Perhaps most everyone has seen a movie or heard a story about someone left behind on a boat dive. Boy, where I dive this would not be a good thing; it would be a long swim back to wherever. Fortunately I do not do a lot of open ocean diving. So I have little concern about being left behind.

 Also the boat charters that I have had the pleasure to dive with look after their guests and make sure that you are ready to get into the water and that you are on board before they move to the next dive location. A count is always taken to make sure that everyone is on board. There are many ways to accomplish this if you are on the bigger charter boats. Some use tags on a pin board and whatever the method make sure that you pay close attention to it.

 I like to let people on board know who I am, and because we have been on the same boat many times, they know us by name and would miss us right away. It’s always a good practice to introduce yourself to as many as possible and talk to everyone on board so that they know who you are. And if you are missing they would know right away and would alert the captain if you’re not there. It’s really your choice as to how you interact to make yourself known. 

Make sure that you always carry a sounding device and a signal sausage. I like the larger ones that can be seen. Once in Canada on a drift dive the boat operator lost sight of us and it took a while to find us, but he saw the signal sausage a long way off. It’s always a good idea to have one as part of your dive equipment. 

 When you have all your equipment ready to go and you have made all the plans, make sure that you arrive at the boat dock early to load your equipment. Depending on the charter, you should arrive thirty to sixty minutes early. When the Captain says the boat will leave at a set hour, in most cases it will leave, and you could miss the boat, to coin a phrase. Also arriving early gives you time to load and pick out a place to store your equipment and set up for the first dive.  Make sure that your tanks are secure to the boat or a tank box. You really do not want one of those guys getting loose on a rolling boat. A steel 130 is heavy and can cause a lot of trouble if left unsecured. And avoid having to walk the plank in front of your friends when you leave that tank unsecured while heading to the dive sight. 

The size of the boat will determine how you will enter the water. On smaller boats you may do a back roll from the side or a giant stride from a larger boat. Whichever you are required to do, once you are in the water, move away from the entry point so that others can enter. Once you have met up with your dive buddy, based on the instruction you received about the dive, go to that point and start your dive. I like to go down the anchor line or a down line. This will put you on the dive sight without wasting valuable bottom time.

Remember that there is much more to boat diving then what’s written here. To fill in all the in between’s you should consider a boat diving course. You will get the information and training you need to have a great boat dive. Have fun and meet lots of fun people.   

 © 04-16-2005 G. McK.