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Scuba Forum / General / August 2004beach diving how far is too far ?
How far is too far when beach diving ? Of my 100 dives to date about 20 dives are beach dives and the remainder either charter boat dives or dives from privately owned boats and even a few jon boat dives. Of my 80 non-beach dives I really can't recall any problems that even came close to what I would call uncomfortable or dangerous, of my 20 beach dives I have experienced at least five dives that I considered over extended and some that bordered on dangerous. There seems to be a more care free approach to this diving when in fact I believe the planning and caution with this diving should be every bit as organized as a deep water dive perhaps more so since your access to first aid or rescue is even further away than when diving by boat. I have seen nausea present itself after fighting a surf before the dive even starts and I have experienced being farther out to sea than was safe either by plan or by nature. I post this only to make the point that beach diving in a best case scenario can be quite enjoyable but to plan on best case scenario and then be presented with sudden changes in weather conditions, currents, and outgoing tides a beach dive could turn fatal as easy as any other. Which brings me to me to my topic, how far is too far. That 500 feet from shore that you believed was well within your limits in good weather could certainly be a fatal distance in bad weather. I would say personally if you believe that your at about your limits under ideal conditions to get back to shore you'll surely be over your limit in bad weather. I think there are many that believe the "surface swim" is a fail safe back up when a low air or out of air arises, those people have never been caught in a storm one half mile off shore with an empty air tank and no way to even begin to seek help. I have not been there either but I've always believed in planning for the worst case scenario and not experiencing it rather than planning for the best and being put in a dangerous or even fatal situation. Be careful, the rough surf can be demanding for even the most fit divers and when a bad tropical storm kicks up you can flush that 1000 dive log book down the toilet, it wont mean a thing ! Kevin Falconer Fort Myers, FL >How far is too far when beach diving ? Of my 100 dives to date about >20 dives are beach dives and the remainder either charter boat dives >or dives from privately owned boats and even a few jon boat dives. 20? You've got me beat. I have only two non-classroom beach dives, and those were freshwater lakes. DIR-F was a freshwater lake too. One of my AOW dives was a freshwater lake, and one was the Colorado River. 4 of my OW class dives were beach. 2 of those were in ankle-slappers. 2 were in 1ft "surf". The remaining 3 of my AOW class dives were beach. One of my 4 wreck class dives was beach. Those 4 were pretty hairy... entry wasn't too bad except for one, but all 4 exits were a B*I*T*C*H. That's 11 times I've dove in the ocean from the beach. 3 non-surf-entry dives that were technically "beach entry" 4 non-surf-entry dives that were technically "boat ramp entry" I hate surf entries and surface swims. If I want to surface swim, I'll snorkel. If I want to deal with surf, I'll body surf... WITHOUT 70 pounds of gear on my back and a $2,000 drysuit :) If I want to dive, I haul 70 pounds of gear and 6-10 tanks down the gangway to my buddy's boat and we enjoy a relaxing weekend at the island. --- Rich http://richlockyer.tripod.com/ > I hate surf entries and surface swims. > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > gangway to my buddy's boat and we enjoy a relaxing weekend at the > island. Proving once again that you and I are twins separated at birth.... >> I hate surf entries and surface swims. >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Proving once again that you and I are twins separated at birth.... Not exactly. You're proud of being a Stroke. I only dive with one. :) --- Rich http://richlockyer.tripod.com/ >>Proving once again that you and I are twins separated at birth.... > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > I only dive with one. :) One of these fine mornings yer gonna wake up with the sun streaming through yer window and yer clock radio reporting that the seas are flat, the currents are slow, the viz is unlimited, and the water temp is 83 with no thermoclines. And ya'll will leap out of bed screaming, "Lawdy, I'm a Stroke!" That's the way it happened with me, anyway. >One of these fine mornings yer gonna wake up with the sun streaming >through yer window and yer clock radio reporting that the seas are flat, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >That's the way it happened with me, anyway. If that happened in Southern California, we'd all be in deep sh.t. 83 degrees? I don't take my coffee that hot! --- Rich http://richlockyer.tripod.com/ > I post this only to make the point that beach diving in a > best case scenario can be quite enjoyable but to plan on > best case scenario and then be presented with sudden changes in > weather conditions, currents, and outgoing tides a beach dive > could turn fatal as easy as any other. Well stated. A good diver will always take the dive conditions into account, before, during and after a dive. > Which brings me to me to my topic, how far is too far. > That 500 feet