1st Time Boat Dives

[scrane]

Cozumel is a dive factory and operators are used to new divers. It is not unusual for new divers to encounter delays on descent and most of your boatmates will take it in stride.
Correct weighting is most evident at the safety stop. Try and figure out how much air you have remaining in your BC to remain neutral at 15-20' with minimum tank pressure (hopefully 500+ psi). Ideally your BC should be holding little or no air.
In Cozumel you're diving for fun, so have fun! Good buoyancy control is your most valuable tool underwater.

 

[Franek]

Diving in Cozumel is pure pleasure, if you are worried that you can spoil your diving because of the weight, it is a very simple solution.

For not a lot of money, you order an instructor for yourself for two dives and you have a registration case, you dive 1 + 1, you decide what you expect and you are fully satisfied.

In addition, you will see so much while diving that you will be surprised.
You will do the next divers in a group or not, it depends on your budget.

Regards Maria

 

[HiterSixOne]

Hi @HiterSixOne

Are you using the on-site operator, Dive House, or another? I see Salty Endeavors has a package with Sunscape Sabor. Contacting your operator ahead of time will allow you to confirm the cylinder you will be using, very likely AL80. You didn't say what cylinder(s) you used in fresh water. You also did not mention the exposure protection you wear at home vs. what you will use in Cozumel. Contacting your operator might also allow you to find out how they handle equipment on and off the boat. Much of this information may also be available on their website.

As above, get there early, especially on the first day, to learn the routine. Make sure you are fully prepared to dive early, more relaxing for you and not annoying to others

Fine tune your weighting at your safety stop with your cylinder near the stop pressure (around 500 psi) Empty your BC and see how you do. You should be easily hold your stop and make a slow, controlled ascent to the surface. If you sink, remove a little weight at a time. If you float, add a little weight. After a few dives, you will be perfect with the gear you are using. Record this information in your log, for future use.

I was using AL80's in freshwater. My exposure protection will be a 3 mil full suit. I do intend to use Dive House at the resort, but am open to traveling the island for other experiences.

 

[HiterSixOne]

Diving in Cozumel is pure pleasure, if you are worried that you can spoil your diving because of the weight, it is a very simple solution.

For not a lot of money, you order an instructor for yourself for two dives and you have a registration case, you dive 1 + 1, you decide what you expect and you are fully satisfied.

In addition, you will see so much while diving that you will be surprised.
You will do the next divers in a group or not, it depends on your budget.

Regards Maria

Maria thank you. I will look into this.

 

[NorCalDM]

Take a small drybag for things you don't want to get wet. Listen to the briefing as they will give you the information you need on how the day will flow and how you will enter/exit the boat. I like to get my stuff sorted as soon as I get on the boat so I can listen to the briefing and relax on they way to the dive site. You will see many scrambling to sort out their stuff during the briefing and will miss the info they need so don't been that guy.

 

[Rearviewmirror]

As a relatively new diver, but as someone who has done most of my diving off of boats here are a few things I find useful to bear in mind:

