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So,
you pay your money and you expect a good dive and to be properly taken
care of. Well, that's just what the dive operations out here do.
Rules and Regulations When
you have contracted and paid a dive operation for a scuba dive,
you're pretty much placing your trust in the hands of professionals that
are trained to safely take certified individuals out for a scuba dive,
weather by boat, kayak, or shore dive.
The Head Guy(s) On
a boat the Captain is responsible for the safety of those individuals
riding in the boat. If the captain makes a request that you sit down or
not climb in certain areas of the boat, that is actually not a request, it
is a statement. Sit Down, please, do not climb on the boat, it is Dangerous.
Arguing with the captain is not only rude, but uncalled for. The captain
knows what works best on their boat, please heed what they have to say and
not argue with them.
The
'second in command" is the Dive Master. It is their responsibility to
insure the safety of the individuals when they are out of the boat (out of
the Captain's control). When a Dive Master leads a dive, they should
thoroughly brief the participants. The Dive Master will find out if there
are any concerns or questions, then safely lead the dive. Have a little
consideration for the Dive Master. They may have as many as 8 individuals
swimming around. They have to keep track of all of them, please don't make
it more difficult on them by wandering off. Pay attention as to where the
group is going.
Here are a few things to remember that will make
everyone's dive a pleasant one.
Before Diving
- Check your Dive Gear. If you're using
your own gear, check it before you leave the resort (Or where ever
you're staying). Add any extra equipment you might want to have along,
then pack up the gear in a dive bag. If you are renting gear, be sure
you have everything covered when renting , mask, snorkel, weights,
BCD, regulator, wet suit, etc. It is too late if you find out on the
boat that you forgot something essential.
- Get to the wharf, beach, or other meeting
place on time. It is a good idea to get to the staging area 30
minutes ahead of time. This allows time to park your car, check in,
stow gear, and maybe get some coffee.
- Remember your Certification Card. Even
the most experienced diver will forget their Certification Card every
once in a while, it can be a little embarrassing. Remember your
C-card, any licensing needed (such as for fishing or taking lobster) ,
and enough money to cover any extras, such as refreshments and extra
air fills.
- Keep track of your equipment. If you
rent equipment and someone else sets up your gear, ask them where it
is located and inspect it yourself. If you are the one gearing up,
stash all your equipment in one place (preferably in a single dive
bag, tucked out of the way).
While Diving
- Listen to the Captain and Dive Master. It
is the job of the Dive Master to thoroughly inform you about the dive,
listen to them. Funny comments lighten the mood, but distract from the
information the Dive Master is imparting. Please give them the
courtesy of not interrupting them while they are doing a briefing.
- Allow the crew to help you into your gear. A rolling boat is not the place to be dropping weights, tanks, or
bodies on to the deck. Please don't do the
"tank-over-the-head" equipment donning, you can really hurt
yourself (a lower back strain) or someone else (ever been wacked on
the head by a aluminum 80 weighing 45 lbs?). Weight belts should be
handled with some care, the Captain won't appreciate a deck (or foot)
damaged by a dropped weight.
- Don't block the Entrance or Exit areas. This
is especially important on shore dives, but is also important on boat
dives. On shore dives, there are others engaged in different water
activities; swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, boating, surfing, etc. If
someone is blocking your way (just standing around) gently ask them to
please move out of the way of traffic, many folks don't realize how
much they might be in the way. Tell them nicely. They may not realize
you are just being courteous by waiting for them to notice you (while
you are overheating). Sometimes it can be hazardous being in the way
of someone trying to get out of the surf. If a kayak or boat is moving
toward shore and is in the surf zone, control can be a problem. If you
see a kayak, boat, or wave ski coming in, GET OUT OF THE WAY. You can
move out of the way alot more easily than they can. Boats, kayaks and
surfboards have mass and are usually hard. When they are being
propelled by the force of a wave they can be very hazardous,
as in broken legs, cracked skulls, and fractured ribs.
- Plan the Dive and the Dive Plan. A
large percentage of people that dive in Hawaii are visitors, and are
unfamiliar with locations and conditions. Keep track of the group,
please do not go off on your own. If you prefer a different dive plan,
inquire with the Dive Master or Captain before you reach the
destination. Once underwater the Dive Master will point out things
which you might otherwise miss, by occasionally looking up and
watching them you might be treated to something everyone else misses.
