Diving and Camping?

[Gidds]

It's starting to get cold here and I am fantasizing about next summer's diving. I'm from ME but I'm stuck in RI at school and I'd like to do some camping and diving in my home state. I was thinking I'd blow off for a long weekend and head for Acadia and do Nubble and/or Owl's Head on the way up or down. I do semi-minimalist camping so I don't like to cart a bunch of junk around and depending on the weather and locale I use either a VERY small tent, bivy sack, or sleep out in the open. Anyway I've never actually tried diving in conjunction with camping and I wondered if there were any tricks or tips that folks could offer? Packing gear? Securing gear? Drying gear?

 

[HydroAuto]

During most of my training dives I have camped out since the lake was in a park that allowed for it and the dives took place over several days during the weekend. The campsites were set up so you could drive and park at them, I would leave my tanks & gauges locked in the trunk, and hang my suit/hood/boots & gloves from a rope strung between trees overnight. The site is frequented by divers from all over the midwest, and I have never heard of gear being stolen. I know of someone who forgot a wetsuit hanging in a tree though

 

[WetDawg]

We used to spend around 10 weekends a year at Lake Rawlings, VA diving and camping.

Here are some tips:

First, this endeavor is not for the feint of heart. Everything you bring will get wet and nasty - plan on it. Even with showers nearby you will have a long dirty weekend. "Girlie Girls" and fussy boys need not apply. This is NOT a good introduction for first time campers - they will most likely never camp again after the experience.

Bring a HEAVY clothes line to string between a couple trees for drying of gear. Regular polypro clothes line will sag and break under the strain of wet dive gear. Anchor Chain is even better. :05:

You (and all your stuff) will never really get completely dry, only varying degrees of wetness. (i.e wet, wetter, and real wet)

Try to set up rules like "No wet bodies or clothes in the tent/camper." Crawling into a cold wet sleeping bag is miserable at best.

We always had students who came ready to party the night away around the camp fire after a day of diving. Almost every one of them was drooling on themselves in a sleepy stupor minutes after eating and having one beer. I once saw a kid fall face first asleep into a plate of baked beans because he was so wiped out after diving.

Forget about doing day hikes or any of that - you will be too tired.

Your car/truck will be completely trashed at the end of the weekend. Unless you rip out all your upholstery and apply a spray on bed liner to the entire interior vehicle, plan on everything getting wet. I have tried to use the big "totes" plastic organizers for wet/dry gear but it requires vigilance and discipline to keep everything separated.

Bring a non-diving French Chef to handle all your cooking and meal prep/cleanup or focus on simple foods that need little or no preparation. Once again, don't underestimate how little energy or motivation you will have for doing any kind of domestic chores at the end of the day. Think power bars, canned ravioli, pre-made burritos, etc.

Plan for bugs, miserable cold, and extreme heat. We have near frozen to death while diving / camping over New Years (spent the night in my dry suit). Nearly been carried away by mosquitoes (thank good for over-weighting) and suffered sleepless nights boiling in our own sweat. :11:

Other than that, it's great fun... You'll Love it!!! :07:

 

[Kaiser442]

You make it sound SO appealing!!! :11:

 

[darylm74]

I love camping and diving and do it often together. This time of year gets a bit rough though as the nights are pretty cool (though I like to do a lot of backpacking during this weather). My advice is take along some heavy clothing after the dive like 200 weight polar fleece pants and pull-over and maybe even a thermal for under the pull-over. Your body is cold and tired from diving (even in a drysuit) if you have been diving all day. Keep plenty of energy providing foods (protein bars, fresh fruits, etc.) and tons of water. I'd also say bring a coffee pot that can go on the edge of a fire ring. That way you will warm up some. Keep it simple and I would even suggest some Whiskey or something instead of beer to add a bit of warmth to your insides if you know what I mean. Just a shot or two before bed will do. I also agree with WetDawg that a heavy line is needed for the dive gear. I've gotten away with the lightweight stuff before but I had to double up on it. If you stay at a local campground, you can still take a warm shower and be a bit of a "girly girl" after the day of diving thoug I often don't shower until the second night.

 

[Gidds]

Sounds like normal camping to me although now you have spooked any potential buddies I was going to talk into going. For food I was thinking MREs, because I like them, and power bars and stuff and marshmellows. How exactly do you keep wet things and bodies out of then tent if you never actually get dry? Compared to kayak camping how much worse is dive camping?

 

[WetDawg]

...just being honest.

"Compared to kayak camping how much worse is dive camping?" The same. BTDT

If you don't mind being wet and dirty (personally I love it) it's not bad at all.

Anyone who packs make-up, hair gel or a hair dryer is in for a very long weekend.

The polar fleece tip is right on!

FWIW, anyone who might have been turned off to the idea of diving and camping by my post is probably better off not going. Who wants to spend a weekend with a cold wet whiner anyway?

As to the question of how to keep the tent/camper dry - you are correct in your assesmnet -- you won't. But you can sort of manage the volume of mud you traipse in.

Laying a tarp just outside the entrance to serve as a "foyer" sometimes helps. Leave all your wet/nasty clothes outside. Again, this strategy merely cuts down the level of wetness in your tent.

 

[Gidds]

Kayak camping is a breeze IMO Who wants to go with me?

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Gidds,

I've had fantasies about exactly the same thing, camping and diving; combining two of my favorite things!

I'm glad you posted this thread, it's given me some great tips...

...Oh, I'm in Maine, as well.

Jeff

 

[Gidds]

My next thing will be kayaking, diving, and camping. Who wants to go to Moscungus Bay?