• Be on time to the dock. Getting there early may mean you can board early and begin setting up your tanks (always ask the crew for permission to board). It is almost always easier to gear up at port than open water.
• Check your tanks/any rental gear before the boat departs - it's almost always possible to get something you forgot in port, but if you realize there's no converters for your DIN regulator and only yoke tanks on board 45mins out you're SOL.
• Watch what other divers on the boat are doing - you can learn great tricks by just watching people - everything from where to stuff your fins so they don't get in the way, to stowing your mask by clipping it into your chest strap
• Most boats will have either one long, or two small briefings which contain the boat briefing and the dive briefing. Listen to both carefully as a lot of boats have different procedures (gear rinse tanks, weight storage, the bathroom, where to throw up, when to gear up).
• Most good boats will give you a 10min warning before they get to the dive site. Use that time for final prep, not to start getting things ready - i.e. pull the second half of your wetsuit on, open your tank, put it on, strap on fins, do your buddy check
• Boats are usually pretty cramped so try to keep all your gear organized and under your seat. Some boats will give you boxes to put your stuff in, others expect you to bring on your own mesh bag
• Similar to the dry bag comment above, make sure you separate anything that positively can't get wet from the area where you're gearing up. Almost everything gets wet on a boat dive if it's windy/choppy
• Bring a dry layer/shorts for the boat ride back and tech your wetsuit/wet gear off immediately. Boat coats are great (something like Surf Fur) but take up space while flying
• Ask the dive shop if there's anything else you need to bring (DSMB/reel, dive light etc.) as norms can differ a bit by location
• Always sunscreen up and hydrate like crazy. The wind on the boat will dry you out faster than you realize
• Always always always have your tank strap attached. It takes literally one second during a tank change over for a large wave to cause your tank to come loose and injure other divers
• Ask for and accept help! It's always easier to get zipped up by someone else vs elbow your new buddy in the eye
• If you get at all motion sick take non-drowsy Dramamine well before the boat ride. Also don't eat an experimental/large/weird breakfast - I typically try to do oatmeal 1hr+ before the ride. Bring snacks like granola bars. Some boats have snacks, others have water, some have nothing, so plan to be self sufficient
• Boats are crazy busy and people of all varying levels of considerateness and organization abound - if possible try to take 1-2 minutes to center yourself before you get into the water
• It might seem really obvious, but don't forget to high five your mask/regulator on entering the water. I was really nervous about one of my first deep dives, was really concentrating on holding onto the line on entry due to current, and lost my mask on entry (managed to recover it on a dive)
  
• On entry take your time before you start the dive to dial in neutral buoyancy - a lot of other people will probably be regulars and might just start swimming off pretty fast
• On exit take your time and remember what you were told on the briefing (i.e. whether to take your fins off and hand them up, or keep them on) and keep a bit of distance from other divers climbing the ladder so you don't get a tank to the face if they slip and fall back in the water

It might seem like there's a lot to remember/do but boat diving is absolutely awesome and you get to combine a day on the water with diving and seeing ridiculously cool stuff. It's not uncommon to see cool random things like dolphin pods/whales on the ride out/back. Have a blast!

 

[drrich2]

One thing. The Cozumel diving I've done was via back roll entry from the boat. The first time I did that, I hit the water with my calves in sudden pain, and I did not know why for awhile. Eventually, I reconstructed what happened.

In theory, I was to sit on the side of the boat, facing inward (toward the middle of the boat), and on cue, along with all of the other divers simply fall/roll off backwards, at which point I'd hit the water, likely finish a backflip after hitting the water, bobbing back to the surface due to air in my BCD.

And that's what happened. But there's one little trick I didn't know about.

Since then, when back rolling, I deliberately extend my knees. That way, when I fall backward off the boat, my calves don't smack the edge of the boat as I drop.

 

[HiterSixOne]

As a relatively new diver, but as someone who has done most of my diving off of boats here are a few things I find useful to bear in mind:

