Easy
Gear-Up and Water Entry on dive Charter Boats
Boat diving should be easy. Too many divers, however, make it more of a struggle than necessary. How you get in the water - in short, how you start your dive - can have a profound effect on the quality of that dive. A good water entry from a charter boat begins hours before the boat is ever over the dive site.
In packing your bag, try to pack according to how you dress. Since fins go on last, put them at the bottom of your bag. Their rigidity will also protect your other gear from unexpected bangs. Wetsuit bottoms (or dry suit underwear) should go on the top. Mentally dressing yourself as you pack will also lessen the likelihood of forgetting a critical piece of gear. Pack your BC and regulator last because you will be removing them immediately to install before the boat departs.
While you're still in the calm harbor, properly install your BC and regulator assembly. Check air pressure, breathing, straps, and hose connections. It's a lot easier to do this in a calm harbor than on a pitching boat out at sea. Advanced assembly will also alert you to any needed last minute adjustments such as air fills or minor repairs. With this task completed, the only thing you'll have to do at the dive site is turn on the air and put the tank assembly on. Place your weight belt near your tank.
On arrival at the dive site, dress in your exposure suit sitting down. There's no reason to be pitched to the deck with your suit at your ankles. Lubricate with soapy water tight wrist and ankle seals on both wet and dry suits for easier donning. For a more comfortable fit in the arms of wetsuit, have your buddy puff up the arms by blowing forcefully into the wrist seals. This will loosen the upper portion of the suit momentarily enough to get comfortable within the suit.
Don't be afraid to ask for help in getting your gear on. Not only will it ease the process but a helpful buddy or deckhand can also alert you to, and correct, potential problems, such as gear tangles and the like.
More than half of a properly functioning buddy system takes place on deck before the dive. Before suiting up you should've already discussed a dive plan, including navigation (which way you're going), goals of the dive (hunting, photo, sight-seeing, etc.), maximum depth and time, and who will lead. Also discuss buddy separation procedures.
Buddies should check each other out. Check to make sure gear is arranged as it should. Not only is this for your buddy's benefit but yours as well. In the event of an emergency both of you will need to know where their buddy's alternate air source is located. Check the weight release and BC inflator. Where are they? And how do they function? If you have an unfamiliar buddy, or a buddy with whom you've not dived with in a long time, briefly cover hand signals and emergency procedures.
Do as much gear preparation as you can before you put on the heavy stuff (i.e., tank assembly and weightbelt). Adjust fins, defog your mask, layout your mask, fins, gloves, and any accessories you're going to carry.
Once your heavy stuff is in place, put on your mask, then your gloves. Gloves are second to last only behind the fins. You'll need all the finger dexterity you can muster. Put your gloves on the dominant hand first. It's a lot easier to put on a left glove with a gloved right hand (if you're right handed) than the other way around.
Don't put on your fins until you are right at the entry gate. You are the most unstable at this point with full gear. Fins will only aggravate the situation. In addition there is usually a deckhand at the gate to assist you or at least the side rail to lean on.
Cameras, spearguns and any other large hand held pieces of underwater gear should be handed to the deck hand for lowering to you after you're in the water. This will lessen the amount of things you have to worry about as you impact the water.
Do a final check to make sure everything is at it should be. Air on? Take a few breaths while looking at gauge. Weight belt in place? Check buckle location. Check inflator and alternate air source location.
You should jump with your regulator in your mouth. There is always a chance the boat could swing back over you once you're in the water. The BC should be slightly inflated for positive buoyancy. A fully inflated BC will impact the water hard and give you a good thud.
In preparation for the jump, hang your fins over the edge as you firmly grasp the siderail. You don't want to be pitched overboard before you are completely ready!
Check the water below you before you jump. You'll not want to land on another diver. You may also want to time the swing of the boat to be right over a desired point in the water such as a clearing in the kelp. Jumping into a thick kelp patch can leave you entangled. Only jump when you are ready; but remember, if you're on a charter boat, odds are people are waiting behind you. Step aside if you need to delay.
As you jump, grasp two critical points on yourself. One hand should be on your mask and regulator and the other on the weight belt buckle. Hold the palm of your hand over the regulator and with your spread fingers over your mask (spread fingers allow you to see through the mask). This is to prevent your mask or air supply from dislodging on hitting the water. The hands on the weight belt does two things. First, it prevents accidental loss should the buckle be knocked loose and also puts the buckle right in your hand should trouble occur, requiring ditching. If you are confident your belt is firmly in place, you may want to put your hand on your inflator instead.
The "Giant Stride" is still the most accepted and popular form of water entry. In theory your spread legs at least partially break your fall in the water. For maximum effectiveness you will want to draw your legs together immediately after impact with the water. This will minimize how far you sink.
Once stable, turn to the boat and signal your status to the divemaster (fingers to the top of the head with arm in a loop to signal "O.K."). Move away from the boat to clear the jumping area and minimize the possibility of the boat swinging over you. Do another quick check of your gear and you're ready to dive!
All good journeys began with the first step. In this case often a large one. A good dive is one that gets started properly. Good preparation and water entry techniques will ensure each dive gets the proper start it deserves.
