My buddy and I have been diving exclusively from boats for some time now. We're comfortable with boat entries, exits, and donning, doffing and stowing gear on a boat, etc. But the last shore dive I did was during my Open Water class over ten years ago, when I lived in a city that actually had shore diving. My buddy and I are soon heading for a dive trip to Bonaire, where we will be almost exclusively shore diving.
My question is: Can you think of anything that you recommend that we, as moderately experienced boat divers but relative shore diving novices, do prior to getting in the water? Things that we might have learned in OW class but not had to think about much because we've always dived from a boat? Things to go over with one's buddy? Extra things to include in the buddy check before entry? Obviously, we don't have a divemaster telling us to "be back in an hour," so we need to take more responsibility for planning our dives. But what things do you think might not occur to us to go over or to do, given that we're not used to shore diving?
Any shore diving tips in general? It seems straightforward enough: Wade out, don the fins, swim out to the marker buoy if there is one and take a compass reading to shore, descend, and take off along the reef.
I found a relevant thread posted on the Bonaire branch, but it was really focused on Bonaire. I have plenty of information on what I need for Bonaire diving. But here, I'd like to ask more generally about "shore diving for boat divers" (or should that be "Shore Diving for Dummies"?) and see what people have to say.
My question is: Can you think of anything that you recommend that we, as moderately experienced boat divers but relative shore diving novices, do prior to getting in the water? Things that we might have learned in OW class but not had to think about much because we've always dived from a boat? Things to go over with one's buddy? Extra things to include in the buddy check before entry? Obviously, we don't have a divemaster telling us to "be back in an hour," so we need to take more responsibility for planning our dives. But what things do you think might not occur to us to go over or to do, given that we're not used to shore diving?
Any shore diving tips in general? It seems straightforward enough: Wade out, don the fins, swim out to the marker buoy if there is one and take a compass reading to shore, descend, and take off along the reef.
I found a relevant thread posted on the Bonaire branch, but it was really focused on Bonaire. I have plenty of information on what I need for Bonaire diving. But here, I'd like to ask more generally about "shore diving for boat divers" (or should that be "Shore Diving for Dummies"?) and see what people have to say.