from shore that you believed was well within > your limits in good weather could certainly be a fatal distance > in bad weather. It doesn't even have to be bad weather...a change in the currents due to the tide can be all it takes. IIRC, they never found those two guys who disappeared while diving off of Bonaire's "Slaves" area in the Southwest corner a few years ago. > I think there are many that believe the "surface swim" is a fail > safe back up when a low air or out of air arises, those people have > never been caught in a storm one half mile off shore with an empty air > tank and no way to even begin to seek help. A surface swim with full gear in "real" open water is rarely fun and entertaining: its work. The ideal shore dive is to be able to enter and promptly submerge (and have things to look at right away) to get away from a non-glassy water surface. Insofar as what then is "too far", if the swim out is going to be UW, a simple "practicality" is one definition that can be used: assuming an average depth of 30fsw or so, most people will burn most of their air on the commute out/back and not have much left for the dive if the commute is more than roughly 20 minutes or so. So how far can you comfortably swim in 20 minutes? -hh " H. Huntzinger" <{NOSPAM-rm_to_reply}rec-scuba@huntzinger.com> wrote > Well stated. A good diver will always take the dive conditions into > account, before, during and after a dive. Well stated but I will have to admit not always well practiced. Another aspect of the beach diving is group diving and there seems to be a just go with the flow attitude especially diving with new buddies when you dont want to appear overly cautious or god forbid, bossy. It's a tough call when you know from the get go everyone is gliding over what should be some very basic stuff, unfortunately it takes a dive for one to realize who are the conscientious ones and who just take safety for granted. I will never deny anyone I'm to dive with my full attention when they express any concerns about an upcoming dive, I in fact would encourage it. In my opinion communication and pre-dive planning is an issue that's taken far too lightly in most cases. Kevin Falconer Fort Myers, FL > Another aspect of the beach diving is group diving and there seems to > be a just go with the flow attitude especially diving with new buddies > when you dont want to appear overly cautious or god forbid, bossy. The solution there is to shore dive solo ;-) > It's a tough call when you know from the get go everyone > is gliding over what should be some very basic stuff, > unfortunately it takes a dive for one to realize who are the > conscientious ones and who just take safety for granted. The real problem is with people who take things for granted while they lack the ability to carry out their assumed contingency plan. There's the example here of a surface swim back to shore...how many people have actually tried to float in their gear for 10-20-30 minutes with an empty tank in water that wasn't as flat as a pool or pond? It may come as a very rude surprise when they find themselves in even a small 2ft chop for a half hour long swim back in. > ...In my opinion communication and pre-dive planning is > an issue that's taken far too lightly in most cases. Agreed. Unfortunately, that shortcoming's not unique to shore diving. -hh " H. Huntzinger" <{NOSPAM-rm_to_reply}rec-scuba@huntzinger.com> wrote . > The solution there is to shore dive solo ;-) HH, I've done some solo before and I'm going to do a little beach solo diving in time. I do enjoy diving with people I know and even one on one with a responsible new diver is ok, but when it comes to the group outings with completely unknown divers I think i'd be better going it alone ! Kevin >So how far can you comfortably swim in 20 minutes? My scooter can get me about a mile :) --- Rich http://richlockyer.tripod.com/ > > I post this only to make the point that beach diving in a > > best case scenario can be quite enjoyable but to plan on [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > never been caught in a storm one half mile off shore with an empty air > > tank and no way to even begin to seek help. I think the distance should be dictated by only one criteria, which is: if you need to rescue someone, can you get them to shore in the prevailing ( surface ) conditions > A surface swim with full gear in "real" open water is rarely fun and > entertaining: its work. The ideal shore dive is to be able to enter > and promptly submerge (and have things to look at right away) to get > away from a non-glassy water surface. I disagree ! -it is great fun -makes diving affordable to those who can't afford a boat or pay for a charter -allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want -two people can dive at a site, no crowding by the rest of the boat's passengers -you're not limited by a boat's capacity ( ie: 25 club members can do a shore dive together) -there's more reasons, I just can't think of them right now ... And, IMNSHO if you are deterred by a surface swim, you shouldn't be diving. rgds monty > I think the distance should be dictated by only one criteria, which > is: if you need to rescue someone, can you get them to shore in the > prevailing ( surface ) conditions A good criteria. > > A surface swim with full gear in "real" open water is rarely fun and > > entertaining: its work. The ideal shore dive is to be able to enter [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > -it is great fun I wasn't referring to the dive, but rather just the prospects of doing a surface swim in rough water...its not high on my "fun" list. > And, IMNSHO if you are deterred by a surface swim, you shouldn't be > diving. The question of if you're skilled/fit enough to do it is a factor, but its not the only factor: remember that this is recreational diving, which means we want to maximize the fun and minimize the unpleasant, and a surface swim is generally "overhead" that you tolerate to get to the spot where you want to dive. YMMV, but I've never met anyone who came back from a dive and excitedly exclaimed: "Gosh, the surface swim was the best part of that dive!" ...unless the dive generally sucked. -hh monty@scubadiving.com (monty) wrote in message > And, IMNSHO if you are deterred by a surface swim, you shouldn't be > diving. So in your not so humble opinion there is no too far, the ocean is the limit, interesting..... Kevin Falconer Fort Myers, FL P.S. did I mention anywhere in my post I was "deterred" by swimming ? > > A surface swim with full gear in "real" open water is rarely fun and > > entertaining: its work. The ideal shore dive is to be able to enter [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > -makes diving affordable to those who can't afford a boat or pay for a > charter A boat can cost thousands of dollars, a charter can cost forty bucks. > -allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want Bullshit. It *limits* you to diving (relatively) close to shore. > -two people can dive at a site, no crowding by the rest of the boat's > passengers Likewise on a boat, particularly if you know how to choose a boat, and a crew. > -you're not limited by a boat's capacity ( ie: 25 club members can do > a shore dive together) You mean being "crowded" by 24 other divers? Phwa! > -there's more reasons, I just can't think of them right now ... Good. Don't try too hard, you'll burst something. > And, IMNSHO if you are deterred by a surface swim, you shouldn't be > diving. Consider what you're saying carefully. Dave. > "monty" <monty@scubadiving.com> wrote in message > > -makes diving affordable to those who can't afford a boat or pay for a > > charter > > A boat can cost thousands of dollars, a charter can cost forty bucks. What's your point ? Three shore dives a day costs nothing. > > -allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want > > Bullshit. It *limits* you to diving (relatively) close to shore. And "diving (relatively) close to shore" a is problem how ? Charters here do between 1 and 4 launches a day at predetermined times to predeterminded sites. You can shore dive any time and choose your sites so *YES* it allows more freedom. > > -two people can dive at a site, no crowding by the rest of the boat's > > passengers > > Likewise on a boat, particularly if you know how to choose a boat, and a > crew. Well the choice over here is limited Mr Wise Guy. > > -you're not limited by a boat's capacity ( ie: 25 club members can do > > a shore dive together) [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Good. Don't try too hard, you'll burst something. <I'd rather refrain from comment> > > And, IMNSHO if you are deterred by a surface swim, you shouldn't be > > diving. > > > Consider what you're saying carefully. I have, and I don't think it needs any more consideration. Are you of the opinion that people who can't swim a reasonable distance are fit to SCUBA dive ? rgds monty > > "monty" <monty@scubadiving.com> wrote in message > > > -makes diving affordable to those who can't afford a boat or pay for a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > What's your point ? Three shore dives a day costs nothing. Shore diving still costs tank fills. > > > -allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want > > > > Bullshit. It *limits* you to diving (relatively) close to shore. > > And "diving (relatively) close to shore" a is problem how ? Perhaps the diving from shore isn't safe (waves, currents, etc). Perhaps the diving from shore isn't very good (sand/mud bottom, etc) Perhaps the diving from shore isn't free (admission, rental car, etc). > Charters here do between 1 and 4 launches a day at predetermined times > to predeterminded sites. > > You can shore dive any time and choose your sites so *YES* it allows > more freedom. Perhaps that's true in a Quarry, but in tidal waters, there's the constant effect of tides to consider, especially if the only decent shore diving site to be had is in an inlet: most either go at slack high tide or they don't go. > > > -two people can dive at a site, no crowding by the rest of > > > the boat's passengers [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Well the choice over here is limited Mr Wise Guy. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that diveboat choices are limited in South Africa. But just because something is limited doesn't mean that it must be dismissed completely out of hand. > > Consider what you're saying carefully. > > I have, and I don't think it needs any more consideration. Except possibly for places other than in your own back yard. Shore diving very well may be the best compromise choice in some areas, but in others, it very well may be the worst choice. Its always going to depend on the specifics. In the meantime, decide if you want to do a shore entry/exit here: http://www.huntzinger.com/photo/2002/brac/brac(021003-3-16)c.jpg > Are you of the opinion that people who can't swim a reasonable > distance are fit to SCUBA dive ? That was no longer the sole consideration being discussed. -hh > > > "monty" <monty@scubadiving.com> wrote in message > > > > -makes diving affordable to those who can't afford a boat or pay for a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Shore diving still costs tank fills. So do boat dives. Luckily fills at my club are free. > > > > -allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want > > > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Perhaps the diving from shore isn't very good (sand/mud bottom, etc) > Perhaps the diving from shore isn't free (admission, rental car, etc). We sometimes have swells which prevent us from diving some sites, otherwise the above doesn't apply so I guess we're lucky. > > Charters here do between 1 and 4 launches a day at predetermined times > > to predeterminded sites. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > shore diving site to be had is in an inlet: most either go at slack > high tide or they don't go. We don't have huge tidal differences here, we can and do dive anytime. > > > > -two people can dive at a site, no crowding by the rest of > > > > the boat's passengers [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > http://www.huntzinger.com/photo/2002/brac/brac(021003-3-16)c.jpg No thanks ! We have no beach entries through surf, basically all dives are from gulleys, etc on a rocky shore. > > Are you of the opinion that people who can't swim a reasonable > > distance are fit to SCUBA dive ? > > That was no longer the sole consideration being discussed. Point taken, but it does have a bearing on one's approach to diving in general and doing so safely. Thanks for your replies ! rgds monty By the way (and completely OT) Guido is working on some new NAPI stuff - I'll try to keep you posted. rgds monty > By the way (and completely OT) Guido is working on some new NAPI stuff > - I'll try to keep you posted. > > rgds > monty Good to hear that; please keep me posted. -hh > > "monty" <monty@scubadiving.com> wrote in message > > > -makes diving affordable to those who can't afford a boat or pay for a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > What's your point ? You used them as though they were similar comparisons. Three shore dives a day costs nothing. Three boat dives a day can cost 40 bucks. If you can't afford that, you should quit diving for a while and get a job. > > > -allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want > > > > Bullshit. It *limits* you to diving (relatively) close to shore. > > And "diving (relatively) close to shore" a is problem how ? Not a problem at all, you were talking about freedom to dive anywhere, anytime. Try to follow along. > Charters here do between 1 and 4 launches a day at predetermined times > to predeterminded sites. and that's not enough for you? How many beach dives can you accomplish in one day, and can you make it to all the dive sites the boats can get to? > You can shore dive any time and choose your sites so *YES* it allows > more freedom. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Well the choice over here is limited Mr Wise Guy. Wrong guy, I'm Mr. Smartass, but generally only when answering someone who's a wanna be smartass. ....and wherever "over there" is, is only your problem. Conditions will vary. > > > -you're not limited by a boat's capacity ( ie: 25 club members can do > > > a shore dive together) [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > <I'd rather refrain from comment> Good, taking my advice then. > > > And, IMNSHO if you are deterred by a surface swim, you shouldn't be > > > diving. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Are you of the opinion that people who can't swim a reasonable > distance are fit to SCUBA dive ? Depends on the situation and the conditions. Most of the diving "over here" doesn't involve one to be able to swim at all. Swimming in dive gear is something anyone with full, or even linited mobility can do. Whether it is a good idea or not may be another question. Dave. Dave. > Three boat dives a day can cost 40 bucks. If you can't afford that, you > should quit diving for a while and get a job. three dives, 40 bucks ? book me on that one for the rest of the summer ! Kevin Falconer Fort Myers, FL > > Three boat dives a day can cost 40 bucks. If you can't afford that, you > > should quit diving for a while and get a job. > > three dives, 40 bucks ? book me on that one for the rest of the summer ! Ok ok, I can get you on as many 2-tank dives as you want for $40 bucks a trip though. I have a bud that will run with three for $40pp and you own the boat. That means you can go wherever you want (within reason of course). > Ok ok, I can get you on as many 2-tank dives as you want for $40 bucks a > trip though. I have a bud that will run with three for $40pp and you own the > boat. That means you can go wherever you want (within reason of course). Cool. I'm coming back down in November. Can we dive Cuba? > > Ok ok, I can get you on as many 2-tank dives as you want for $40 bucks a > > trip though. I have a bud that will run with three for $40pp and you own > the > > boat. That means you can go wherever you want (within reason of course). > > Cool. I'm coming back down in November. Can we dive Cuba? For you Greg, anything can be arranged. Dave. > > Cool. I'm