Safely doing dive work?

[jsc7]

I am planning to have a boat moored in a slip at a marina and wonder how people safely do dive work. For example, I may need to clean barnacles or other marine growth, or replace an anode while the boat is in the water.

There are a few problems. One is that some marinas make it straight out against the rules to do dive work in the marina. Another issue is that even if it is allowed, it can be dangerous because of electrical currents or getting hit by another boat.

I assume that the basic procedure is to take the boat to some separate place where there is no electricity to do the work, but where?

How do people deal with this problem?

[donradcliffe]

The risk of electrical currents is pretty low in salt water--the water is a better conductor than you are.

I use the Catholic method--don't ask permission and beg forgiveness if caught.

[Pete7]

Never had a problem with electricity and having someone on the surface to warn anyone who gets a bit close would be good. On the dive site we always have an A Flag up, but they may not be universally recognised in the US as a divers down signal.

However, what about the water quality? does everyone in the marina really use holding tanks? is the water static or have a good tidal range?

Pete

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

The risk of electrical currents is pretty low in salt water--the water is a better conductor than you are....

And unplug your boat and the two closest. Then you are good.

I've been in the water countless times.

However, given the choice, to clean the bottom, I will always do it out somewhere at anchor somewhere nice. At the dock is reserved for mechanical problems that won't easily wait.

[billknny]

I have never been in a marina that forbids dive work, but I imagine they might exist. In every marina I have ever been in there are divers are in the water all the time. Boats need underwater maintenance and cleaning. Any marina that doesn't understand that is kind of lost out in left field.

In salt water stray current is not a problem.

If you are in the water cleaning the bottom of the boat, you are, of necessity, UNDER the boat. How can somebody possibly get close enough to hit you?

I think you are worried about problems that do not exist.

If you are really worried about it, hire a commercial diver to clean your boat. They have all those problems worked out.

I have dove my boat in marinas and at anchor. If you are a experienced diver, comfortable in the water, it's not unsafe. But it is tough and miserable work. Even if the water you are diving in is sparkling clear, as soon as you start scrubbing slime off the hull, your visibility goes down to nothing. I love diving. I do not love diving my boat, but I don't think it is dangerous.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by billknny

... Even if the water you are diving in is sparkling clear, as soon as you start scrubbing slime off the hull, your visibility goes down to nothing....

I like to anchor somewhere with a very light tide. If I start at the front of the boat, the slime washes away from me and the work goes easier... at least when I'm lucky!

[UFO]

Originally Posted by jsc7

I am planning to have a boat moored in a slip at a marina and wonder how people safely do dive work. For example, I may need to clean barnacles or other marine growth, or replace an anode while the boat is in the water.

There are a few problems. One is that some marinas make it straight out against the rules to do dive work in the marina. Another issue is that even if it is allowed, it can be dangerous because of electrical currents or getting hit by another boat.

I assume that the basic procedure is to take the boat to some separate place where there is no electricity to do the work, but where?

How do people deal with this problem?

Last Time I dived in my Marina, I came out with a rather unpleasant rash! Depending on where you are water quality can be pretty nasty!

[a64pilot]

I have always dove mine in a marina.
Now where I’m at the vis is real low and water quality is questionable.
It’s not pleasant, but has to be done, and like mowing grass, I can do it myself.

[valhalla360]

Not a bad idea to have someone watching out but if you are in a slip and another boat hits you, they really messed up.

Other than being hard work, nothing too difficult about it.

I wouldn't assume a rash or other issue is from general water quality. When you scrape the bottom, you stir up the ecosystem growing on your boat. Some of the residents take umbridge about this and retaliate.

[donradcliffe]

I had a mate who dove into the Ali Wai harbor in Honolulu after he dropped a winch part over the side. Unfortunately the power was out to downtown, including the sewage treatment plant. He came out with a rash which required antibiotics.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by jsc7

How do people deal with this problem?

I have performed over 30,000 in-water hull cleanings, every one of them in marinas. It's not a problem.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

I have performed over 30,000 in-water hull cleanings, every one of them in marinas. It's not a problem.

Dry Suite Perchance

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by UFO

Dry Suite Perchance

Umm... no.

[paulajayne]

Flag alpha required.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by paulajayne

Flag alpha required.

Those Americans have their own version, sort of a red flag with a white diagonal line across it just to confuse the rest of the world.

Originally Posted by valhalla360

When you scrape the bottom, you stir up the ecosystem growing on your boat. Some of the residents take umbridge about this and retaliate.

They did :-). One of the very first working dives I ever did in the early 80s involved fitting a Greenheart wood strip to the bottom of a 100 ft Turkish Guillet in Southampton docks. Each piece was about 12" x 6" x 20 feet. The first problem was when we threw a long piece of Greenheart in the dock, it sank.

Having recovered that we then winched and strapped it into place followed by nailing it to the bottom of the wooden hull. This caused thousands of little shrip like creatures to come out of their hideaways and crawl all over each diver getting inside the wetsuits etc. We were covered in them after every dive, but mission accomplished, dive club paid and the money bought us our first inflatable boat.