- Don't walk around on deck with your fins
on. The deck is too small to gracefully do the 'duck walk'. Don the
fins just before you enter the water. For boat dives take the fins off
just before you climb the latter, much safer this way. For shore
diving, depending on the surf, it may be safer to remove the fins in
shallow water, then exit.
- Enter the water when and where the Dive
Master says to. Sometimes, in the confusion, divers enter
the water too soon. This can be dangerous, the Captain might not be
finished setting the anchor or positioning the boat. Please be sure
you have been given the OK to enter the water from the Captain or Dive
Master.
- Practice the "Buddy System". Conduct
a mutual check of equipment before the dive. Be sure your equipment is
secured properly and functions well. Agree upon the dive strategy and
hand signals before you enter the water. Keep track of each other,
give the OK sign to both buddy and Dive Master. Leave the water at the
same time.
- Don't touch or handle any creatures unless
the Dive Master indicates it is OK. Many sea creatures are
harmless, many more aren't, and they may not be obviously dangerous.
Please don't try to 'pet' or touch sea creatures that you know nothing
about. Not only are you terrifying the creature, which may react in
self defense, but you may be harming the creature unintentionally.
Many types of cone shells can be beautiful, there are several that
have a painful (and perhaps deadly) sting, and some corals (which have
stinging cells for catching small prey) can also produce welts and
sores. While swimming among lots of fish and around moray eels, keep
your hands near your body. Many fish have spines (scorpion fish) or
sharp bones (surgeon fish) that they use for protection. Moray eels
have poor eyesight, they might mistake your fingers for a piece of
squid, and take a bite out of them. Crabs and lobster have hard, sharp
carapaces and sometimes pincers, trying to capture them can give you
infectious cuts on your hands.
- Safety First. Keep track of your
own bottom time. Watch your depth and note your air consumption.
Occasionally ask your buddy what their air pressure is. If you are
hunting, please no loaded spear guns on the boat, and discharge your
spear gun before getting out of the water, even on shore dives. Don't
leave game loose on the boat deck, makes the deck hazardous to walk
on, keep the game in a bag. Don't throw dead or bloody fish into the
water when there are divers or swimmers around, especially on shore,
this attracts predatory fish into the area.
- Surface when the Dive Master wants to
surfaces. Even though you might be better at air consumption than
everyone else, and would have no trouble at staying down another extra
10 minutes, please don't. Timing for the second and/or third dives is
important. An extra 10 minutes of down time for you might make getting
to the second dive later, conditions might not be as nice. Your
nitrogen saturation for the total of the day's dive might be
compounded. Other divers might be cold and bored while waiting. If you
feel smaller groups are better plan accordingly, smaller dive
companies often have more flexible dive plans.
After the Diving Ends
- Check and Pack your equipment. If
you've brought your own equipment and/or set up your own equipment,
get it together and stow it away for the trip back. This makes
off-loading much easier and other passengers aren't tripping over
regulator hoses or fins. Make sure you get together ALL your
equipment. Discovering that you left your camera or computer on the
boat after you get back to your room or home could result in the loss
of that equipment. Make sure the compressed air cylinders are 'racked'
properly, you don't want those rolling around on the deck.
- Avoid sitting on deck or moving about while
the boat is in motion. It is especially important that you not
move around too much on the smaller boats while they are in motion.
The afternoon chop can make the ride a bit rough, balance can be
tricky. The captain really doesn't want you to hit your head or twist
an ankle. You might be told to sit or stand in a particular place, or
not move around, please do what they ask.
- Please don't use up all the fresh water. Many
of the larger dive boats have a fresh water reservoir, with a limited
supply of fresh water to wash off with. Please use it sparingly, it
feel's great, especially warm, but let others use it too.
- Obey the "Rules of the Boat". Please
stay out of Prohibited areas such as: Crew Quarters, Galley, or other
working areas of the boat if they are present.
- Stay out of the Wheel House and Engine Room,
Coast Guard Regulations specifically prohibit passengers from being in
those areas of the boat.
- Alcohol and Diving/Boating do not mix well,
dive sober and wait several hours after heavy diving to drink. Alcohol
affects metabolism and the out gassing of nitrogen, not to mention
making walking on a pitching deck a bit hazardous.
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