coming back down in November. Can we dive Cuba? > > > For you Greg, anything can be arranged. Let's wait and see what happens to Bush in the election. We'recoming down the week after, so hopefully we'll know by then whether or not Bush will still be around to care where we dive. Planning on diving 11/13-11/15 unless another hurricane comes around to screw things up, preferably morning and afternoon dives and perhaps night too since we don't get to dive the warm water as often as you guys do so we have to pack 'em in. If Cuba's out, I suppose we'll settle for Boynton or Pompano or even Lauderdale. I was thinking about Miss Conduct on the 13th and Splashdown on the 14th with the 15th TBD (I might have a hankering to drive north a bit on the 15th and dive some fresh water to clean my gear, as well as hunt around the springs to see if I can find where Curtis dumped my arm), but let me know if your buddy is going out then. I'm flexible. I'm going to call Fill Express ahead of time to reserve my tanks so I don't need to hassle anyone and I'll probably start figuring out my boat reservations next month. > I was thinking about Miss Conduct on the 13th and Splashdown on the 14th > with the 15th TBD (I might have a hankering to drive north a bit on the 15th > and dive some fresh water to clean my gear, as well as hunt around the > springs to see if I can find where Curtis dumped my arm), but let me know if > your buddy is going out then. I'm flexible. Hmmmm, maybe I could lead you to it? <evil grin> Limey, great minds thing alike, reckon we can hatch something up? Curtis > > I was thinking about Miss Conduct on the 13th and Splashdown on the 14th > > with the 15th TBD (I might have a hankering to drive north a bit on the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Limey, great minds thing alike, reckon we can hatch something up? I might hafta try to drag Lee up there before November. My testicles will shrivel up and choke me if I get into that frigid fresh water at that time of year. Dave. > > > Cool. I'm coming back down in November. Can we dive Cuba? > > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > warm water as often as you guys do so we have to pack 'em in. If Cuba's > out, I suppose we'll settle for Boynton or Pompano or even Lauderdale. remind me closer to the time. I figger I owe you a night out boozing too. You know all my Capt friends are here in Pompano so if you wanna dive locally, let me know. > I was thinking about Miss Conduct on the 13th and Splashdown on the 14th > with the 15th TBD (I might have a hankering to drive north a bit on the 15th [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > ahead of time to reserve my tanks so I don't need to hassle anyone and I'll > probably start figuring out my boat reservations next month. My bud will go out whenever he is asked to, no need to book ahead. I have never been out with Conrad but would love to, I like him a lot and understand he runs a fun trip. I would also like an excuse to get up north and pay a visit to El Stroko, haven't seen him yet this year. Curtis and I have discussed a trip north fer the same purpose, but not sure I could handle the extreme cold at that time of year, I'll prolly hafta do that one before it starts cooling off. Drop me a line if I can help with anything. Dave. > > "Dave L" <davidno@crap.net> wrote in message > news:<2HqTc.207970$OB3.137264@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>... [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > How many beach dives can you accomplish in one day, and can you make it to > all the dive sites the boats can get to? No, and I didn't say I could. Try to follow along. > > You can shore dive any time and choose your sites so *YES* it allows > > more freedom. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Good, taking my advice then. Try to follow along, there's no lack of thinking here on my part, just a decision to refrain from comment. Some statements aren't worth a response. > > > > And, IMNSHO if you are deterred by a surface swim, you shouldn't be > > > > diving. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Dave. Trouble remembering your name ? Maybe you should sit back & watch some more before you air your views here ... rgds monty > > > > > -allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want > > > > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > No, and I didn't say I could. Try to follow along. Good advice. Why don't you take it. What you said was "[shore diving] allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want" and he pointed out that you are also limited in your shore diving options by making it abundantly clear that you can only dive areas that are close to shore. The most freedom would be if you mixed boat and shore diving. That gives you the flexibility of shore diving as well as the extended range of boat diving (not necessarily at the same time). > > > > > > -allows you the freedom to dive where you want, when you want > > > > > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > the flexibility of shore diving as well as the extended range of boat diving > (not necessarily at the same time). The fun thing about rec.scuba is that we know *most* people are following along just fine. ;0) Dave. > > > "Dave L" <davidno@crap.net> wrote in message > > news:<2HqTc.207970$OB3.137264@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>... [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > No, and