Scared to do the back roll entry

[Sue Sue]

Way to go Karen !!!! :yelclap: You are definitely on the right track ! In fact, in bringing your concern up for discussion and seeking a solution shows a great deal of responsibility. Your positive attitude to wanting to learn about diving is fantastic. In fact, learning and improving diving skills is one of the best things about diving. Wishing you the best and HAPPY DIVING !!

 

[Sue Sue]

Just 'do it'.....lots of boats you have to make a 3 or 4'+ back roll......like this one:

Especially on the smaller 6 pack boats like this one is , if you happen to be assigned a seat forward, just scoot aft and you will be closer to the water. Perhaps tell the captain and divemaster what your plan is ahead of time.

 

[es]

My last dive was on a rough sea with strong current. We did rear roll entry from the opposite sides of the boat. My buddy surfaced far away from the boat. I was not as lucky and found myself under the boat, hitting the head on the bottom of the boat and then finning from under the boat against the strong current. Everything ended well but it made me wonder on what i could have done to prevent it.

This was a guided resort course and it was expected that all divers would meet at the current line behind the boat before the descent so negative entry without resurfacing would not be appreciated. The only thing I can think of is rear roll with empty BCD, then regrouping underwater , inspecting what is above the head and using fins and/or BCD inflation to resurface. In case of some problem (e.g. regulator and mask are dislodged) there is still weight release option. Is it the recommended practice?

Another question is whether it is better to fight current under the boat , swim with the current across the boat hoping that you will not tangle on anything. or descend, clear the boat completely, reach the meeting point point underwater and resurface , hopefully before buddy and guide will get a heart attack?

 

[fab50diver]

I was worried too when I saw the little boat on our last dives in Cozumel a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't done a backroll entry off of a boat yet just from the pool during training. It was no problem at all. Just make sure to kick your legs out straight so you don't hit them on the boat (a tip I read here somewhere).

 

[boulderjohn]

My last dive was on a rough sea with strong current. We did rear roll entry from the opposite sides of the boat. My buddy surfaced far away from the boat. I was not as lucky and found myself under the boat, hitting the head on the bottom of the boat and then finning from under the boat against the strong current. Everything ended well but it made me wonder on what i could have done to prevent it.

You almost certainly made too big a deal of the entry. If you just fall backwards, as if you were flopping back on your bed after sitting on the edge, you should have been all right. You would have hit the water beside the boat with your feet pointing up, after which you could right yourself and then just drift back to join the group. I would bet that you launched yourself backward instead. This causes you to do a back flip, and you end up spinning up under the boat.

This was a guided resort course and it was expected that all divers would meet at the current line behind the boat before the descent so negative entry without resurfacing would not be appreciated. The only thing I can think of is rear roll with empty BCD, then regrouping underwater , inspecting what is above the head and using fins and/or BCD inflation to resurface. In case of some problem (e.g. regulator and mask are dislodged) there is still weight release option. Is it the recommended practice?

Not at all. If you are planning to meet at the surface, then everyone needs to meet at the surface. If you are planning a negative entry, then everyone needs to do a negative entry. After you land beside the boat properly, you will drift toward the back of the boat. Stay close to it as you do. When you get past the stern, kick over to the current line.

Another question is whether it is better to fight current under the boat , swim with the current across the boat hoping that you will not tangle on anything. or descend, clear the boat completely, reach the meeting point point underwater and resurface , hopefully before buddy and guide will get a heart attack?

If you accidentally come up under the boat, kick perpendicular to the boat to get to the side and follow the directions above.

This really should not be a difficult entry at all. Your problem was working too hard at the beginning and ending up under the boat.

 

[TSandM]

You almost certainly made too big a deal of the entry. If you just fall backwards, as if you were flopping back on your bed after sitting on the edge, you should have been all right. You would have hit the water beside the boat with your feet pointing up, after which you could right yourself and then just drift back to join the group. I would bet that you launched yourself backward instead. This causes you to do a back flip, and you end up spinning up under the boat.

Totally agree. I darned near got my skull cracked in Cozumel doing this.

A boat will orient along the current line, bow into the current. Thus, when you roll off, there should be no water movement tending to carry you under the boat. On the other hand, if you somersault in the water, you WILL come up under the hull. At best, that's scary; at worst, it's deadly. My experience was painful and instructive.

 

[es]

Thank you for suggestions.

I did several rear rolls from the same boat before on a calm sea and it was very easy. This was a really rough sea (all dives were canceled after this 1st dive) and boat was rocking and jumping. I was entering water head down in all cases and was completing the full rotation under the water. Are you saying that the right technique is to do 1/2 rotation backward above the water followed by 1/2 rotation forward under the water?

 

[fisheater]

Thank you for suggestions.

I did several rear rolls from the same boat before on a calm sea and it was very easy. This was a really rough sea (all dives were canceled after this 1st dive) and boat was rocking and jumping. I was entering water head down in all cases and was completing the full rotation under the water. Are you saying that the right technique is to do 1/2 rotation backward above the water followed by 1/2 rotation forward under the water?

More like a 1/4 rotation above the water. You should hit the water with your tank horizontal to the water. After that, some folks continue the rotation and some folk reverse the rotation. In either case, you should shortly be head up, next to the boat and be able to signal you're OK and or have a camera handed off.

Best to simply plan on falling flat on your back. Let the rest take care of itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TSandM]

I like to think about it this way: You want your head to stay AWAY from the boat. If you go into the water with the intention of continue your rotation all the way around, at some point you are going to be in the water with your tank above you and your head TOWARD the boat. On the other hand, if you just fall off the boat onto your back and then right yourself, you will always keep your head further away from the hull than your feet. I like that better.

 

[furby076]

Disagree.

I dove off of a 6 pack in Key Largo a few years ago and we had to back roll off of the side of a 30 something ft boat. It was about a 6 foot drop to the water.

That one made me a bit uneasy at first, but it was just a little longer hang time and a bigger splash. It still wasn't anything unpleasant.

The way to get over your fears is to just go out and do it (within reason of course )

I still say go for it. I think you'll learn to like it.

I know this is old, but I agree. On the Jersey shore one of the boats I use (Sea Lion) is a smaller boat. It requires you to go from the side. There is a edge (side) of the boat, and handhold. You grab onto the handhold with your right hand, you stick your left knee on the edge/side of the boat, and you pull as hard as you can to lunge yourself forward into the water (about 6 foot drop). I know one or two folks who go in stomach first...but 6 foot drop with that much weight on you and you will most likely remove your mask unless your FIRMLY hold onto it. They recommend, and I do this, to twist in midfall and land on your back (similar to a cat who twists to land on their feet). While not quite the same as a back-flip while being seated, it's close enough. The scuba tank/bcd break the water so I really don't feel the impact.

It's about being comfortable, and safety (in the case of the OP and medical issues). For me the 6 foot fall, and twist is fun. Then again, in addition to scuba diving I love to sky dive.