Donning Fins After Boat Exit

[fnfalman]

How about we split the difference? Jump in with one fin donned and one fin in hand?

 

[Akimbo]

Commercial divers worldwide jump in without fins. On scuba board....it'll kill you.

True, but they have an umbilical and usually a downline or hog-line.

 

[AfterDark]

True, but they have an umbilical and usually a downline or hog-line.

Earlier I posted they sometimes wear weights on their boots too; that might get the average rec diver in a bit of jam!

 

[Oldbear]

I do not think jumping in the water without your fins on, without your mask on, your BCD under inflated or with your gas turned off is going to "kill" you in the vast majority of cases. It is how the diver handles the situation next that matters. If a diver panics then it only gets worse. But an advance diver (remember we are in the Advanced Scuba Discussion) should be able to don their fins and/or mask on the surface or underwater, inflate their BC after entering the water and reach back and turn their own tank valve on and off. At the very worst they can ditch their equipment and swim back to the boat or float and wait to be picked up.

As advanced divers I would hope they practice prudent dive practices and exercise good judgement for the particular dive circumstances at hand...beginning with a through pre-dive check or buddy check. Most of the time I prefer to don my fins just before entering the water. I have been known to enter the water with fin straps around my wrist holding the fins securely just to quickly get off a very crowded boat deck and make room for others.

 

[AfterDark]

I do not think jumping in the water without your fins on, without your mask on, your BCD under inflated or with your gas turned off is going to "kill" you in the vast majority of cases. It is how the diver handles the situation next that matters. If a diver panics then it only gets worse. But an advance diver (remember we are in the Advanced Scuba Discussion) should be able to don their fins and/or mask on the surface or underwater, inflate their BC after entering the water and reach back and turn their own tank valve on and off. At the very worst they can ditch their equipment and swim back to the boat or float and wait to be picked up.

As advanced divers I would hope they practice prudent dive practices and exercise good judgement for the particular dive circumstances at hand...beginning with a through pre-dive check or buddy check. Most of the time I prefer to don my fins just before entering the water. I have been known to enter the water with fin straps around my wrist holding the fins securely just to quickly get off a very crowded boat deck and make room for others.

Hey, I can do all that donning and probably blindfolded; but why should I if I don't have too?

I dive from 2 private boats where fins must be removed in order to use the ladder. I know what it's like to have the transom of the boat slapping the water in 4-5 ft seas near my head while I'm bobbing around trying to get away, but using only my arms because my fins are on the boat! The last time I tore my biceps tendon from my shoulder trying to hang on after a series of wakes from a giant tanker hit the boat while I was trying to go up the ladder. I couldn't see them, and the guy in the boat was helping me and didn't see them coming. He almost fell in the water!

We ain't supposed to be in deep water or under it for that matter. I avoid going into at what IMO is a disadvantage.

 

[Oldbear]

...
As advanced divers I would hope they practice prudent dive practices and exercise good judgement for the particular dive circumstances at hand...

Hey, I can do all that donning and probably blindfolded; but why should I if I don't have too?
...

I agree 100% with you...why should you if you don't have to. Like I said as an "advanced diver" I hope that each diver is practicing safe and prudent dive practices.

I do disagree with blanket statements that if you enter the water without your fins on or your gas off you automatically enter a life or death struggle.

 

[Rayallyn]

I put my fins on before entering the water. The only time I didn't was when I was jumping out of a C-130 or chopper.

 

[fnfalman]

I put my fins on before entering the water. The only time I didn't was when I was jumping out of a C-130 or chopper.

Kevin Costner jumped out of a Coast Guard chopper with fins on.

 

[Frosty]

As a PREFERENCE I roll in with all my gear on. But there are times its just not practical.
I dive from RIB's. Wen its just a few divers theres plenty of room when its a full boat you are tripping over each other.Fins hooking on each other etc.In that situation I driop in the water with snorkle and maski Its physically a lot easier for me and creates space on the boat for other divers.

 

[Zmajcek]

I found myself first on a thread about teaching water entry with only options being backroll, and giant stride. Than I found myself on this thread about fins. And it seems only water entry anyone knows is with their rig on their backs. Why isn't anyone putting it on in the water? Not the fins, but the bcd. It was one of the basic skills we were taught, and that we are now teaching our beginners. It is almost an exclusive way we get in.

Basically our dives look like this:
1. put on wetsuit on shore (I do it in the water - much easier).
2. prepare your bcd
3. load everything on boat and go to location
4. put on weight belt, fins, computer, mask
5. jump in
6. dive leader, or appointed person opens the bcd valve, inflates it, and throws it in the water (if you are the dive leader, or last, you throw your tank in before putting on fins and jumping in after it)
7. you check the valve is completly open, and put it on. check stages, and dive.

As for fins. If you are properly weighted, which we make our beginners check when before they start, it will not kill you to jump in without fins. It may however be more difficult to put them on in the water, depending on the type. And if there are currents or waves, it is definitely not recommended. I wouldn't recommend it in any case, except for a very high jump.

We are often diving of a very crowded inflatable tube motorboat. And in case of currents or waves we can adjust accordingly.