How to explore shores

[Searcaigh]

I did around 700+ shore dives when I lived in Saudi back in the late 80s - 90s, arm currently do local shore diving off Dubai.

Key factors to note and that have been already mentioned.

1. Tides, there is good info online. I use an app called Tideschart. Diving slack tide around the high tide timing is usually best for little or no current as well as visibility.

2. Moon phases, learn how that affects the tides and you can figure out when it is safer to dive.

Both of the above affect the current.

3. Access to the site. How easy to get in and out carrying a tank on your back from where you set up your kit or park your car.

4. Underwater navigation. Have a marker underwater that can be easily found for using the same entry / exit point when doing recce dives. I would add that in most occasions when diving a site that has not been previously unexplored, a third person on shore might be useful to provide backup if necessary.

5. Check the weather forecast!

That's all I can think of for the moment as it's late and I'm planning a shore dive tomorrow

 

[BoltSnap]

I use an app called Tideschart

Are you talking about this one?

 

[Searcaigh]

Are you talking about this one?

No

 

[BoltSnap]

No

I think that I found it:

 

[bshonesy]

I don’t know Railway Beach so I’m not sure what to tell you.

A bit further north is Tres Palmas, which is a marine reserve.

Not too long ago I went to Black Eagle Beach. It’s right next to Tres Palmas, in the southern side of it. Your entry point would be https://maps.app.goo.gl/H53L3HzJ6PE715RBA?g_st=ic

Get in and explore northwest.

You could also go to Steps Beach and easily get into Tres Palmas.

And if you haven’t, you should go to Crash Boat in Aguadilla. Real easy shore dive that’s real nice too.

Thanks, I did Tres Palmas a couple times this week. It’s very shallow, but a very healthy reef, which I enjoyed a lot. I just got done doing Crashboat today. My point about Railway beach, was just an example and I have this feeling that there are many potentially great reefs for shore dives that are just not on anyone’s radar down here. I think the dive shops are just content with the status quo. But if I lived down here like you I’d be out looking for them. This is just my opinion from looking at satellite images, and based on how healthy Tres Palmas is.

 

[utrisha13]

Thanks, I did Tres Palmas a couple times this week. It’s very shallow, but a very healthy reef, which I enjoyed a lot. I just got done doing Crashboat today. My point about Railway beach, was just an example and I have this feeling that there are many potentially great reefs for shore dives that are just not on anyone’s radar down here. I think the dive shops are just content with the status quo. But if I lived down here like you I’d be out looking for them. This is just my opinion from looking at satellite images, and based on how healthy Tres Palmas is.

Hi! We are headed to Puerto Rico soon and hope to do multiple shore dives. From what I'm researching, we should try Crashboat, Tres Palmas and a few other places. When diving Tres Palmas did you just go straight out from the beach? Any other recommendations for shore dives? Thanks so much!

 

[bshonesy]

Hi! We are headed to Puerto Rico soon and hope to do multiple shore dives. From what I'm researching, we should try Crashboat, Tres Palmas and a few other places. When diving Tres Palmas did you just go straight out from the beach? Any other recommendations for shore dives? Thanks so much!

Those were the only shore dives we did when we were there. For Tres Palmas, we parked at the Black Eagle Marina and entered straight off that beach. As you’re facing the water there is a jetty/point toward the right, head in that direction and you’ll start seeing the reef and you can follow it from there. Just note that as you cross to the other side of that point, the current can try to push you toward shore and it does get shallow quick. Not dangerous to you, but could be to the reef. So my advice is give that jetty a wide birth and you’ll be fine. It’s a very cool and healthy reef. You can rent tanks either from Taino Divers which is right there at the marina, but if you go to Rincon Diving which is only 7 min up the road, they allow you to keep the tanks until 4:30 on the following day, which is very nice so you could pick them up the day before if you wanted. I would have liked to have tried to enter from Steps Beach (can find on Google maps) as well for a different part of that reef, but I didn’t get the chance. Might give that a try.

Crashboat was kind of just ok. Worth doing I suppose to say you did it kind of thing. It’s a fun beach though, go very early to that one or you’ll be walking a mile to park. Have a good time!!

