fisherdvm
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For those who haven't taken a Boat Dive specialty course. We've got alot of wisdom here in the members of scubaboard (me not included), and hope that it will not turn into a bash PADI party. Please add more of your own wisdoms, and not be too critical of other posters (I know that is impossible).
1. If you have to ascend early, stay directly over the main group that stayed behind.
2. If the DM send up a sausage, stay close to the line of the sausage on your safety stop.
3. If diving in a rough sea, carry a sausage and an air horn. Might even be good to carry a small flash light. The light is great for finding them fish, and just in case you are floating in the sea that night, it would be a good rescue beacon.
4. If there are alot of boat traffic on the surface, wear a brightly colored cap.
5. Don't put your weight belt on the bench, it will drop off and hit your toe (or someone else's toe).
6. If the sea is rough, don't wear your fins on the boat (unless your boat captain tell you so - they might steady you as you walk).
7. Always secure your tank, so it doesn't fall off.
8. Disconnect the tank from the securing tie, before you put your regulator and BC on (can't stand up if your tank is still secure).
9. Secure your regulator and gauges, so that your buddy doesn't slam your gear with his fat butt and scuba tank.
10. Make sure your weight belt is on before you jump in the water. Make sure your BC is inflated before you jump in the water. (One person said that the BC should be inflated, but the drysuit should be deflated).
11. Make sure your valve is opened before you jump in the water (it is never shameful to ask someone to open your valve.
12. Before you depart, inflate your BC to make sure you have no leaks. Tighten the cap to your inflator hose, and all your dumps. Check your regulator and octopus for normal function. Close your tank, and check your regulator again for leaks while it is out of air.
13. Join your DM on dive planning. Ask question to make sure you know the direction, and make sure you know his/her dive plan.
14. Take a compass reading of your position relative to land. As most likely, if you get lost, your group is heading to shallower water inland.
15. Rough sea, plus diving platform or ladder, equals a deadly situation after ascending and boarding the boat. Watch the waves so you know the frequency of the waves, and avoid the big ones, before you cling on to the boat's ladder.
15 a.Per our guru, Walter: Grab the bottom rung and stiff arm it. As long as you keep your arm stiff, you will not it anything. Grabbing the highest rung (or any rung except the bottom one) will cause you to smash into the ladder as waves move the boat up and down. While stiff arming the bottom rung, remove your fins one at a time and slip them over your wrist.
15b. Per DennisW: Dump all of the air out of your BC. Grab the bottom rung of the ladder and stiff arm it so it won't hit you in the face (or anywhere else). If you dump the air out of your BC, you can descend to the bottom of the ladder and stay out of the way of things that are swinging around. A boat in 6 ft seas can hurt.
16. Don't take off your fin until you have at least one foot on the ladder, the next wave could knock you off and smash your jaw. Walter thinks this is a bad idea, I have to rethink it... Walter is probably right. I am a rookie.
16a. Per DennisW: Remove each fin and put the fins over your wrists. Grab the ladder with both hands further up and put both feet on the bottom rung of the ladder. Climb up.
17. If a boat hand is there, it might not be a bad idea to hand him your weight belt, if you don't have much upper body strenght.
18. Never take off your BC/tank to hand to the boat hand if you have a weight harness on... You will sink quickly.... It is always nice to have a regulator nearby in case you need to assist someone.
19. Originally Posted by spectrum
When you do a back roll watch your mask strap. With a hand on your regulator and mask you may bob up only to see your mask wash away because the water swept the strap up off your head. 1. Wear your strap under your hood 2. Put your other hand on the back of your head 3. Check the strap before releasing the face plate.
20. From Justleesa's post: Rinse buckets. If there is a designated camera bucket - please honor that it is for cameras only, don't dip your mask with antifog in it "real" quick. Go and use the gear rinse bucket or the hose.
21. From Tamas: If you are the type that gets sick on moving boats, feed the fish down wind from others please. If and when you use the head, don't piss on the seat and/or around it - aim and shoot.
