SCUBA diving success stories?

[clownfishsydney]

We have spent two six month periods cruising the Queensland coast including the Great Barrier Reef. We are very experienced divers (4,000+ and 1,800+ dives). We have our own compressor. On these trips we did some diving, but not as much as we would have liked to.

In some places it was really unwise to do it with only two on board. Really at a minimum we needed three and sometimes four to make it safe. For example, one day we found a great pinnacle that came up from 35 m to about 4 m. However, this meant it was too deep to anchor. The closest place to anchor was a few kilometres away. While we could have anchored there and then run back in the dinghy and anchor on top, if the dinghy drifted away or would not start, we would be in big trouble. Even leaving one person on yacht and the other diving alone in our view was not smart.

On occasions we had lots of people around so they watched our yacht and dinghy for us. On others we had more people on board, so two of us went diving and the other stayed on the yacht. These sites were pretty protected and not likely to be affected by currents. Some dives were also inside lagoons, so we felt safe leaving the yacht and dinghy unattended.

Hope this helps a bit.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

On second thought, I'll probably just buy two more bottles and forget about the compressor.

I carry two steel 100’s and two steel 80’s for the wife, and my 40 deco bottle with 100% O2 just in case.
Look into steel tanks, the higher pressure ones are much smaller and lighter than aluminum tanks, yet require you to carry much less lead.
Almost always Women use less air than a man, so her with an 80 and me with a 100 bottom time works out to be about the same

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I carry two steel 100’s and two steel 80’s for the wife, and my 40 deco bottle with 100% O2 just in case.
Look into steel tanks, the higher pressure ones are much smaller and lighter than aluminum tanks, yet require you to carry much less lead.
Almost always Women use less air than a man, so her with an 80 and me with a 100 bottom time works out to be about the same

My wife doesn't like to put her face in the water, so that's why we have the drone. She will reluctantly snorkel occasionally.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Not so in the W Carib at least. There are very few sites that have any restrictions on private vessels from Belize to Panama. You wanna dive from a private boat, you go dive.
...


Where are these heavily restricted locations you refer to?

Cozumel, the Caymans, and Greece are the ones I've heard mentioned specifically.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Cozumel, the Caymans, and Greece are the ones I've heard mentioned specifically.

Its been many years (wow...like 30!) since I dove Cozumel, awesome diving, and that was always on commercial boats so Im not sure what their current rules are re private boats...used to do loads of diving from shore there too...there are many reefs in close...we used to rent rusty old tanks out of the back of a pickup truck at Chancanab Lagoon (beautiful site)...but thats more controlled now.

Lots of drift diving done on the big walls in Cozumel...so definately need a few competent crew aboard to do that from a private boat.

[waterman46]

Other than the disputable safety issues of diving alone, I would miss the companionship of diving with someone since it's so great to talk about what you saw, after the dive is over. It isn't too hard to ask around on the VHF nets and find other cruisers who would like to go buddy with you on a dive. I carry one filled SCUBA tank at all times, for this and for emergency boat maintenance.

I guess you can find stories about folks who have been saved by having a buddy diver close by, but I think that's very rare. More often the story goes that you look around, can't find your buddy and there's a bit of panic. In poor visibility (Northern CA) I have even had to surface to reconnect with a buddy. That was an unsafe condition actually caused by buddy diving itself.

Since then, I usually buddied with my wife, and we normally held hands underwater all the time. Guess I wouldn't do that with another guy!

I just got a good 12V hookah and have only used it so far for boat maintenance, but hope to do some diving to 30' with it soon, with battery and compressor in dinghy while wife snorkels in same area for little bit of safety.

[mowerandy]

Ha - cant claim to have read the whole thread, but totally gratified to read of others who dive alone routinely. Came to the conclusion 40 years ago that the most dangerous thing in scuba diving was usually ones buddy! In these parts (Southern Australia) the main reason for taking a buddy is to reduce the odds of being eaten by a white yourself. As for leaving an unattended boat - um, yes, DO check the anchor thoroughly - can be 'demoralising' to find it not there when one surfaces

[DMCantor]

There are lots of cruisers that pick up moorings off Bonaire and dive off their boats, from dinghys, or walk in from shore. People spend anywhere from a few days to an entire winter there. We had Callisto on a mooring for a total of 7 months a couple of years ago. It is an outstanding dive environment.

The dive shops on shore will fill tanks for, I think, US$5.00 each, as long as you can show you are a certified diver.

On many islands in the Eastern Caribbean the governments require that you use a local dive operator. Some of this is past bad behavior by divers messing up the seabottom, some of it is a desire to support the local dive shops economically.

We understand our ground tackle very well, and have not hesitated to leave the boat unattended in most locations. Leaving an unattended dinghy is more worrisome, but we do it anyway.

[Ip485]

I can only recount my experience.


Yacht is 55 foot so reasonably room.


I have a Coltri on board.


I store four bottles and kit, and one oxygen cylinder for emergencies.


I never dive with more than three, so there is always one spare cylinder.


