How to re-enter the shore in heavy surf?

[fisherdvm]

Well, this is a swimming question, but likely also a scuba question, especially if you are out of air. I find it easy to enter the sea through heavy waves, but the return was treacherous. I can't seem to time my breathing with the on coming large waves, and swallowed alot of water.

I guess the ideal thing is to do it with a reg, but any suggestions? For both swimming and scuba.

 

[D_B]

.. waiting on surface long enough to get a feel for the timing of the big waves, surface swim to the surf line if your that low on air and be sure to save enough so you have more than enough to keep your reg in untill your in less than knee deep water

 

[Geoff_H]

It doesn't sound or look cool, but sometimes I'll resort to a crawl on the final stages.... on your knees you are much harder to knock over, and it gives you more control.

Generally I will time my swim to shore inbetween the breakers, get as far in as possible by swimming (down to 30cm of slack water ) then get on my knees and crawl, bracing for any waves as they come in.

I always have my reg in for this type of exit. If I know it will be tough (and you should have a good idea of the exit conditions before you enter) then I will save enough air to get me out comfortably, even if it means shortening the dive.

I would welcome any advice on exits that look more dignified.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

I guess the ideal thing is to do it with a reg, but any suggestions?

You might have a choice with a single tank. But you don't have any choice in doubles - keep your regulator in your mouth until you are safely out of the water.

I know a guy who was coming out in a set of steels and his foot slipped in the sand about the time a wave knocked him sideways. He went down. He almost turned completely turtle, which might have been catastrophic, but he pulled it out and only wound up on his hands and knees. Problem was that the water was over his head, and with all the sideways wave action and soft sand he couldn't get his feet placed in the sand to stand up with the steels on. (Buddy was already out and had started heading back in, by the time) he finally was able to crawl forward to a place where the sand offered a more firm foundation to stand up on. Once up he managed to stay up until he got onto the beach. (But he lost a fin....and suffered the indignity of crawling around in the surf like a beached whale...)

He was an idiot who bears a suspicious resemblence to me.

When the waves get that big you never really know whats going to happen. Save enough gas in the tank to get out of the surf, and if you're carrying any weight make sure you keep your reg in your mouth. That old saying about "any diver can die on any dive at any time" is still true, and the dive isn't over until you're completely out of the water...

Regards,

Doc

 

[ReefHound]

I agree with Geoff, this is where dive planning and management comes into play, ending your dive with a little extra air reserve. Make sure everything is clipped off so you don't have to hold anything but the reg in your mouth and the mask on your face. And crawling out is a good option, safety trumps style.

 

[redacted]

I thought a 1/2 lb weight on the bottom of my dive flag was a really good idea until I did a shore dive in only moderate surf. It can put a knot on your head when a wave catches your trailing marker and runs it over you.

 

[nannymouse]

Look at the shape of the beach before you go out. Are there places where the water stacks up, and flows out in a riptide? Avoid those.
Sometimes there will be places where the waves are smaller or weaker than the rest of the beach. Use those.
Look for rocks that are in the surf line. Avoid those.
If there is a riptide working, you can use it on the way out, but plan to exit as far as reasonable from it. The longshore currents will be feeding to the riptide, no matter what the direction of the offshore current.
If you have a choice between waves breaking close to shore, or waves breaking far from shore, you are probably better off with the waves breaking far from shore. Granted, you would be able to get closer with waves breaking near to shore, but the beach will probably be steeper and the force will all be happening as you are trying to get your footing. With waves farther from shore, you will have more of a chance to get past the waves before getting to your feet in waist deep water.

Definitely save air for the surf line. Keep the reg in your mouth even if you are holding your breath through the waves, or hold it in your hand if you are mouth breathing. No snorkle coming in through surf.

How can you not look silly in dive gear? Dignified?...HA!

 

[spt29970]

I have done my fair share of big wave beach exits and the crawl, while undignified, certainly works. However, I only resort to it when the waves are really big. What I usually do is swim up just behind where the waves are breaking. If I can touch bottom, I take off my fins and put them over my left arm. That way I have better footing on the rocks or sand. If I can't touch bottom, I take my chances with fins on. I would say that I can do a finless exit 90% of the time.

Of course, the real solution is avoidance. If you have to fight big waves on the way out, the diving is gong to suck anyway and you might as well try another spot or call it a day.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Of course, the real solution is avoidance. If you have to fight big waves on the way out, the diving is gong to suck anyway and you might as well try another spot or call it a day.

That is not true for all dive sites. We have a few here that can be spectacular even when there are surfers overhead at the entry. For the most part these are scooter dives where the good stuff is far enough off shore that the waves are not causing visibility problems. It is a pretty sweet feeling to pull off a finless reg out exit with camera (no strobe) and scooter, shortly after someone's surfboard got broken! Timing the swells, facing parallel to shore, holding the scooter with your shore side arm, a wide stance on impact and a nice sandy beach are all important.

 

[spt29970]

That is not true for all dive sites. We have a few here that can be spectacular even when there are surfers overhead at the entry. For the most part these are scooter dives where the good stuff is far enough off shore that the waves are not causing visibility problems. It is a pretty sweet feeling to pull off a finless reg out exit with camera (no strobe) and scooter, shortly after someone's surfboard got broken! Timing the swells, facing parallel to shore, holding the scooter with your shore side arm, a wide stance on impact and a nice sandy beach are all important.

Around here, we have a lot of fine silt. If the waves are big, it gets churned up and you can see a mud line going out as far as 1/2 a mile or more. I am paranoid about my camera and I almost never take it on beach dives, certainly not ones with big waves, but then again, my camera is a beast.