Written by DAN Staff
Boats give divers access to many of the world’s greatest sites. Many dive boats do much more than simply deliver divers to reefs and wrecks; they’re laden with features to enhance enjoyment and safety. However, no boat is completely free of hazards. Just as divers are briefed on the best practices to follow during dives, they should be briefed on hazards, features and tips for diving from a dive boat.
While dive professionals who work on boats move around the deck with ease, divers without boating experience can end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Help prevent injuries by telling your divers which areas of the boat they need to be wary of.
Help divers avoid nasty spills by offering to assist them on and off the vessel. Slipping and falling into the boat or onto the dock can result in serious injury, and a simple assist may make all the difference.
Right after divers get on board, show them the designated gear stowage areas and double check that they stow gear properly. Loose gear bags and fins can be trip hazards, and improperly secured cylinders can turn into weapons of mass destruction. Even secured cylinders are at risk of falling over if integrated weights are left in BCDs on a rocking boat.
Call the divers’ attention to the locations of cleats, anchors, steps and spots where they might bump their heads. It’s also worth mentioning how slippery a wet deck can be and suggesting that the divers keep a hand free to steady themselves when moving around. Point out the location of your emergency gear and instruct the divers on recommended approaches to surfacing and exiting the water.
As divers set up, encourage them to rest weights on the deck, not on benches. Do your best to minimize the distance divers have to walk in fins, and if they have to move around the deck while fully geared up, help them navigate to the entry point.
Before divers enter the water check to make sure all their “danglies” are tucked in, so they don’t get snagged and actually leave the boat when it’s time to splash. If divers are back-rolling in, make sure they’re positioned to land far enough away from the boat and clear of any obstacles.
If your dive involves the use of downlines, show your divers how to use them safely. Grabbing onto a line that moves vigorously up and down in a swell can be hazardous to someone who’s not paying attention. Additionally, remind divers to keep their eyes up during ascent to avoid coming up directly under the boat. This may seem obvious, but in choppy water divers may find themselves right beneath a pitching 18-ton hull with sharp propellers in no time.
Once divers make it to the surface, they may face a few more challenges re-boarding the boat. Remind them to keep clear of the ladder while other divers are climbing up. All dive ladders get wet, and many rise and fall in rough seas. It’s common for at least one diver to slip off the ladder, and a cylinder hitting the face of a waiting diver can be a serious incident.
Not every ladder is built the same, so be sure to give divers thorough instructions about how to climb the boat’s ladder safely. You can’t overstate the importance of grabbing the rungs of hinged ladders rather than the rails. Getting pinched by a hinged ladder could be the most gruesome injury a diver ever experiences. Encourage divers to take a moment to observe how the ladder moves and then avoid any dangerous spots.
For more dive safety tips, visit DAN.org.
