mfalco
Contributor
I've been looking into purchasing a boat to dive from. My question is how do you dive off your own boat? Do you leave it anchored and unattended, or do you hav a friend stay on the boat?
Boat diving question
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There was a very good article in either SCUBA Diving Magazine or Dive Training a couple of months ago. The article was about diving from your own boat. One of the things stressed in the article was never leave your boat unattended. I do not have my own boat to dive from, but that advice makes sense to me.
Ron Shephard
Ron Shephard
wreckedinri
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The short answer is; never leave the boat un-attended. Do people do it at times? Yes. Have I? Yes. Was it wise to do so? No.
Some food for thought. Are you considering purchasing a boat because you enjoy boating and will be able to dive from your own boat? Or, are you getting into boating primarily to have a vessel to dive from? IMHO, if you are doing it for the second reason, save yourself A LOT of $$ and had work and go out on charters or with friends that own boats.
Just my $.02
Dennis
Some food for thought. Are you considering purchasing a boat because you enjoy boating and will be able to dive from your own boat? Or, are you getting into boating primarily to have a vessel to dive from? IMHO, if you are doing it for the second reason, save yourself A LOT of $$ and had work and go out on charters or with friends that own boats.
Just my $.02
Dennis
OP
mfalco
Contributor
I actually enjoy boating. I currently have a boat that I fish from, and am looking to upgrade to a better boat.
pointdiver
Registered
When you can't find someone to be the "tender", willing to spend 3-4hrs on a small boat while you enjoy diving (my wife has declined after a few trips). I found a good option was to buddy up with another group w/ boat. Then most of the time someone is on board one of the two keeping an eye out and if one boats drifts off for any reason you still have the other in the area.
xroirat
Contributor
Risk assessment, as with most other activities, comes into play. I have never had a topside tender while diving from any small boat. My current dive boat is a Zodiac inflatable, but I have also used Boston Whalers. I usually anchor within sight of the mainland and use a single danforth anchor, making sure to check at the beginning of the dive that it has a firm grip on the bottom and with sufficient scope of line to minimize the possibility of the anchor being pulled loose due to wave action or tidal change. When diving in a locale where coming up and finding the boat gone would be a big problem, I have put out two anchors, the second being a folding grapnel type. I dive around Cape Anne and the boat has never been disturbed while we were submerged (knock on wood).
Jim
Jim
ScubaNorth
Guest
pointdiver:
This sounds like a great idea. Adds some time to your trip but is a win win.
ArcticDiver
Contributor
mfalco:
Actually, you know and have dove with an experienced small boat captain who would, for a small fee, be willing to stay on the boat while you dove. Of course then "that person" would want you to do the same thing.:14:
jchaplain
Contributor
As someone said, it's about risk assesment.
I dive solo or with a buddy from my 24 foot cabin cruiser regularly, leaving the boat unattended.
First of all the conditions must be good, calm seas, low to no current, and fairly close to land in case there are problems.
Then I bring a chain lasso that I made that is part chain and part rope down with me and I lasso a large rock and have it attached to the anchor so that I know the anchor will not drag.
Then I dive from there with a reel attached ( low vis Boston waters) so I'm sure to get back.
I also keep my dive profile VERY conservative in terms of depth, air use, etc....
It works out fine, but again, it's all about risk and it has to feel right before and during the dive or it's no-go.
John C.
I dive solo or with a buddy from my 24 foot cabin cruiser regularly, leaving the boat unattended.
First of all the conditions must be good, calm seas, low to no current, and fairly close to land in case there are problems.
Then I bring a chain lasso that I made that is part chain and part rope down with me and I lasso a large rock and have it attached to the anchor so that I know the anchor will not drag.
Then I dive from there with a reel attached ( low vis Boston waters) so I'm sure to get back.
I also keep my dive profile VERY conservative in terms of depth, air use, etc....
It works out fine, but again, it's all about risk and it has to feel right before and during the dive or it's no-go.
John C.
matt_unique
Guest
wreckedinri:
Ditto for me what Dennis said above....I have done it before but since learned the risk is too great for me.
My best learning experience was out at Halfway Rock. Anchored up on the lee side, my buddy and I dropped in, ensured the anchor was set, then proceeded with our dive. We surfaced and began tearing down gear. We were not paying too much attention to our position. When we both realized what was happening we had drifted 100 yards due to the wind and the anchor coming free. If that had happened while we were down I would have been looking at some serious "challenges"....not only getting to shore but also damaging my boat if it went into rocks OR damaging someome elses boat, etc. This was some years ago....
Since that time I have become a commercial captain, etc. I now have laminated procedures for everything for the topside person....how to start....how to contact the USCG...GPS coordinates for my most common dive sites, etc., etc. Most of my dives deco or otherwise are solo but I always have someone topside. I surface and they suit up and dive while I do topside duty. We provide a dive time and the diver sticks to it. We keep an eye out for other approaching boats, bubbles, then of course we keep an eye on the time for the expected return to the surface.
It's awesome to have your own boat, and with some effort you will find regular dive buddies who would like to dive for just a few $$ in gas money. It gets into your blood and stays there. It's not cheap, even for a small boat, but a great experience to add to your life.
--Matt