• Be on time to the dock. Getting there early may mean you can board early and begin setting up your tanks (always ask the crew for permission to board). It is almost always easier to gear up at port than open water.
• Check your tanks/any rental gear before the boat departs - it's almost always possible to get something you forgot in port, but if you realize there's no converters for your DIN regulator and only yoke tanks on board 45mins out you're SOL.
• Watch what other divers on the boat are doing - you can learn great tricks by just watching people - everything from where to stuff your fins so they don't get in the way, to stowing your mask by clipping it into your chest strap
• Most boats will have either one long, or two small briefings which contain the boat briefing and the dive briefing. Listen to both carefully as a lot of boats have different procedures (gear rinse tanks, weight storage, the bathroom, where to throw up, when to gear up).
• Most good boats will give you a 10min warning before they get to the dive site. Use that time for final prep, not to start getting things ready - i.e. pull the second half of your wetsuit on, open your tank, put it on, strap on fins, do your buddy check
• Boats are usually pretty cramped so try to keep all your gear organized and under your seat. Some boats will give you boxes to put your stuff in, others expect you to bring on your own mesh bag
• Similar to the dry bag comment above, make sure you separate anything that positively can't get wet from the area where you're gearing up. Almost everything gets wet on a boat dive if it's windy/choppy
• Bring a dry layer/shorts for the boat ride back and tech your wetsuit/wet gear off immediately. Boat coats are great (something like Surf Fur) but take up space while flying
• Ask the dive shop if there's anything else you need to bring (DSMB/reel, dive light etc.) as norms can differ a bit by location
• Always sunscreen up and hydrate like crazy. The wind on the boat will dry you out faster than you realize
• Always always always have your tank strap attached. It takes literally one second during a tank change over for a large wave to cause your tank to come loose and injure other divers
• Ask for and accept help! It's always easier to get zipped up by someone else vs elbow your new buddy in the eye
• If you get at all motion sick take non-drowsy Dramamine well before the boat ride. Also don't eat an experimental/large/weird breakfast - I typically try to do oatmeal 1hr+ before the ride. Bring snacks like granola bars. Some boats have snacks, others have water, some have nothing, so plan to be self sufficient
• Boats are crazy busy and people of all varying levels of considerateness and organization abound - if possible try to take 1-2 minutes to center yourself before you get into the water
• It might seem really obvious, but don't forget to high five your mask/regulator on entering the water. I was really nervous about one of my first deep dives, was really concentrating on holding onto the line on entry due to current, and lost my mask on entry (managed to recover it on a dive)
• On entry take your time before you start the dive to dial in neutral buoyancy - a lot of other people will probably be regulars and might just start swimming off pretty fast
• On exit take your time and remember what you were told on the briefing (i.e. whether to take your fins off and hand them up, or keep them on) and keep a bit of distance from other divers climbing the ladder so you don't get a tank to the face if they slip and fall back in the water

It might seem like there's a lot to remember/do but boat diving is absolutely awesome and you get to combine a day on the water with diving and seeing ridiculously cool stuff. It's not uncommon to see cool random things like dolphin pods/whales on the ride out/back. Have a blast!

Extensive list and helpful. Thank you.

 

[lowwall]

You'll need to show up at the op, whether it's a boat or shop, to do all the paperwork before you start diving. Ask the shop in advance if you can come in when there is a DM or instructor around because this will be your first boat dives (or first on Coz, I couldn't tell from the post) and you have some questions. It's likely they will accommodate you, but if they can't you can still show up early for the boat and talk to the DM on the dock. It's a lot easier to communicate on land than over the engine on a bouncing boat or 70' deep.

Explain your weight situation to the DM. The DM will suggest a weight. Also DMs will typically let you know that they carry extra weight that they can give you during the dive if needed.

Also tell them it's your first time and ask if there's anything special you should know. DMs are generally happy to know this in advance and will likely take the time to explain how they do things.

Other than that, listen to the briefings and don't hesitate to ask for clarification. Everybody has been through the nerves of facing something new on a dive, it's really no big deal. Besides if you have a question, it's likely someone else does too and they'll be happy you asked.

The same goes for asking for help, either from the other divers or the crew. People are always happy to help as it just makes everything go smoother.

That's the big picture advice: communicate and don't hesitate to ask for help. I won't go into any boat specifics because every op does things a little differently. Except make sure just before you drop in that your fins are on, you've breathing off a reg and you have a hand over the reg and mask. Oh and don't forget to equalize early and often on your descent. Once you get under, you'll probably be dropping faster than you are used to on a shore dive so you need to concentrate on keeping up with the equalization. If you have any trouble, ascend a couple of feet and try again.

Finally, do review how to use your computer before you get there. Especially how to activate it before a dive and how to adjust the nitrox settings if applicable.

 

[Rearviewmirror]

Lowwall reminded me of two other things!

• Make sure there's plenty of air in your BCD before you drop off the boat (unless told otherwise by the crew)
• Make sure all gear is tightly attached to you - i.e. on boltsnaps - as you'll be entering with a lot more force than a shore dive, and you don't want all your stuff ending up as a floating yard sale