solo dive from a boat?
- Thread starter RYCO
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AfterDark
Contributor
I did until one day off the island of Cuttyhunk out of sight of land, a squall kicked up while I was diving. I surfaced to high winds big waves rain and no boat in sight! I had to 2 anchors off the bow and a sea anchor at the stern. How could the boat be gone!?!? I bobbed around in the water for about 15 min wondering how long I had to live? Finally the boat and I were both on top of a wave at the same time! At the time I couldn't remember being so happy! I never left the boat unattended again. Lessons are useless unless learned and followed. In a lake I'd say your pretty safe unless it's one of the Great Lakes!
GrumpyOldGuy
Contributor
A tag line is a long floating line that drifts behind the boat. Should you surface down current, you can grab it and pull yourself hand over hand back to the boat.
I think most of the responses are thinking about ocean diving. There is a huge difference with lakes. Small and moderate sized lakes have little current to pull your anchor, only wind. You can normally swim to shore in the event of separation. For this reason I have and will continue to dive with my boat unattended in lakes. The only real risk is that of 2 legged critters topside causing grief. I would never consider it on the ocean or the Great Lakes without someone topside standing watch.
yeah you get what im saying. im going in the local lakes. there is no way to not be in a place that land is with in swimming distance. and i understand that there are currents there but nothing like the ocean. so with you saying that i feel more confident. thanks.
After taking some basic precautions, I've felt pretty comfortable doing lake dives from my unattended boat.
Those precautions included knowing the weather forecast was good, verifying the automatic bilge pump was functional, using two suitable anchors each with a long rode of chain and rope, checking the set of at least the main anchor, and sometimes weaving the chain around rocks to better ensure it remains set if the wind changes.
I've found some freshwater situations made me a little uneasy, such as anchoring in wind near exposed shoals or cliffs. In those situations I've taken extra care checking the set of both anchors, etc.
You're talking only about smaller bodies of freshwater, but to dive from an unattended boat in a bigger body of saltwater would require a very benign, stable situation, such as a well-protected cove, etc. At least for me. I've heard more than one horror story, including the boat sinking while the solo diver was in the water! Came up to find it awash and it sunk as he climbed in. One mile from shore.... Bilge plug was loose and finally fell out.
I strongly suggest you test the function of your automatic bilge pump float switch before each dive and make darn sure of the set of the anchor(s) when you get down there. You don't want your boat leaving you or joining you....
Dave C
Many places make a distinction between private boats and commercial boats. In areas with caverns and swim throughs most kayak divers tie it off, IMHO. The only kayak dive I've done attached to my yak was an 80 ft reg hose hookah set up in significant wind and I felt like a worm on the end of a bottom trolling rig!
There's a big difference between a kayak/canoe and a boat with a 50-150hp motor on it. I've left my jon boat unattended at local springs without issue.
paddler3d:
Not much of an issue in the ocean, but in a local lake with lots of boat traffic, this isn't such a great idea...
RYCO:
My main concern on Lake Pleasant, or any other lake in Arizona, for that matter, would be theft. I've had stupid, drunk people on jet skis decide to use my dive flag as a reference point for donuts at Lake Pleasant. I've also had stupid boaters come right up to my dive flag at Canyon lake and pick it up out of the water. This was with shore support yelling at them to get away from the flag. I could easily see lots of people coming up to an unattended boat on the lake and even taking it for a joy ride. Again, I'd also check with the lake patrol about unattended vessels. You could get cited for it.
the tag line thing had me a little worried too. id hate to have a boat run it over and get it stuck in their prop.
theft is a concern, but my main concern was from a safety stand point. i know if you dive solo your taking on more risk, but is it more risky to dive from a boat solo in a relatively small local lake? it sounds like its not other that the safety of the boat itself.
Even so, to my knowledge here in Hawaii there are only regulations on crew staying in the boat for charters and it seemed similar for the boats I saw and rode on it Florida State waters my 2 months there in spring '01.
I just searched Florida Boating regulations and found no such regulation.
Done it plenty of times. Here's my procedure: I drop anchor (or grappel) the site. I then suit and splash with all the usual stuff AND a safety chain with a snap link. I drop down the rode and "chain off" to the site with the safety chain. On ascent, I remove the safety and surface via the rode. I am always on my rode, both up and down so no chance of losing the boat. The important point is to to stay on the rode on both descent and ascent. Safe, easy, and your boat can't go anywhere!
East West
Contributor
Solo, night , low on air , missed the anchor to decompress all on the same dive .Another solo ,night ,night with no light on bottom of wreck dive . Hey at least it was not on the same night.
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