BOAT DIVING TIPS direct from other divers. There is no specific order to these but all are valid.
LEAVE YOUR FINS ON IN THE WATER: I have seen LOTS of people that are in a hurry to get back on board the boat after their dive (I guess they had a bad dive ). They are usually very easy to spot... they usually can be identified by TRYING to chase the boat while wearing their full scuba gear and their fins located securely in their hands!
It gets even worse when they pass their fins up to the boat crew and then let go of the boat. Especially a tricky maneuver during drift dives! Unless you like to swim with all of your scuba gear on and chase a boat while holding your fins...... leave them on your feet until it is your turn to go up the ladder.
JUMP IN AND GO: This can also be called an "negative entry". This is when you have everything ready and no air in your bc when you enter. The result will be that when you go in the water you're already going in a downward movement and all you have to do is roll forward while you are underwater, and off you go.
Not only is it OK but in cases where the current is strong and the boat is doing a "live drop" (entering while the boat is not anchored or on a mooring) it is essential. I have seen divers miss the intended site (11 Mile Reef, Coco's east, Pati Point) because they spent too much time on the surface and descended way off the mark.
Experience is a must! You need to be very comfortable Of course checking you gear in advance is critical, I always take a few breaths from my reg just before making the plunge! I am one of the ones who use this entry technique almost every time I enter the water.
WEBMASTER COMMENT: Just a few considerations here: This take a bit of practice to do, and if you've got sensitive ears it probably won't work. You should also exhale as you enter and don't take a huge breath right away.
DIVE TIME LIMITS: Recently a buddy and I were out on a boat dive and we heard the captain say that everyone should keep their bottom time to a maximum of an hour. My buddy and I went down had a great dive and came back up..... We then had to wait for about thirty minutes while the entire boat had to wait for two divers to finish their dive.
I overhead them tell the crew that they were down for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I understand that they paid the same amount that my buddy and I did but I would think that common courtesy would dictate that they limit their dive to what the captain and crew dictate.
SHOW TIME vs GO TIME: When you call a shop to book your dive, it is worth asking what time the "show time" is. I personally didn't understand that the time on the boat schedule and my boarding pass was the "show" not the "go time".
BE ON TIME: The boat crew are wonderful folks, but they don't want you there an hour early!!!! The flip side of this, of course, are the folks that show up at the dock at 8:35 for a 8:00 show. Grrr.
PUTTING FINS ON IN THE BOAT: As someone who is on boats frequently for fun or with classes, I have a couple of items to offer: Please don't put your fins on until you get to the stern of the boat...I'm not crazy about divers flop flopping over everyone's feet as they step to the back of the boat;
BRINGING DIVE BAGS TO THE BOAT: invest in a nice mesh bag for boat dives and leave the Big Bob Marley dive bin at home, it only takes up precious deck space and you probably don't need half the stuff that's in your bin anyway.
LISTEN TO THE BRIEFING: please sit still and listen to briefs unless the crew specifically clears you off. See you on the boats, Steve. Dive Happy!