I have dived leaving the yacht without anyone on board, but avoid if I can.


I would be cautious about remote diving locations and would not get involved in any diving involving decompression in these locations.


I am happy to dive solo all the time if no one else can / wants to dive.


In most places in the world that I know it isnt an issue, although in some (eg Greece) you need a licence and / or there are some other restrictions were you dive.

[toddster8]

We tend to dive where there is significant current, so it is almost always much easier to "live boat" dive, with someone following along in either the mother ship or the tender. Many prime locations have anchoring restrictions now, to preserve bottom life, so it is often easier to leave the boat at an anchorage and drive a few miles in the tender to dive. That's why I have a 9.9 hp outboard, which otherwise seems a bit ludicrous to carry on a 30-foot sail boat. General rule of thumb is to carry one tank per person and a compressor. (Two tanks if only one or two people.)
Operations seem to go most smoothly with four or five people. e.g. Two divers, one tender, one or two crewing the mother ship and making lunch. However, often there is only me. I've anchored the zodiac and dove from it, but that requires being very careful of currents. Currently experimenting with paddling a SUP or kayak to the dive site and towing it along on with a line on a reel. However a long surface paddle in a hot dive suit seems impractical.

The compressor mounts at the aft end of the (somewhat large) cockpit with a tank rack next to it. But on passage, tanks go below, strapped down firmly in the Q-berth. (Folding D-rings below the mattress.) There was another horror story a few months ago about loose tanks flying around during a knockdown. I'd prefer to get the weight of the compressor down low, but the gas engine kind of restricts it to the deck.

[Lihuedooley77]

Great diving ideas....I love it, and our own memories rise up as well.

I also have a lot of years as Pilot in Command flying aircraft. Began in training in 1967 and became a Certified flight instructor, charter pilot , corporate pilot and the last 17 yrs as an Instructor Pilot flying Air Combat. ( formations, gunsight tracking, BFM basic fighter manuevers, and six full on 5 and 6 G dogfights.) Close to 35 years of professional flying, and I firmly believe in following procedures. ( Again our own way thru life )

I am also a U.S.C.G Merchant marine capt. ( 100 tons.. 500 near coastal ) about 32 yrs professionally. And strongly believe in seamanship, nautical knowledge, and following procedures.

Erica is PADI certified, up thru rescue diver, and before heading over to Australia , several years ago, she wanted me to get certified. I did so, with a local socal dive school in socal, , and enjoyed the training, and the certification dives on Catalina Island. Good stuff, good life.

Australia : My first dives after certification, were 4 days on board the SPIRIT OF FREEDOM , a 120 ft luxury dive boat, diving the great barrier reef and the coral sea. Two years later we again flew to the land of OZ, and went with the Spirit of Freedom, but only 3 days.

Also, on both trips we skippered a 35 ft sailing vessel in the Whitsunday islands, as well as many other grand adventures. Loved OZ and the Aussies.

We all have different attitudes toward life, Thankfully all of us humans, are a bit different. Erica is also a private and aerobatic pilot, sailor, sky diver, SCUBA diver, etc.

Again, our attitude only, and that can be a bit different. I feel that when ever in a alien environment that we learn and apply and follow procedures to remain safe and smart.

We fly alone as PIC ( pilot in command), we single hand alone, but we do not dive alone, swim in the ocean alone, or at night, or even hike the wilderness trails alone. Plus, I very much enjoy sharing my experiences with another person. Just makes life, for me, better and more rewarding. Someone to share the fun with.

Again, that is us, and evidently not the procedure for many here who are much more experienced in diving that we are.

on KAUAI ISLAND, where we lived as full time residents for 10 yrs, nearly 100% of the of the drownings in our ocean were people swimming alone . Fact ! Also, concerning hiking : people getting injured, or lost, most were hiking alone. Kauai trails, the majority are difficult wilderness, and one wrong turn, or a sprained or broken ankle, a fall breaking a shoulder, or trying to cross a raging river, or physical problem could wind up pretty bad.

I have great respect for the highly qualified and professional and experienced divers here on this forum , who dive alone. But, I felt that for FNG's, new to SCUBA diving, that a dive buddy would be a good plan. Their choice, of course.

Now, in 2018, our adventures in flying, especially air combat, and aerobatics have ended. SCUBA diving also is not longer possible, but we continue to skipper sailing vessels throughout the world, and still snorkel Tahiti, Tonga, Australia, and much of the Caribbean.

I know that I am on life's final glide slope, happens at 78, but we are still working out every day, hiking several days a week, and still enjoy life to the max . And , are still around romping about the planet, after surviving many years of amazing adventures/ Actually, we are striving to continue what our bodies will allow for as long as possible.

Life is an adventure, and we are thankful to have been given the opportunity to experience all that we have. And my folks wanted me to be Mr. Businessman, working in a cubical, and on weekends, mowing the lawn and cleaning out the garage.

Obviously , that did not happen. As the famous Duke, John Wayne, used to say,
A man's gotta due, what a man's gotta do. Our individual choice.