I didn't say I could. Try to follow along. I'm following just fine. Look up the word implied and get back to me. By saying the charters go out between 1 and 4 times a day, after saying shore diving gives you the "freedom to dive when and where you want" *implies* that boat diving is more restrictive than yer shore diving. > > > You can shore dive any time and choose your sites so *YES* it allows > > > more freedom. [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > Try to follow along, there's no lack of thinking here on my part, just > a decision to refrain from comment. ....which is the best decision you've made yet. Unfortunately, the response doesn't back up your claim to refrain. I'm turning into a friggin' poet here, reminds me of grab the fist and break the wrist. Bwaaaahawah! > Some statements aren't worth a response. True! > > > > > And, IMNSHO if you are deterred by a surface swim, you shouldn't be > > > > > diving. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Trouble remembering your name ? Sometimes, what does that have to do with anything? Maybe you should sit back & watch some > more before you air your views here ... Funny! You remind me of someone.....you ever post under Chris??? Dave. <snip> > Funny! You remind me of someone.....you ever post under Chris??? > > Dave. No, I only post using my own name. rgds monty > <snip> > > Funny! You remind me of someone.....you ever post under Chris??? > > No, I only post using my own name. You two are remarkably alike! Dave. >I've >always believed in planning for the worst case scenario and not >experiencing >it rather than planning for the best and being put in a dangerous or >even fatal >situation. Great post, and your statement above is what many divers seem to not understand. Plan for the worst - hope for the best. Good motto for any potentially dangerous event. It never ceases to amaze me how many shore divers I run into who do not plan their dives, who do not know basic navigation skills, who don't carry even basic emergency gear (as in a whistle), and who never seem to have even the most basic emergency plans in place before they dive. It takes 5 minutes to go through a dive plan with your buddy, get compass bearings, and go over what you're going to do if something bad should happen - hell, if you're fortunate enough to always dive with the same buddy much of this becomes automatic. And like you I have, on occasion, surfaced in sketchy conditions. I don't think I've ever been in a situation where I would have died, but without a doubt the planning we had done in advance made these situations an inconvenience, rather then a serious problem. Bryan > I have not been there either but > I've [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > even fatal > situation. I could bring up something about a 6 ft3 pony, but that might disrupt the warm, fuzzy self-congratulations going on here :-) Why surface swim unless you have no choice? When I did my OW I was taught to take advantage of the surf going out and later divemastering in Montery we taught the same to our students. Surf isn't uniform and the water that runs up on the beach has to return to the sea somewhere. It flows laterally until it finds a slight depression, joins up with its buddies and forms a current flowing back out to sea. That point is usually marked by a gap in the breakers and that gap is your entry point. Take a compass bearing to your dive location, go on your regulator, wade out through the gap past the surfline, drop down to the bottom where the water is smooth and get a free ride in the undertow out beyond the breakers. Depending on why you're doing the dive you can either surface behind the waves and snorkle on out or continue on the bottom admiring the critters. When it's time to return you don't come back all the way on the surface - perhaps pop up briefly to take a compass bearing again on a landmark at your desired exit point but then drop to the bottom and return to the beach underwater following your compass bearing, either the one you just shot or the reciprocal bearing to your entry swim, all the way in. Or you could snorkle in until nearer the beach before dropping down if you want. At the beach you don't go through the surf - you go under it. When you get into surf you crawl up the beach underwater on your hands and knees - when a wave comes in you let it carry you forward, then as it returns you grip the sand to hold your position, then during slack water you crawl forward, repeating until you're far enough up the beach to be out of the surf. Your point is on currents, tides, and developing weather are well taken. That's why you should always consult with divers who are intimate with local conditions before going on a dive in new territory, have a book of tide tables and know how to use them, and monitor the mariner's weather information broadcasts - a VHF receiver - a transceiver even better - that can monitor Coast Guard and NOAA broadcasts should be part of your kit. > How far is too far when beach diving ? Of my 100 dives to date about > 20 dives are beach dives and the remainder either charter boat dives [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > Kevin Falconer Fort Myers, FL > How far is too far when beach diving ? It's like the speed limit in Montana years ago. It all depends on conditions. |
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