Dropping an exit marker

[cruisekingkris]

Is it common place to drop a semi inflated SMB attached to a 2# weight near the drop off so you know where the “exit and entrance” is. I’ve seen this done by DMs on last dives on other islands.

 

[tursiops]

Is it common place to drop a semi inflated SMB attached to a 2# weight near the drop off so you know where the “exit and entrance” is. I’ve seen this done by DMs on last dives on other islands.

It is not common, because the Bonaire Marine Park does not want anything placed on the reef without their permission, including a lead weight. Most of the sites have a mooing line on an anchor; just use that as your visual marker.

 

[Doctorfish]

Easy navigation on Bonaire reefs. Almost all are mini wall with little current so you can time your return pretty accurately. As Tursiops said, most sites have a buoy and line already.

 

[boat sju]

I asked for a 6# weight intending to do that up in the Nukove area, which can be a little trickier to navigate. I got a lecture but no weight. I'm not sure how STINAPA would feel about tying an SMB to the buoy line if that made you more confident in seeing it.

 

[Martijn]

I asked for a 6# weight intending to do that up in the Nukove area, which can be a little trickier to navigate. I got a lecture but no weight. I'm not sure how STINAPA would feel about tying an SMB to the buoy line if that made you more confident in seeing it.

I know quite some people who would "help" you recover the item you "lost", and bring it back to shore for you.

 

[agd]

Is it common place to drop a semi inflated SMB attached to a 2# weight near the drop off so you know where the “exit and entrance” is. I’ve seen this done by DMs on last dives on other islands.

Not a common practice but I have seen it done. Most recently, up at Karpata within 30 feet of the mooring line! Seems silly to me but possibly because someone wants to see the same standard picture at their exit.

I have also seen a more minimalist approach, which would also be less costly if one of Martijn's colleagues "helped" recover the marker, by using a fishing weight tied to a length of some brightly coloured floating tape.

But generally unnecessary. The mooring buoys when available are the best cue. When there is no mooring buoy, or it is significantly offset from the customary shore entry point, one can usually choose a distinctive marker at the top of the slope. A stovepipe sponge with four tall tubes in the shape of fingers with 5 shorter ones beside a barrel sponge with a notch, at a depth of 25 feet, for example. Even where there is no natural feature you can unambiguously find, those before you have often created a clearly man made construction of dead coral to serve as a marker. Although Stinapa would disapprove, you could do something similar.

And if all else fails, the gopher peek at your expected time and estimated place is fool proof despite it being a mark of failure for those who pride themselves on popping up from 6 feet right in front of their truck!

But just have a fun dive...it is hard not to find the shore.

 

[Doctorfish]

I find a compass helpful. Take a bearing before getting in and do a reciprocal from your marked point on the reef on the way out. Hard to get lost but in my personal experience, not completely impossible.

 

[Scared Silly]

We and most people seem to have descent skills/luck to make the turn at the right location.
But will admit to gophering on more than one occasion. Worse once we completely blew it and had to turn around a second time. At least we did not have to do the surface swim of shame.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Is it common place to drop a semi inflated SMB attached to a 2# weight near the drop off so you know where the “exit and entrance” is. I’ve seen this done by DMs on last dives on other islands.

No, it is not common for the reasons others have mentioned. It might be a convenience, but it simply isn't needed, and the practice might cause more problems than it solves.

Navigating out and back along a slope is not hard. Swim out to the edge of the slope. Note the direction of the current: left (south) or right (north)? The current is usually in a range between unnoticeable and mild, but if mild or stronger it's worth noting the direction. Decide whether to swim against the current or with the current. When you turn the dive, note how many minutes it took to swim there. To account for the current, if you swam against the current then swim back with the current for a few minutes less, or if you swam with the current then swim back against the current for a few minutes more. Then turn in toward shore. You'll probably surface close to your entry. If you undershot it or overshot it a bit, no big deal, except perhaps on the few sites with stronger current. I find it kind of an enjoyable game to see how close to my entry I can get myself on the exit. I'm a poor navigator, but sometimes I am pleasantly surprised to pop up exactly on target. Also, there's no shame in surfacing briefly after you reach shallow water, taking a compass sighting on your exit point, and going back down to swim in. Possibly even easier than searching for one's SMB.

If the current is strong, then consider additional navigation measures, such as noting a landmark (for example, a coral formation, a big sponge, etc.), and taking compass bearings. A compass is especially useful for sites down south with longer swims over a relatively featureless sand bottom.

 

[O-ring]

I drew a big arrow in the sand with my finger pointing toward my truck a couple of times on night dives down south in the band between the double reef where it gets deep. I figured wave action would ensure the arrow would only last a bit longer than my dive.