22. Stay with your group on the surface, don't swim to the boat alone... They might not see you. First one on, might be the first to get hit.
1. If you have to ascend early, stay directly over the main group that stayed behind.
2. If the DM send up a sausage, stay close to the line of the sausage on your safety stop.
3. If diving in a rough sea, carry a sausage and an air horn. Might even be good to carry a small flash light. The light is great for finding them fish, and just in case you are floating in the sea that night, it would be a good rescue beacon.
4. If there are alot of boat traffic on the surface, wear a brightly colored cap.
5. Don't put your weight belt on the bench, it will drop off and hit your toe (or someone else's toe).
6. If the sea is rough, don't wear your fins on the boat (unless your boat captain tell you so - they might steady you as you walk).
7. Always secure your tank, so it doesn't fall off.
8. Disconnect the tank from the securing tie, before you put your regulator and BC on (can't stand up if your tank is still secure).
9. Secure your regulator and gauges, so that your buddy doesn't slam your gear with his fat butt and scuba tank.
10. Make sure your weight belt is on before you jump in the water. Make sure your BC is inflated before you jump in the water. (One person said that the BC should be inflated, but the drysuit should be deflated).
11. Make sure your valve is opened before you jump in the water (it is never shameful to ask someone to open your valve.
12. Before you depart, inflate your BC to make sure you have no leaks. Tighten the cap to your inflator hose, and all your dumps. Check your regulator and octopus for normal function. Close your tank, and check your regulator again for leaks while it is out of air.
13. Join your DM on dive planning. Ask question to make sure you know the direction, and make sure you know his/her dive plan.
14. Take a compass reading of your position relative to land. As most likely, if you get lost, your group is heading to shallower water inland.
15. Rough sea, plus diving platform or ladder, equals a deadly situation after ascending and boarding the boat. Watch the waves so you know the frequency of the waves, and avoid the big ones, before you cling on to the boat's ladder.
15 a.Per our guru, Walter: Grab the bottom rung and stiff arm it. As long as you keep your arm stiff, you will not it anything. Grabbing the highest rung (or any rung except the bottom one) will cause you to smash into the ladder as waves move the boat up and down. While stiff arming the bottom rung, remove your fins one at a time and slip them over your wrist.
15b. Per DennisW: Dump all of the air out of your BC. Grab the bottom rung of the ladder and stiff arm it so it won't hit you in the face (or anywhere else). If you dump the air out of your BC, you can descend to the bottom of the ladder and stay out of the way of things that are swinging around. A boat in 6 ft seas can hurt.
16. Don't take off your fin until you have at least one foot on the ladder, the next wave could knock you off and smash your jaw. Walter thinks this is a bad idea, I have to rethink it... Walter is probably right. I am a rookie.
16a. Per DennisW: Remove each fin and put the fins over your wrists. Grab the ladder with both hands further up and put both feet on the bottom rung of the ladder. Climb up.
17. If a boat hand is there, it might not be a bad idea to hand him your weight belt, if you don't have much upper body strenght.
18. Never take off your BC/tank to hand to the boat hand if you have a weight harness on... You will sink quickly.... It is always nice to have a regulator nearby in case you need to assist someone.
19. Originally Posted by spectrum
When you do a back roll watch your mask strap. With a hand on your regulator and mask you may bob up only to see your mask wash away because the water swept the strap up off your head. 1. Wear your strap under your hood 2. Put your other hand on the back of your head 3. Check the strap before releasing the face plate.
20. From Justleesa's post: Rinse buckets. If there is a designated camera bucket - please honor that it is for cameras only, don't dip your mask with antifog in it "real" quick. Go and use the gear rinse bucket or the hose.
21. From Tamas: If you are the type that gets sick on moving boats, feed the fish down wind from others please. If and when you use the head, don't piss on the seat and/or around it - aim and shoot.
22. Stay with your group on the surface, don't swim to the boat alone... They might not see you. First one on, might be the first to get hit.
