a wave and when your hand and knees contact the bottom, crawl out of the water as fast as you can. Then you buddy can follow, using the same procedure.
Surf Entry – Get to the waterline and watch the surf. With your mask around your neck and fins in hand (with straps already adjusted), wait for the lull in between sets to make your entry. It is important to get out of the surf zone as soon as possible. Get to about chest deep water and turn to face the beach and use the Figure 4 to put on your fins while keeping an over-the-shoulder eye on the surf. Stay close to your buddy during the entry. If one of you is having a problem, the other can help stabilize while fins are being strapped on. Pro Tip: If you are bringing a camera or a·dive light that won’t fit into your BC pocket, clip it!·You might think you have an iron grip, but even a moderate three-foot wave can prove you wrong.
Exiting the Dive – On your way back in from your dive, make sure to surface well before you reach the surf zone. Inflate your BC and swim toward shore while watching the surf. Gauge the sets and get a feel for when the next lull is going to occur. When it does, stay close to your buddy and swim for the beach. When you get to chest deep water, remove your fins and quick-march out of the water, keeping an eye peeled over your shoulder for any breakers looking to sneak up and embarrass you.
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In severe beach breaks you should put your fins on before entering the water, enter solo, snorkel in your mouth, time your entry to the break and get out beyond the break as fast as possible. Go under the waves if you need too. Then your buddy should do the same. I've watched two many buddy pairs smashed into each other to suggest any other way.
Exiting is the opposite, I'd recommend snorkel in the mouth, BC deflated, body surf in on a wave and when your hand and knees contact the bottom, crawl out of the water as fast as you can. Then you buddy can follow, using the same procedure.
Ditto the above. I like your rinse bottles.
lostreefkw
Registered
All great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
here on the Florida Treasure Coast i generally hit 1-2 beach dives a week. This article is spot-on; I've been doing much of the same things for years
Nice feature, it's good to see shore diving (my passion) get some attention. I've been meaning to write something along these lines for a while for my site. I may differ with a few of your points but that's what will make or features unique.
Pete
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Great article. Fond memories of learning to shore dive in SoCal's Laguna Beach and Redondo Beach.There's nothing like getting washing machined during a surf exit to teach you how to humbly crawl out on hands and knees.
Selchie in LB
Contributor
Nicely done article. We in southern California are lucky to have a variety of beach entry sites. Thalassamania you make some interesting points. Mselenaous I too have humbly crawled out of Redondo Beach! LOL Another point is to turn sideways so that you are not taking the brunt of a wave either front or back side on. Thus your body is slicing the wave. I have been caught a couple of times in the back of the knees exiting. So just like the gag of knocking someone's knee from behind and buckling the leg, a wave can do the same. The other issue with beach entries is the stability of the sand and the slope. Those of you who dive Redondo Beach know about those factors. The sand is mushy and shifts and there is that weird dip which is somewhat steep. I have not experienced rocky entries, so maybe a follow-up article on those types of entries could be added.
GrumpyOldGuy
Contributor
We used to call it the "crawl of shame", often followed by the missing fin hunt. Been there, done that......
Good article, but you might want to note that most of the electronic keys that come with new cars won't work after being submerged in salt water. Also, a discussion on vehicle safety and not leaving anything of value visible is a must, even for areas with lots of pedestrian traffic. While doing a beach dive, my car and several others around me were all broken in to and all money and iPhones stolen
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