 

[Bubba_in_cali]

I live in Puerto Rico, a small island blessed with numerous beaches and plenty of shore. Surprisingly, finding comprehensive online information about shore diving here can be challenging. Although there are existing shore diving spots around the island, the details for exploring lesser-known sites are often lacking.

I want to change that by launching a project that documents and surveys dive sites along Puerto Rico's shores. Similar to what websites like Fin Strokes and Jack's Diving Locker do, I plan to visit new locations every weekend so I can explore, take notes, create maps, and share my findings with others.

However, I'm unsure how to approach this safely. That's why I'm reaching out to you for advice. Do you know of any resources on shore diving? I'm particularly interested in guides on safely diving for the purpose of creating detailed site documentation. Whether it’s videos, articles, books, or courses, any information would be helpful.

If you have tips of your own, I'd love to hear them too.

I believe that the exploration should be done when the surf is less than 2 feet and when the tide is coming in, rather than going out, for your safety.

 

[MacDuyver]

Tip 1:

See if there’s a Facebook or discord for local divers. If there is, there’s a good chance you can eventually get ahold of a .kmz or google map pin set showing favorite local spots. Some groups keep these on close hold and will expect you don’t share the map with the internet at large in order to protect good spots off the beaten path.

Tip 2: on Okinawa, I’ve used Google imagery (and the measure distance tool) to find places not included on the couple local spot .kmz map files that people have shared with me. I look around the map for potential places where it looks like there’s a drop off and a shorter amount of reef. Then I look for places I might be able to park my car. If I find a place that looks cool, I’ll check it against my set of Japanese depth charts. If it’s still looking good, I’ll go pull a survey or ask divers, surfers, and fishermen if there’s any weird currents in the area. If it all seems ok at that point, I’ve got a couple choice buddies I’ll call and go explore it with.

Tip 3: unless you found a wreck, chances are it’s not going to be all that great. Typically, at least around here, the best sites are already popular with advanced divers and are well noted. Most of what I’ve found is rate 3 stars out of 5. Not bad dives but not usually sites I’m clamoring to get back to.

Tip4: dive a new site at high tide, if possible, if high tide or tide coming in is out of the question, do it with as much daylight as possible.

Tip 5: always have signaling gear. ALWAYS have signaling gear. And a DSMB. You never know when a chill spot is gonna end up dragging you way off course.

Tip 6: TELL SOMEONE exactly where yall are going and give them a time you’ll be out of the water by. Instruct them to contact emergency services if you violate that time. CALL THEM AT OR BEFORE THAT TIME AND LET THEM KNOW YOURE OK. pretty important. If you’re a person who can’t manage deadlines, be careful about how you do this. I want them to come looking for me if I get swept out to see or smacked up against some rocks, but I want to make sure they don’t get called out for a false alarm bc I got behind on my timeline and didn’t let my failsafe know.

 

[NothingClever]

Lots of really great advice here.

The only couple of things I can add are:

1) Think about the level of detail you’ll be satisfied with and let that calibrate how you focus and expend your efforts. I’d proffer that broad contours and general descriptions will be more useful and achievable than detailed UW sketches. Look at an existing guide product to develop the information and data that you collect.

2) Contact Reef Smart Guides for advice. They may help ”fast forward” you past some arduous chapters of discovery learning. If you dive often enough they may even provide technical support to help them amass data for new cards or a book. I was all set to do that for big chunks of Saudia Arabia’s coastline (sorely needed) had I stayed long term.

3) Consider a DPV to exploit that explorer gene in you. Instead of taking months to map ten kilometers of shoreline, you’ll be thinking in terms of ten kilometers every month.

4) Twinset.

5) Figure out a method to correlate your photos and sketches in your wetnotes.

Super advice from @MacDuyver above about leaving a contingency plan with someone. Be generous on your time estimates so you don’t set yourself up for failure. Better to say you’ll make contact in three hours and call at one hour than plan for contact in one hour and find at that first hour that you have plenty of gas to keep exploring an awesome site for a total of two hours. It’s hard to put a “lost diver” response effort back in the box once it’s triggered and it’ll be embarrassing when a CG/LE boat pulls up to find you safe and sound but an hour overdue.

Have fun!