This probably sounds like a stupid question but we dive quarries so we simply wade in and then put on our stage bottles. What is the recommended boat entry for someone wearing doubles and carrying 2 stage bottles or are they handed down after you enter?
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- Thread starter steelslinger
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steelslinger:
Normally you enter the water with them on. I have not seen it done any other way, but I guess there may be a case where is might make since.
Good luck.
I'd prefer to enter fully kitted, but sometimes depending on the boat, a line is hung off the side where all the stages are clipped off. We also hand them down at times too.
I'd think it would depend on a whole pile of things, including what you prefer.
I'd think it would depend on a whole pile of things, including what you prefer.
It is best to enter the water from the boat with everything on since the current can be moving fast in one direction, while the waves and wind are pushing the boat in another, making it quite difficult for the boat to get in the right place for someone to hand over any bottles to you.
We usually end up paying higher boat fees in order to get an experienced DM that helps us hook up our bottles before entering the water, and who will come down to check on us at our 70 foot stop to make sure everyone has plenty of gas and has not had any failures that would require someone to bring us additional bottles, etc.
I have never had to resort to using 80s (I stick to 40s) in addition to my back gas. When I have seen it done, the DM will carry the bottles to the platform/entry point, and then will hook you up so that you don't have to try to walk around with them on. After you hook up, you just make the jump into the water.
Now, just add the weight of the scooter into the equation. It can get quite complex and cumbersome.
We usually end up paying higher boat fees in order to get an experienced DM that helps us hook up our bottles before entering the water, and who will come down to check on us at our 70 foot stop to make sure everyone has plenty of gas and has not had any failures that would require someone to bring us additional bottles, etc.
I have never had to resort to using 80s (I stick to 40s) in addition to my back gas. When I have seen it done, the DM will carry the bottles to the platform/entry point, and then will hook you up so that you don't have to try to walk around with them on. After you hook up, you just make the jump into the water.
Now, just add the weight of the scooter into the equation. It can get quite complex and cumbersome.
I do the same as ScubaDadMiami, even with 2 alu80's for deco.
It sounds worse than it is, though I am paranoid about pinning the deco tanks down pretty well with my arm to keep them from riding up when I hit the water.
It sounds worse than it is, though I am paranoid about pinning the deco tanks down pretty well with my arm to keep them from riding up when I hit the water.
kramynot2000
Guest
When we're out on my buddy's personal boat, which isn't that big, we have to put the slings over the side and then don them in the water, otherwise we jump in with them on.
Where we dive in the Great Lakes there usually isn't much current and the boat is tied up. However we dive in some fairly rough seas. We usually don decompression and stage bottles in the water. Then too, though, it depends on the boat. There's at least one boat that I can think of that we dive off that we usually enter with everything on.
It depends on how the boat is set up, seas, current and how many bottles I'm carrying.
It depends on how the boat is set up, seas, current and how many bottles I'm carrying.
I prefer to put them on on the boat or shore using a bench on the boat (or tailgate on shore) to support the bottom of the stage bottle while clipping in the top. As for entering the weater, you can secure both deco bottles from smacking you in the face by holding one down with your elbow and the other with your hand and still have a free hand to secure the mask and reg.
Even if no current is present, the water is still deep and the stage bottle negatively bouyant so there is some risk of at least the inconvenience of a short search at the bottom if one shoud slip while being handed over the side to don in the water. Since they are normally heavy on the reg end, they tend to plane a bit on the way down rather than drop straight to the bottom so the search area can be inconveniently large in deep water.
Even if no current is present, the water is still deep and the stage bottle negatively bouyant so there is some risk of at least the inconvenience of a short search at the bottom if one shoud slip while being handed over the side to don in the water. Since they are normally heavy on the reg end, they tend to plane a bit on the way down rather than drop straight to the bottom so the search area can be inconveniently large in deep water.
In addition to all the ways already mentioned we've been known to lower the bottles on a down line so we don't have to mess with waves. It's a lot easier to help each other at 20' than on the surface too. This was a natural progression for us old hang-tank divers.
You can clip used stages off to a down line or the anchor line too which makes getting back in the boat a whole lot easier - just back gas and a deco bottle.
E.
You can clip used stages off to a down line or the anchor line too which makes getting back in the boat a whole lot easier - just back gas and a deco bottle.
E.
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