DIVE
THE PLAN
The
ride to the dive site can take minutes
or hours, depending on where you are.
Once the boat anchors at the site, diving
begins only after the captain or crew
give the okay. Typically a crew member
brief's you about dive procedures, which
you'll need to listen to closely. Pay
attention to crew briefings, because
they include important information you'll
use to plan your dive with your buddy,
such as current strength and direction,
the depth, emergency procedures and
similar information. If you fail to
pay attention to crew briefings, you
can put yourself and your buddy at risk.
As you gear up, be careful with heavy
equipment. On a pitching boat, it's
easy to lose your balance and hurt yourself,
and dropping tanks or weight belts can
damage the deck. When putting on your
scuba unit, get someone to assist you
and help you stay balanced. Many dive
boats have benches and racks that make
it easy to slip into your gear while
seated. To don a weight belt, step over
it rather than swing it around your
waist.
Be careful walking with equipment on.
Equipment changes your center of' gravity
and makes your balance awkward, all
the more difficult if the deck is slippery
and the boat rolls. If necessary, hang
onto railings and handholds as you move,
and don't try to walk with fins on.
Put your fins on immediately before
entering the water, using a rail or
your buddy for balance.
When you and your buddy are ready to
enter, check with the dive master or
a crew member, and enter where they
tell you to. The most common entry when
you dive from large dive boats is the
giant stride, but from smaller vessels
you may use a controlled seated entry
or a back roll. If you have a physical
challenge that requires a different
entry, let the crew know so they can
accommodate you. Be certain the entry
area is clear before entering.
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