How many consider entry and exit of a shore dive a skill?

[Akimbo]

… As I see it more skill would be required in learning to read and understand the waves and current at shore dive site than falling off a boat.

Fundamentally true as long as you are happy to put your safety in the hands of others. However, there’s a lot to know about boats and diving if you really want to improve your odds when things go wonky. See: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/485101-diving-seamanship.html

My comment is not intended to diminish the skills required for shore diving rather than to point out that boat diving isn’t just about giant strides and how to climb a ladder.

 

[scubadada]

Fundamentally true as long as you are happy to put your safety in the hands of others. However, there’s a lot to know about boats and diving if you really want to improve your odds when things go wonky. See: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/485101-diving-seamanship.html

My comment is not intended to diminish the skills required for shore diving rather than to point out that boat diving isn’t just about giant strides and how to climb a ladder.

For the recreational diver, what more is it?

 

[Lorenzoid]

I suppose I'm late to this thread, but it brought to mind that I had done almost nothing but boat diving--a couple of hundred--before my first real shore dive, and I was intimidated by the idea. I posted on SB to ask for advice. It was Bonaire, so conditions were pretty benign, but I still had never thought about what goes into entering, exiting, logistics, etc. All I knew was boat diving. For me, learning to shore dive filled in a small gap in my open water training, which had been entirely boat-oriented. If I find myself planning to do more challenging shore diving, I know enough to seek advice from those with relevant experience. There are definitely skills involved.

As far as reading the waves, etc., I have experience with that in the context of non-diving activities, such as kayaking, but there are clearly skills involved in applying it to scuba diving.

 

[oldschoolto]

Yesterday I did a shore dive rescue here in Bonaire at the salt pier... Girl and husband trying to get out just as wife and I surfaced... The girl went a$$hole over tea kettles and the guy was on his hands and knees... her Tank cam band popped open and her tank is hanging... I put on my superman cape and like a mountain goat got her out of her gear and back on her feet and carried her tank to shore... All well wearing my full kit, I did throw my fins up on the beach before carrying the tank.. I'm not that good....

Jim...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The majority of my local diving is shore diving ... and while Puget Sound divers generally don't have to worry about surf entries, we do have other hazards to consider. In the warmer months, vis can be so bad in the shallows that even in knee deep water you can't see your feet. So don't drop a fin, because the chances of finding it won't be good. Shuffle your feet ... you can't see where you're putting them, and you do NOT want to be standing between two rocks if a wave or boat wake rocks you (seen someone break an ankle that way once). Keep a reg handy ... either on a necklace or even in your mouth ... as soon as you enter the water. Know of one guy who drowned in 2 feet of water when he slipped, went down, and was unable to get up. Remember, if the water can cover your face you need to be able to breathe. And never get in the water without knowing how and where you're going to get out ... current won't always allow those both to occur in the same place.

Not sure if you'd call those skills or techniques ... but they're definitely things you should teach at the OW level if you're diving in a place where shore entries are common ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[The Chairman]

And never get in the water without knowing how and where you're going to get out ...

Or near the water without making sure your tank's turned on. Breathing the reg twice while looking at your SPG is essential to not drowning.

 

[Akimbo]

Fundamentally true as long as you are happy to put your safety in the hands of others. However, there’s a lot to know about boats and diving if you really want to improve your odds when things go wonky. See: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/485101-diving-seamanship.html

My comment is not intended to diminish the skills required for shore diving rather than to point out that boat diving isn’t just about giant strides and how to climb a ladder.

For the recreational diver, what more is it?

Not much IF everything goes right, a lot like Scuba diving. The concern is knowing what to do when it doesn't. Here is the opening paragraph from: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/485101-diving-seamanship.html

I was with some old dive mates the other night and the newbie stories began to flow. On reflection, it reminded me that none of us are born knowing this stuff and very few get the opportunity to learn it. However, some of it is just as important to a boat diver’s safety as sharing air or clearing a mask….

 

[Hickdive]

Local knowledge is the key.

If you didn't know better you'd never think going down a culvert is the entry route for one of our local sites and that a rope is a great help;

[video=youtube;OnFaqxX5Fkw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnFaqxX5Fkw[/video]

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Even in benign conditions shore exits can be difficult without proper skills.


Some shore dives require skills just to get to the water.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The majority of my local diving is shore diving ... and while Puget Sound divers generally don't have to worry about surf entries, we do have other hazards to consider. In the warmer months, vis can be so bad in the shallows that even in knee deep water you can't see your feet. So don't drop a fin, because the chances of finding it won't be good. Shuffle your feet ... you can't see where you're putting them, and you do NOT want to be standing between two rocks if a wave or boat wake rocks you (seen someone break an ankle that way once). Keep a reg handy ... either on a necklace or even in your mouth ... as soon as you enter the water. Know of one guy who drowned in 2 feet of water when he slipped, went down, and was unable to get up. Remember, if the water can cover your face you need to be able to breathe. And never get in the water without knowing how and where you're going to get out ... current won't always allow those both to occur in the same place.

Not sure if you'd call those skills or techniques ... but they're definitely things you should teach at the OW level if you're diving in a place where shore entries are common ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Also, in many shore diving locations, the tidal cycle will change the water level enough to make an exit impossible. So you need to have an idea if the tide is falling or rising and also the expected water level change.

I've been burned in Maine where you have 8-10 or more feet of tidal range.. You step or jump off a perfectly nice big flat rock into the water and when you return... you are looking up at a vertical wall that extends 2 feet out of the water..LOL