Tips for Charter Diving

[ding dang]

After reading both "Shadow Divers" and "The Last Dive," it makes me especially nervous to think about diving on a charter boat of any kind. I'm anticipating guys with massive doubles, unnecessarily expensive gear, and log books comparable to PhD dissertations.

That being said, I'm planning on doing some charter wreck diving off the Outer Banks area during Thanksgiving. Although I'm nervous, I'm excited for a new challenge. I have a single-tank DIR setup, I'm comfortable shooting bags and slinging my 40, I've done a handful of solo dives, and I'm pretty comfortable in cold, dark, poor-vis conditions. In the lake, at least.

However, I've never been on a wreck in the North Atlantic, at over a hundred feet, while being nervous, narked out of my skull, while being miles from a hospital.

Is there anything you guys can tell me about the whole charter-boat experience? What do be prepared for, etc?

 

[h90]

I think it depends on the people. Beside the diving issues I saw some very weird people on boats. There is nothing worse than friendly people who speak too much.

 

[AfterDark]

As a rule I avoid charters unless I know the OP. So with little experience with charters the best advice I can give you is don't do ANYTHING you are not comfortable with or are unsure of. Bring a couple of lights, at that depth your going to need a light.
A wreck reel would also be handy, if there is a strong current running and you don't want to get swept off the site or lose your way back to the ascent line. Also after lake diving in freshwater you may need to add a little weight to dive in the salt water. If you can do a weight check in the ocean 1st that would be ideal. Concentrate on why your down there and what you want to do. Mental exercises are the best thing to combat narcosis, besides helium. Other than that relax and enjoy. Deep Atlantic wreck diving is challenging you'll need to able to think without having your mind occupied with apprehension. If your already apprehensive you may wind up with a "dark narc" which I've been told is very unpleasent.

 

[gsk3]

Most charters, even in the north and mid-Atlantic, are not anything like the charters in those books. Don't be intimidated. There will be some folks on a boat, most or all of whom will have either a pony or doubles. And that's it. Don't be afraid to ask advice; people would generally much rather help a newbie than chase after you as you drift miles in the Gulf Stream. The recommendation to tie a wreck reel off to the wreck near the anchor line is a good one.

P.S. You should probably stick to calling your rig "Hogarthian" or "hog" rather than DIR. That way you're giving credit to the man who originally developed the equipment setup. Also, DIR encompasses a heck of a lot more than equipment (like team, specific buoyancy/trim/propulsion skills, and general diving philosophy), so while it's unfortunately reasonably common to refer to equipment as DIR, taking one tiny bit of a holistic method of diving and claiming it's DIR doesn't mean much of anything.

 

[saluki450]

If you're diving the Outer Banks area I'd suggest using Olympus Dive Center

I dove with them last year and this year, 13 dives total. Extremely safe, well prepared, and safe. My first deep shipwreck dives were with them and I never felt I was getting into anything I didn't want to do.

Dan

 

[Diver003]

I think your impression on charters, at least those out of North Carolina, is a bit off. I frequent Wilmington but have also done charters out of Morehead/Beautfort. It's not that common to see ponies really, and even less common to see doubles on a rec charter, even on offshore wrecks (100-130'). Most everyone dives with at least a 100 cu. ft. or 120 cu. ft. tank though. If you're rig is DIR and you have a pony, you'll probably be one of the more intimidating ones on the boat Almost always great people and all the operators I've used and heard about are excellent. Also, if you don't have nitrox - you'll want it.

EDIT - Off shore wrecks (at least thru Sept. last time I went) had 40-80 ft. visibility. Not sure what you'll get when you come, but lights are always good on wrecks (as AfterDark mentioned).

 

[cbm32]

Not sure why one would worry a lot about other peoples gear unless their gear was such that it put them in danger and you are worried about having to bail them out. Having too much air is never a problem now is it?

 

[gconner]

A few pointers that may help you. I've been diving off the NC coast for a while and these are the basics you need to know.

1) Be prepared for a long (1 1/2 - 2hr) boat ride to the dive site.

2) If you get sea sick or don't know if you do, take some motion sickness medicine. The boat rides tend to be rough.

3) Pay careful attention to the pre-dive briefing. They will cover entry/exit protocols, wreck layout, and other vital information.

4) Bring your own food and drink, the boats will not feed you.

5) Plan on water temperatures in the mid to upper 70's in late November.

6) As mentioned above, if you don't have your Nitrox Cert, get it before you go. It'll make the dives much more enjoyable since you can extend your bottom time.

7) Don't worry about other peoples gear. I dive with Olympus in Morehead City and I see a little bit of everything on the boat. Everything from single tank divers with vest BC's to full tech rigs with doubles, canister lights, and stage bottles. You'll even see the occasional rebreather. Also, if you see something interesting ask, most of us will be happy to explain our rigs and why we made the decisions we did with our gear.

8) Make sure you have a SMB in case you get separated from the boat. You'll be diving in or near the Gulf Stream and the current can easily take you far enough from the boat that they cannot easily see you.

9) Have fun.

 

[Bob DBF]

8) Make sure you have a SMB in case you get separated from the boat. You'll be diving in or near the Gulf Stream and the current can easily take you far enough from the boat that they cannot easily see you.

The diver was not in the area we were susposed to be diving in due to bad navigation and current, The swell was running high so it was hard to spot a diver in the water anyway, if it had not been for the SMB we would have been searching for a diver missing the roll call.

I did not own a SMB then, now I have two and always carry one when I dive. I'll carry both if I'm in those conditions again.

Bob
-------------------------
Not an idiot more than once, for the same reason.

 

[ding dang]

thanks so much guys, i'll keep everything in mind!