Shore Diving Depths Question

[got4boyz]

I want to start doing some shore diving and was wondering how deep people generally dive on shore dives. I will be buying a diver down flag float and also want to know the length of line I'll need and how deep you can dive while pulling it. Any info you can give me would be appreciated.

 

[Warren_L]

Depending on the site, there really isn't any limit. On some shore dives there are walls that can drop quite deep. Usually we tie off a flag as far out as is reasonally possible before any steep drop-off.

 

[strider]

No real limit I know of. A friend and I were just doing a bottle dive a few weeks ago and we dragged a large float while at 120', but we weren't trying to go fast or anything.

 

[gj62]

As others have said, depends where you dive. In both SoCal and NorCal, you can get as deep as you want within easy swim distance in 2 close canyons. However, most of the time I was out it would be 40-70'.... You will almost always want to tie off the line - sounded like you were thinking about towing it during the dive - you're just asking to get it tangled on something...

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Shore dives around here vary from the very shallow to several hundred feet. Tie off the float if at all possible rather than towing a line a couple hundred feet long.

 

[got4boyz]

So many of you suggest tieing off the dive flag, but I thought you were supposed to stay within so many feet of it, so unless you weren't going too far you needed to pull a float.

So maybe a better question to ask is how many of you pull a float while shore diving and if so how deep do you generally dive while pulling a float.

Any enlightenment of both of the above will help.

 

[Warren_L]

I think you just answered your own question there.

Boats need to stay away 300 ft from a dive flag (or 100 ft in rivers or waterways). And you need to make an effort to stay within this range of the flag. If you plan on going further, then you should take the flag with you.

 

[Arnaud]

Why do you need anything on the surface while UW? Why would you want the drag of a flag? Why not just shoot a surface marker when ascending during your last stop?

 

[kelpmermaid]

Why do you need anything on the surface while UW? Why would you want the drag of a flag? Why not just shoot a surface marker when ascending during your last stop?

At least in Florida, I think. At least I've done drift dives off of Broward County that work that way -- the boat crew watches your progress, then they come and get you when you surface. With the drift thing, it isn't a drag. Clearly would not work well in kelp...

Where will you be doing this, Got4?

 

[Warren_L]

Why do you need anything on the surface while UW? Why would you want the drag of a flag? Why not just shoot a surface marker when ascending during your last stop?

A SMB would work too. Some sites around here have a gradual rise which can come up to about 10-15 feet deep or so. There's one in particular I know of where there are lots of jet skiers and I prefer to have a flag above at all times. It's kind of scary having a jet skier go right over you in 10 feet of water, lemme tell you. We could alternatively do a surface swim, but it is a long way and I'd rather be below, not risking some dolt on a jet ski not knowing what the marker is for.