First Boat Dive

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tddfleming

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Boca Raton, FL
# of dives
200 - 499
I am in the process of setting up our first boat dive. It will be NC Morehead City, the Indra. There will be 3 of us. My self, husband and daughter (she will be 13 by then). We are beginners, we all should have our AOW by this point in time. We were cert. last Sept. Now have 13 dives under our belt, all quarry dives. What all do I need to make sure I ask and understand so that we have a good experience??

At this point I know that all we need is OW min. Max, depth is 65', in shore boat dive. I have the cost. But I feel as if I should address other things before we fork out our money. It will be a 5 hour ride from home to there, so I want to make sure I cover my rear. What questions should I ask?????
 
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You might get better answers if you told us which dive boat you were using to charter for diving?
 
Do you have a good Dive Plan Checklist saved on your computer? What will the water temp be?
 
I'd be less concerned about my money and more concerned about the safety of fairly new divers, especially a 13 year old, in what can sometimes be challenging conditions in NC waters on your first open water dive. Although the Indra is a inshore wreck in fairly shallow water, sometimes the vis can be pretty bad. How confident are you of your navigation skills to find your way back to the anchor line? Are you willing to abort the dive if any of you feels uncomfortable? The operator won't give you back your money if you do. How do you feel about that? Also, weather can change very quickly off the NC coast. One hour you have great conditions, the next hour they're crap. You can see if you can hire a guide if you feel you need it. I would just call the operator, tell them about your experience level, and ask them to tell you about the dives and the boat procedures. Some boats expect more experienced divers but others will cater to newbies. Have any of you been seasick? That's another thing to think about. Also this, which may sound really weird but I've seen it happen. One kid in a group on my boat was afraid of the fish. There can be barracuda and other fairly large fish on the Indra, which may look scary to some people with their big teeth. Don't think I've seen sharks there. Can't remember. I love diving NC wrecks. One of my favorite places to dive. You should have fun and it's ok to have some jitters. That's normal. Also check out You Tube for some footage of Indra dives. I found a couple of them, one with a turtle and another with a baitball. Awesome stuff!!
 
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What questions should I ask????? (when doing your first boat dive) ...
Boat diving involves an easily learned routine that is easily learned by listening to the safety and ops briefings that are given by the Captain and Dive Master; observing experienced divers; and of course by asking questions. Basic questions to ask are:
• Where should I store my gear
• What is the preferred water entry method, and
• What is the preferred method of signaling, approaching, and boarding the boat following the dive?
Keep in mind that you will be sharing deck space with other divers. Stow your gear so that it is out of the way. Once the boat is underway, expect the deck to “rock and roll” with wave actions. With this in mind, it might be best to set up your SCUBA unit at the dock. If the dive site is a relatively short distance from the departure point, get “half dressed” in your wet suit so that when the 10-minute call is given, you can don the remainder of your gear with a minimum of effort. If on a drift dive, emphasis is given to getting everyone in the water at the same time so that the divers remain in a group. Be ready to go when the dive signal is given. Since this will be your first dive in the ocean, be mindful of the possibility of boat traffic when surfacing – ask about protocols regarding the deployment of safety sausages.
 
Well, I've never dived NC, but I can address boat diving in general, and boat diving a long drive from home in specific.

Make sure you have a checklist. Make it up so that you can actually put checks in boxes. There is little more frustrating than driving a couple of hours and unloading a bunch of heavy gear onto a boat, only to realize that some irreplaceable part of your kit is still at home.

Figure a way to pack your equipment efficiently into soft-sided containers (mesh bags are great). Many boats don't have space for hard-sided Rubbermaid tubs and the like. Making a dozen trips back and forth between the boat and the car is not only irritating, but is once again an invitation for something not to make it onto the boat.

Find out what the boat provides -- do you need to bring tanks and/or weights? If you bring your own, does the boat fill, or do you need to bring a tank for each dive? Does the boat provide any food or drink, or do you have to bring that? If you will be spending the night on the boat, do you need to bring a sleeping bag or other bedding, or towels?

Plan on bringing a significant supply of cash. At least on the West Coast, the dive crew often works only for tips. In the PNW, $5 a tank is a pretty typical tip, or a bit more for extra service (like carrying tanks up the ramp from the boat!) If you aren't paying for the charter ahead of time, find out what they will take for payment . . . it's embarrassing to find yourself on the boat with a credit card that the boat can't take. (Don't ask me how I know this.)

I have found a good, windproof coat is wonderful even in warm places. (I use a TrueWest parka.) If you are diving wet, you'll find that once you get out of the water and the wind hits you, you'll chill quickly. Folks on the dive boats in Maui laughed at me with my Gortex jacket, but I sat there warm and happy while they shivered :)

If you do get seasick, remedies are much more effective if they are taken/applied BEFORE you get on the boat. If you aren't sure what the effect of a drug will be, try taking some of it on a day before you are going out on the boat, so you know if the medication will make you drowsy or stupid.

