Boarding an RIB

[Stoo]

I've taken mine off a zillion times too (> 1000). I still don't clip it off. I wear a back plate (no quick release shoulder straps) and I've found it's far easier to roll out out of it at 10' after I clip off the camera, then ascend -- don't laugh it really works.

I don't have a RIB -- they'll sink if a shark bites them -- don't laugh I know of at least
two incidents, one of them a friend of mine and was on national TV. ;-) If a shark bites my whaler, his gums will itch from the glas for months and the whaler will still float.

No doubt it does. I also use a backplate and wings, but use a shoulder buckle. All of this DIR crap is great, but it does require modification for small boat diving. I watched a guy almost drown (literally) trying to get out of a continuous harness in Lake Erie. He was going under for the third time when a guy cut through a shoulder strap.

As for sharks... not much of an issue here in the Great Lakes, although with five chambers and a foam filled hull, it would need to be a pretty persistent shark! :shakehead

 

[nfdiver]

Yes all the answers are correct. except one thing that wasn't mentioned. It's not just the kick up. It's also just before that, push yourself down into the water first and then kick and pull yourself over the tube. Gives more energy to come out of the water then just start kicking. Seems standard to clip the gear on straps. I have webbing with one large stainless carabiner on one end and a smaller one on the other end. The large one goes over the side and the small one goes onto the ropes of the tube. I have around 6 over the side. You may want to hang spear guns bags or what ever over the sides. take off tanks and weight belt but KEEP your fins on. You won't get anywhere without them. also get in the lowest part of the boat to the water. You will never get in toward the bow. And yes it is nice to put your tank over the side and put it on there. I have found that, I'm sorry to say, people over weight can't get the kicking force to get over the tubes on my boat. I have planing fins on my engine so that gives them a good step to get up from the back. Just make sure the engine is off.

A RIB is a Rigid Inflatable Boat that is usually made of fiberglass. When running usually only the very back of the tubes MAY be in the water. It's a much faster dryer ride. See all the cool designs at http://www.ribevents.com/site/

I just put my RIB for sale in the classifieds.