Calling All Dive-Kayakers!!

[HBDiveGirl]

Welcome!!! The brand-new dive kayak in my garage has only been in the ocean once so far, and SHAZAM!, ScubaBoard has a dedicated Kayak Diving Sub-Forum!!! We have ARRIVED and it is GOOD! Thanks to all the enthusiastic folk whose postings captured the attention of the Fearless Leaders on high....and Thanks, Net Doc, for dubbing us worthy for Pun-ishment and recognition!!

So, what do you love about Scuba or free-diving from a kayak?
What kind of boat do you have? What cool boat thang helps you have more fun?
Do tell!

 

[drbill]

Excellent! As I said in another thread, I've dived for 43 years and ocean kayaked for 34... but to date I don't think I've ever combined the two. Looking forward to doing so this coming year so I can explore a few of my old haunts along the leeward coast of Catalina.

Dr. Bill

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Hi Dr. Bill,
As soon as I saw your note I started wondering how we could get our 15' kayaks over to Avalon (without actually paddling them) and go play!! I'll have to investigate that one for a multiday trip.
My dive partner loves to kayak, and has done one local breakwater dive off his boat. He helped me with a great shakedown cruise (no scuba gear) this weekend and the Cobra Tourer seems very stable, easy to paddle, and built to carry heavy gear. (Can't wait to see how I'll manage to roll it!! Voices of experience keep telling me, "Strap it or tether it or lose it...your choice. But you WILL roll it at some point.") In December we want to start exploring some P.V. sites that don't have beach access. Paddling and diving would seem an ideal combo...even nicer in warm weather.
I'm looking forward to hearing about it if you give it a try.
A very knowledgeable and enthusiastic ScubaBoarder (Nemrod) has been a wealth of information and encouragement. Several other people have also had great sites and info to recommend. Oh boy, more toys with purpose!
Stay warm, and hopefully see you this weekend,
Claudette

 

[Pez de Diablo]

Count me in.

5 Cobra Fish and Dive Kayaks and 1 Cobra Navigator. Used for scuba and snorkeling trips.

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Count me in.

5 Cobra Fish and Dive Kayaks and 1 Cobra Navigator. Used for scuba and snorkeling trips.

Hola, Pez de Diablo,
What a fun quiver of kayaks! This is my first extended experience with sit-on-top kayaks, and it's really fun. Yesterday the surface chop was sloppy and wind broadside or quartering....lots of water coming over the bow. But, hatches secured, all was well. Not my first choice for paddling conditions, but I'm so hungry to paddle it was a great learning day.
Those FishNDives look like unbelievable stable platforms. If you're doing trips, I bet it's a good boat for teaching new people to exit and enter for snorkling.
When (if) you anchor for diving, how many boats do you attach to one anchor?
The Kayak anchor I bought is attached to all-braided line. Is it helpful to put a few feet of chain at the anchor end to keep the anchor laying down? Just wondering...
Thanks,
Claudette

P.S. Only had French in school...."Devil's nose???"

 

[Fly N Dive]

i got a new Wilderness systems tarpon 140 over the summer and am looking forward to diving off it next spring/summer

 

[ShakaZulu]

It's too much work, I already have to slep all that stuff around, now to drag that boat too, no thanks. Have fun guys/gals.

 

[Pez de Diablo]

Hola, Pez de Diablo,
What a fun quiver of kayaks! This is my first extended experience with sit-on-top kayaks, and it's really fun. Yesterday the surface chop was sloppy and wind broadside or quartering....lots of water coming over the bow. But, hatches secured, all was well. Not my first choice for paddling conditions, but I'm so hungry to paddle it was a great learning day.
Those FishNDives look like unbelievable stable platforms. If you're doing trips, I bet it's a good boat for teaching new people to exit and enter for snorkling.
When (if) you anchor for diving, how many boats do you attach to one anchor?
The Kayak anchor I bought is attached to all-braided line. Is it helpful to put a few feet of chain at the anchor end to keep the anchor laying down? Just wondering...
Thanks,
Claudette

P.S. Only had French in school...."Devil's nose???"

French? Spanish for Devils fish.

The Fish N Dive is a very stable platform, but sometimes I still provide a little counter balance when someone is getting back in the boat.

Maximum group size that I take out are 4 divers, all the dives are drift dives with all the kayaks theathered together in a line. Each kayak is about 20 feet apart. I use all braided line, doubled with two anchor points on each boat front and back. I have anchored when snorkeling with 5 boats on one anchor, using about 7' of chain at the end of a small danforth anchor that was made for a jetski. I am not too concerned while snorkeling about losing the boats.

One of my biggest concerns is is surfacing to too few kayaks, it always seems to be one my mind while on a dive. Also, towing 3 kayaks from underwater isn't too bad, but 4 or 5 can make it really tough for me to back track to see something. I have tied off to the odd rock when we are looking at something.

Dennis

 

[scubajunkee]

Welcome!!! The brand-new dive kayak in my garage has only been in the ocean once so far, and SHAZAM!, ScubaBoard has a dedicated Kayak Diving Sub-Forum!!! We have ARRIVED and it is GOOD! Thanks to all the enthusiastic folk whose postings captured the attention of the Fearless Leaders on high....and Thanks, Net Doc, for dubbing us worthy for Pun-ishment and recognition!!

So, what do you love about Scuba or free-diving from a kayak?
What kind of boat do you have? What cool boat thang helps you have more fun?
Do tell!

Hi there,

I kayak dive as well. I'm from San Jose, CA and regularly take it out to Monterey, Carmel and along the North Coast when I'm freediving for abs. I have an Aquaterra "Big Kahuna".

-eR

 

[Nemrod]

"It's too much work, I already have to slep all that stuff around, now to drag that boat too, no thanks. Have fun guys/gals."

You could think of a kayak as a large brightly colored gear bag, or is that also on that shelf in the garage with that knife you got but don't use that I was offering a good home to. LOL---just teasing you. N