Above all, have fun! Don't be afraid to ask questions, and listen carefully to the briefing on boat safety and on the dive sites. The crew is there to help you stay safe and have a good time. If you are wondering about how to do something, they probably have the answers.
 
NC boats at most provide with some weights and bottled water.

Most of us diving there bring everything you need. That includes drinks and food.

I find those uncrustables a good choice. Also those small tuna salad & crackers combos are pretty good. You will have some place in the cooler and ice in it to keep your stuff cool.

A soft mesh bag for gear is good, also bring a drybag for your clothes, cell phone etc...

Take something for motion sickness the night before and one when you arrive at the dock. (I use Dimenhydrinate - Dramamine/Triptone.)

Take the morning ride if possible, more chances of favorable conditions.

More than likely boat WILL go out even if conditions are not that great so don't expect refund in case of bad weather unless it is really bad.

Expect a boat to be a taxi service to and from the dive site, that is about it. You set up your own gear, change the tanks between the dives etc... generally there is no DM in the water but you get a dive site briefing. However I would read ahead of time and perhaps get one of the slates if possible.

Oh... just because it says it will be Indra the actual conditions will dictate where you will end up.
 
I am in the process of setting up our first boat dive. It will be NC Morehead City, the Indra. There will be 3 of us. My self, husband and daughter (she will be 13 by then). We are beginners, we all should have our AOW by this point in time. We were cert. last Sept. Now have 13 dives under our belt, all quarry dives. What all do I need to make sure I ask and understand so that we have a good experience??

At this point I know that all we need is OW min. Max, depth is 65', in shore boat dive. I have the cost. But I feel as if I should address other things before we fork out our money. It will be a 5 hour ride from home to there, so I want to make sure I cover my rear. What questions should I ask?????

You should see if the Capt. lists his ph number and just give him a call. He should be happy to answer any questions prior to the voyage.
 
With it being your first boat dives, your first ocean dives and because you are fairly new divers, I would ask the dive boat operator if they can provide a private dive master / guide for you and your family. The dive master on the NC Boats does NOT get in the water with you. Usually the operators can arrange for a private guide and it will make your experience much more comfortable and enjoyable.
 
I am in the process of setting up our first boat dive. It will be NC Morehead City, the Indra. There will be 3 of us. My self, husband and daughter (she will be 13 by then). We are beginners, we all should have our AOW by this point in time. We were cert. last Sept. Now have 13 dives under our belt, all quarry dives. What all do I need to make sure I ask and understand so that we have a good experience??

At this point I know that all we need is OW min. Max, depth is 65', in shore boat dive. I have the cost. But I feel as if I should address other things before we fork out our money. It will be a 5 hour ride from home to there, so I want to make sure I cover my rear. What questions should I ask?????

  1. Have you checked to make sure the conditions that the dive sites presents are consistent with your families abilities.
  2. A lot of my diving has been in quarries which present their own challenges such as visibility, temperature etc. However, quarries do not present strong currents, excessive wave motion etc.
  3. Does the operator have sufficient supplies of O2 on board?
  4. What is the operator procedure for accounting for all of the divers before and after the dive?
  5. How often in advance does the operator make a cancellation decision? If that decision is 45 minuted before departure, then you could end up driving 5 hours for nothing.
  6. If operator cancels the trip what is their refund policy?
  7. If you cancel the trip, what is their refund policy?
  8. Is there a divemaster in the water with you? Many charters off the coastal USA do not have overmasters in the water with you.
  9. If there is no divemaster in the water with you to lead the dive are you confident enough in you navigation skills to get you and your buddy back to the boat?
  10. Is there a fourth person that will be diving with you? If not, I would question a 3-person buddy team with only 13 dives in a quarry.
  11. You will need to account for the extra buoyancy of sea water compared to fresh water. Sea water is 2.5% more buoyant that fresh water. The means to figure out the weight you will need for salt water you need to determine the total weight of the diver, plus all of his/her gear (including weights etc.). Once you have this number you will need multiply that weight by.5 %. The result of that calculation is the amount of additional weight you will need to dive in the ocean.

    For example, lets say that you need 20 lbs of weight to dive in the quarry. If the total weight of you and all your gear is 200 lbs. then you will need about 25 lbs. to dive in the ocean (20 lbs. used in fresh water + 2.5% of 200 lbs. = 5 lbs. additional weight for a total of 25 lbs.).

    Some instructors don't explain this very well to their open water students and just say you need 2.5% more weight. Absent any other information the logical person would assume 2.5% of 20 lbs. is the amount they would need to add.
 
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