Best way to enter water from the shore

[Celt]

I tried again earlier today. This time the waves were a lot smaller. I made it past the waves so I was glad I did that.

To deal with the anxiety and panic, I decided to just float and get used to things.

I wasn't too far off shore. I came back in to the point where I can stand on the ground again. This made me feel better and more in control.

Then I decided to come back on shore. To my surprise I noticed my fins were no longer clipped to my D-ring on my BCD with one of these. I couldn't believe it. How did these come off? I didn't even try to put them on.

I bought them only two days ago. That's $120 gone and I did t get to use them.

I'm coming back to the OBX in two months so I plan on trying again.

Although this experience was very frustrating, I'm glad I kept trying, but I told myself to be concerned with only one thing at a time and take your time. As long as the regulator is in your mouth, you'll be ok.

I also put my face underwater and started to breathe a bit. I think that helped me to overcome the anxiety (exposing yourself to your fears) little by little.

There’s a way to learn how to deal with surf,
No scuba gear, the thinnest wetsuit and only enough lead to get you under with a jack dive. Put everything on and watch the sets as you enter. Make your way out sideways bracing with your inner leg and dive under the approaching wave, the water in a wave is spinning and underneath its going out. When exiting come in on the back of the wave and let it break in front of you fin hard after it, get your feet under you in about 3 feet of water, again brace and crab out. That’s a lot easier said than done.

 

[happy-diver]

Mask on face, reg in place, fins on chest, bc empty, at chest deep submerge, and pull dig kick yourself along
But hang on I might add a few steps and complicate everything
The surface is only there, for surfers
When you get a chance put on a fin
So then when you get another bit of a chance put your other fin
Have your compass set on a reciprocal heading for shore and check it remembering it's a reciprocal heading


Do it once don't do it again you may love it the surface is only an inflated bc and a few feet away you just try

It is a version of intestinal fortitude, after your other diving which you have thought is taxing seems far easier

 

[CT-Rich]

Hmmm... a couple of thoughts. The easiest solution is a friend with a boat. When planning the outing, go on google earth and look at the site from above. You may find a spot that offers easier access. Two factors determine how a wave breaks, one is the bottom topography, how steep the shore is. The second is they period of the wave, the distance between the peaks of the waves. Waves a have a root. The distance down you can feel the wave moving you backwards, forward, up and is half the distance between the wave length. As the bottom gets shallower, the waves are slowed and they bunch up and get taller, breaking. A steep gravelly shore will have a narrow band of surf that is going to toss you around, but only for a few seconds. A gentle slope of Sand will be super easy on a calm day, but will beat the f*** out of you on rough day.

Your center of gravity is what makes getting in and out easier or harder. Getting out of the water on a shore dive is not always an elegant experience. Crawling over sand will get you out. Another option is to take your tank off and tow/carry it behind you. Another idea that I have not yet, done but am planning on trying out is to put a pool noodle on an old ski pole. Using the ski pole to help stabilize you on the way in and out and then clipping it off on our surface float during the dive. I don't dive side mount, but I imagine that would make a shore entry somewhat easier, also.

 

[Nick_Radov]

There’s a way to learn how to deal with surf,
No scuba gear, the thinnest wetsuit and only enough lead to get you under with a jack dive. Put everything on and watch the sets as you enter. Make your way out sideways bracing with your inner leg and dive under the approaching wave, the water in a wave is spinning and underneath its going out. When exiting come in on the back of the wave and let it break in front of you fin hard after it, get your feet under you in about 3 feet of water, again brace and crab out. That’s a lot easier said than done.

That technique can work well at some beaches but isn't always appropriate depending on the width of the surf zone and how the bottom drops away. On some beaches you're better off to carry your fins in your and walk briskly through the surf on both entry and exit. Having fins on your feet slows you down too much and increases the risk of getting knocked down.

The main point here is there is no single "best way to enter water from the shore". It depends on so many factors including size and frequency of swells, tides, seafloor shape, weather, obstacles, type of sand or rocks, etc. There's no substitute for local knowledge and so while it can be helpful to get some general recommendations here it's really best to tag along with experienced locals for your first dive at all but the most benign sites.

 

[Nick_Radov]

Another option is to take your tank off and tow/carry it behind you.

Yikes. That doesn't seem like a good or even safe option for moving through a surf zone. Carrying or towing your rig makes you slower and less stable. If you get rolled by a wave you'll probably lose your grip and then be unable to breathe off the reg. And a cold water rig with a steel tank and backplate or integrated weights is rather heavy and awkward to carry even on dry land. Carrying a single Al80 stage tank or small DPV through breaking surf is hard enough.

If surface conditions deteriorate so badly during the dive that you can't safely exit while wearing your rig then by all means doff it and clip it off to a float. You can always recover it later. But otherwise keep your core gear on.

 

[Celt]

That technique can work well at some beaches but isn't always appropriate depending on the width of the surf zone and how the bottom drops away. On some beaches you're better off to carry your fins in your and walk briskly through the surf on both entry and exit. Having fins on your feet slows you down too much and increases the risk of getting knocked down.

The main point here is there is no single "best way to enter water from the shore". It depends on so many factors including size and frequency of swells, tides, seafloor shape, weather, obstacles, type of sand or rocks, etc. There's no substitute for local knowledge and so while it can be helpful to get some general recommendations here it's really best to tag along with experienced locals for your first dive at all but the most benign sites.

I prefer to have my fins on and enter sideways unless I have to climb over rocks, today’s dive for instance at the very isolated but beautiful Lough Mohra.

 

[NothingClever]

Strongly concur with others here who recommend taking the time to assess conditions, rehearse without full kit and leverage local knowledge.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I have close to 400 dives at Marineland, one of our local SoCal sites. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about when to or not to dive there and how to enter/exit. Merry was filming me exit one day when the surf was calm. I was in less than a foot of water, just a step or two from the shore, when I slipped and fell to my knees. D-oh! The rocky bottom moves with even the slightest water movement.

 

[Nick_Radov]

I prefer to have my fins on and enter sideways unless I have to climb over rocks, today’s dive for instance at the very isolated but beautiful Lough Mohra.

Sure, I believe you that entering sideways with fins on can work well at that one particular dive site in Ireland. But again my point is that no single technique works everywhere. If we tried to do it your way shuffling along sideways with fins on at certain California beaches we would be way too slow moving through the surf zone. We'd likely get knocked down and rolled, which I've seen happen numerous times. What we have to do instead is time the swells and walk fast with fins in hands (or clipped off) through a gap in the breakers until we're deep enough to float, then pull the fins on and swim out. What works in Ireland doesn't necessarily work in California, or vice versa.

 

[TMHeimer]

Sure, I believe you that entering sideways with fins on can work well at that one particular dive site in Ireland. But again my point is that no single technique works everywhere. If we tried to do it your way shuffling along sideways with fins on at certain California beaches we would be way too slow moving through the surf zone. We'd likely get knocked down and rolled, which I've seen happen numerous times. What we have to do instead is time the swells and walk fast with fins in hands (or clipped off) through a gap in the breakers until we're deep enough to float, then pull the fins on and swim out. What works in Ireland doesn't necessarily work in California, or vice versa.

Good points. I tried walking in sideways way back when I was first certified. A couple of times doing that was enough for me. Getting into 3-4 feet of water and donning spring strap fins is about as easy as it gets. And you need no buddy assistance. When I was assisting on OW courses there was always someone who I would tell to get a little deeper to don fins-- both to avoid waves and to use the water to make life way easier.