To the Op, enjoy your sailing and diving adventures, you received many, many great scoops from the other posters , who have been there and done that. Outstanding !

[gamayun]

Fantastic post, LihueDooley. What an adventurous life well enjoyed. An all time favorite dive of mine was with the monk seals at Niihau. One of my dive buddies here in Northern California is 79. Our dive site near Monterey is from a dinghy with dry suits and at least 40 pounds of weight for each of us. It is cold, surgy and often low viz. He does all that and hauls in the anchor with ease. He shows me why it's so important to stay fit, work out, and dive frequently! Diving is hard work whether off a tender or your own boat. That's why I chose to buy a boat with a sugar scoop but it's still not easy. This is just a wild guess, but I would bet the reason for restrictions in some areas is because of anchoring impacts, and that the reason the government wants people to go through dive shops is to protect the reef from unaware visitors. I don't mean to say that a tour boat of divers doesn't create its own havoc, just that the permitting of dive sites is often meant as a protective measure for reefs that are being loved to death by too many people. I have two high pressure 72 CF tanks and one aluminum 80 CF tank. I will also get a hookah for cleaning the bottom and easy tender diving since many good tropical sites are shallow and a hookah set up is a good way to drift dive and stay connected. There are other methods that can be used to dive solo more safely, such as having a bail out bottle and safety sausage on a reel, but they assume someone is looking out for you on the mother ship. Just be super aware of your surroundings and environmental conditions no matter if you're diving with a buddy or not. A PLB/EPIRB/VHF would also be a good idea. The advice about not deep diving is very good because getting bent in a remote location would likely mean no more sailing for you.

[transmitterdan]

The reason governments want divers to patronize dive operators is primarily about money. Diving brings in significant cash. Secondarily, the operators act as enforcers against illegally taking stuff (shells, corals, fish, etc.).

Most popular dive sites have moorings installed and maintained by local dive shops. They sometimes take a dim view of cruisers “camping” on their moorings. Dive moorings are to be used for about an hour and then you need to move on. They are not for overnight use at all.

It’s a good idea to check whether an island permits the general public to use dive moorings. Many (most?) islands will allow it. Some will not. Any marine park should have its rules posted online. These are from STINAPA in Bonaire:

https://www.infobonaire.com/wp-conte...-Dos-donts.pdf

[Tomoonifly]

I’ve been diving 35 years and was tiring of the sport until the lionfish invasion and now am obsessed with spearing them every chance I get. Having speared in Roatan, Belize, Grand Cayman, Curacao and throughout the Yucatan I’ve become frustrated with the many recreational dive shops that don’t permit spearing, so my dream is buying a liveaboard diveboat that caters to divers with the same passion, and sailing the Caribbean searching for the most heavily infested areas, which are usually not the popular reefs. So I am also seeking to learn best practices for diving from a private boat and appreciate the posts. And as a non practicing divemaster I’m comfortable with diving alone while adhering to self imposed limits.

[Lihuedooley77]

Tom,

Starting your own live aboard dive boat...OUTSTANDING

All we can suggest is what we have seen from our personal experiences .

One aspect , was the nearly unseaworthy derilect day dive boats out of long beach, or los angeles harbors. We would not go that direction for a business idea.

The other side of the coin, was the Spirit of Freedom, out of Carins, Aus., and diving the great barrier reef and the coral sea. Now this was 120 ft. luxury dive boat that was fantastic.

You might mix and match, add and delete, or modify.

Cabins and Berths were outstanding, as was the Galley, dining areas, deck areas, tank and dive gear stowage, and lounging area on deck and below.

We all received thorough briefings before each and every dive,
Guides or instructors on every dive, meals or snacks after every dive and it was possible to do 5 a day for the more experienced divers. We maxed out at three .

Trust or honor bar, you just put your name on a list that was on the cooler and made a hash mark for each beer . We did zero drinking until our last dive was complete.

Meals, were all great, and well prepared, and the fellow divers , men and women were super friendly and fun as was the crew, who we all became friends with.

Speaking of diving alone, on one dive, might have been the coral sea, we all went in for a drift dive, but the current picked up to very strong, and they came out in fast powered tenders to haul us all bacl and on board.

We also dove with sharks, sting rays, and manta rays, and the dive masters knew where the prime dive sites were. I do not think that we could have had a better experience, and I was a bloody FNG, and these were my first dives after certification.

Point is, you can mix and match or whatever with the above procedures on the Spirit of Freedom, but even tho we had a great time diving catalina back home, on local dive boats.....the class and well found Spirit of Freedom is imprinted on what is left of my brain cells, forever.

You can google them on their website to get a photo idea .

Just , FYI, and wishing you marvelous success in your fabulous endeavors for your future.

Gotta git, we are at this moment leaving for a thanksgiving a week plus road trip, out to our desert, and then on to Arizona. The car is packed, oil, filter, and all other fluids checked, tire inflation set, duffels loaded in the trunk, wine secured on the floor behind Erica's seat, and the fun light will be illuminated.

" Doom to the Lion Fish ! "

Denny and Erica