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Post Dive: Dive Boat Etiquette

Post Dive: Dive Boat Etiquette

Written by Noreen
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Published on September 14, 2009

Whether you’re a rookie diver or a seasoned pro it’s good to know the do’s and don’ts of dive boat etiquette to preserve order and just get along when diving in groups, especially when you don’t know one another. In case you missed our last post for the first 5 tips on dive boat etiquette you can catch it here- Dive Boat Etiquette- For Pro’s and Rookies Alike. Here’s a continuation of the article with some tips on post dive do’s and don’ts while boat diving.

6.  Rinsing off
Don’t use the fresh water shower to rinse off your Scuba equipment. The showers are meant for you and not dive gear. Your gear will not get spoilt in the time it takes you to get back to shore to rinse it off or till you get home. Also, don’t rinse your Scuba mask or small items in the camera storage. It may just be a mask, but you’re not supposed to do that- it’s for cameras only. If you are rinsing yourself, off make it quick and don’t take your own sweet time while others are hopping around the deck because they are cold waiting while you shower. Step to the side while rinsing off and spray over the edge of the boat – not into the boat or anyone on the boat.

7.  Store your Scuba gear back and don’t leave stuff lying around
When you first hand your fins over at the swim-step, the crew or dive master puts it down by on the deck. Don’t forget to pick them up so that they don’t collect in a pile by the step and trip anyone. Put back all your equipment in your Scuba gear bag in between dives and not lying around on the deck. Use the same Scuba tank space allotted to you when you started and don’t just plop your stuff down where someone else was seated. Wetsuit divers, never leave your wetsuits on the benches. If you’re taking it off stash it with the rest of your wet gear and don’t attempt to dry it on the boat. If you prefer to keep wearing it, carry an extra rag or towel to mop up puddles you’ll leave where you sit. (*Photo by-  star5112 on flickr)

8.  Keep the dry spaces dry
Dry storage real estate on a dive boat is very precious. It’s meant to keep things like your towels, cell phones, wallets and other small necessaries, not your Scuba regulators or other dive gear which is made to get wet, no matter how precious to you. Don’t drip wearing your wetsuit over the dry bin either.

9.  If you get seasick
There’s no shame in getting sea sick. It happens to everyone once in a while, just, don’t make a mess. Carry seasickness pills with you or a piece of ginger root. If you do feel your last meal making an unpleasant appearance lean over the lee (wind at your back) side of the boat to do your business.Try hard not throw up where scuba divers will be, like off of the back of the boat or definitely not in the boat. Don’t use the bathroom or ‘head’ to hurl for a number of reasons. One, the confined space and lack or air circulation will make you feel even more sick than before and two, it’ll simply make the people who need to use the ‘head’ just as sick.

10.  Using the head
When there is a toilet or ‘head’ as it’s called on a boat, it needs to be used for liquid emergencies only. Anything else is best done before or after your boat trip, unless it’s an extreme emergency. On most boats, the head is where the shower is. In this case avoid getting everything from the toilet seat, toilet paper, walls, ceiling, sink and so on wet when you are rinsing off. Don’t clog the drains and if you notice them clogging up inform the crew, don’t ignore it.

**Additional tip: Respect the crew. They introduce themselves before the trip and it’s always nice to try and remember their names and show them courtesy. The crew helps you out a ton on board, tip them generously for their service.

Following these ‘rules of thumbs’ when it comes to boat diving can come a long way in enjoying your trip. A little consideration and responsibility can go a long way in making Scuba diving from a crowded boat better organized and overall a lot more enjoyable.