Shore diving vs. Boat diving?

[sslkrissi]

I just learned something new! I had never even heard of shore diving until I started researching dive operators in Roatan and came across Cocoview, where shore diving seems to be one of their main selling points. However, I still really don't know much about it. :confused:

 

What are the main advantages and disadvantages to shore diving vs. boat diving?

 

Thanks

[scubaran]

I just learned something new! I had never even heard of shore diving until I started researching dive operators in Roatan and came across Cocoview, where shore diving seems to be one of their main selling points. However, I still really don't know much about it. :confused:

 

What are the main advantages and disadvantages to shore diving vs. boat diving?

 

Thanks

 

Shore Dives

Advantages:

• Dive at your leisure and not have to be at the demand of when the boat leaves
  
• No cattle boats, you and your buddy are usually the only ones scuba diving together
  
• Lots of color and fish in shallower waters near the shore
  
• Gradual depth means ears naturally clear over a longer period of time so less stress on the eardrums
  
• Cheaper, especially if you have your own gear
  
• More freedom to go where you want
  
• Less chance of decompression issues since diving shallower
  
• In an emergency you're close to shore and not in the middle of the ocean
  
• No seasickness
  
• Can drive to your dive site
  
• Surface interval having a picnic by the shore :)

Disadvantages:

• Have to know how to do shore entries/exits (in Bermuda I did a shore dive with a new buddy. She didn't know how to enter and got knocked down by a wave. When I backed up and bent over to help her up (she was struggling over the weight of the scuba gear and the height of the waves), a wave came along and stripped my mask strap right off the back of my head causing me to loose my mask in the surf, not a happy camper).
  
• No guides to show you the cool stuff unless you've dived there before.
  
• Have to have a pre-arranged dive buddy, no picking up a buddy like on a boat dive
  
• Shallow water so less large animals
  
• Use up valuable bottom time getting out of the shallows to "diveable" waters.
  
• Currents can be tricky close to shore
  
• Where do you store your non-diving gear while in the water to keep it safe?
  
• Fewer wreck dives
  
• Few wall dives
  
• Typically no dive master or other trained instructors along
  
• May be on your own for emergency equipment and procedures

Boat dives, reverse the list above

 

These all come to mind from previous dives I've been on. Locally we dive in lakes and rivers so I shore dive in the summer time and boat dive in the Caribbean during the winter (if I'm lucky).

 

Hope this helps, further questions, write back.

 

Randall

[sslkrissi]

Thank you very much. That was really helpful!

 

One more question though... do you think that shore diving would be good or bad for a first dive following certification, since it seems like there will be little supervision, if any at all.

 

Cocoview in Roatan requires you to do an orientation dive with a dive master before they will let you do any diving at their resort, whether shore diving or diving from a boat. The purpose of it is to make you familiar with the shore diving areas. But, after the orientation dive, we will pretty much be on our own, unless we hire a private guide (which is probably what I would do). I have read that the shore diving from their resort is top-notch because their is a wreck.

 

Thanks again!

[scubaran]

Thank you very much. That was really helpful!

 

One more question though... do you think that shore diving would be good or bad for a first dive following certification, since it seems like there will be little supervision, if any at all.

 

Cocoview in Roatan requires you to do an orientation dive with a dive master before they will let you do any diving at their resort, whether shore diving or diving from a boat. The purpose of it is to make you familiar with the shore diving areas. But, after the orientation dive, we will pretty much be on our own, unless we hire a private guide (which is probably what I would do). I have read that the shore diving from their resort is top-notch because their is a wreck.

 

Thanks again!

 

It is really up to you if you trust yourself on your first dives to be unsupervised or not. If you did well in your certifications it should be a no brainer but only you can determine your own comfort factor and skills. I would say that if the waves are up, or there's a current off shore, I'd think twice but if it's bathtub smooth and you feel good about it go for it.

 

In the Northeast I got my open water cert. checkouts in a lake which meant shore dives and 3ft. vis. (couldn't even see the instructor doing check out exercises on my buddy while I waited next to a tie off) so a shore dive in the Caribbean was a cinch (plus no 7mm wet suit to contend with).

 

For the better part of safety you might consider the private guide. Just keep in mind that they're there to ensure you see interesting things in the water and aren't necessarily dive masters or instructors unless you specifically ask for them to be. And a bad habit some have, if they motion you to do something you're not comfortable with (going deeper, swimming through coral caves, etc.) just wave them off, no harm in saying no.

 

It can be scary, think about the first time you drove the car with no one in it. But just like driving, situational awareness does develop over time. Take it slow, don't overdue it and follow some simple rules:

 

1) better to say no and dive another day than to say yes and never dive again

2) being in shape does matter, no partying, staying out late the night before and drink lots of water the day/evening before

3) don't be shy, tell the resort that you're a new diver. Nothing to be embarressed about and they will keep a bit tighter eye out for you

4) you forgot how to do something, ask.

5) be outgoing, ask what there is to see, what landmarks are under the water you should look out for, where do they not recommend you go, etc.

6) don't overload yourself with cameras, flash lights, etc. Just be content to dive and use your memory for your camera. You can do other fun things as you gain experience

7) stay tight to your buddy and check your gauges often. Seeing all the pretty things can make you forget to do your checks or loose your buddy as you swim after that cute fish.

8) have a plan for getting back together if you get lost (usually one minute looking around then surface)

9) get DAN insurance. It's cheap and will pay for itself many times over if God forbid an accident happens

10) get a saftey sausage for your BCD. If there's an issue and you surface, you'll want to make sure people on shore can see you (and practice inflating it several times before you leave for your trip)

11) wear your snorkel, if you run out of air or need to surface swim back, they'll keep you from drinking all that saltwater

12) don't forget your c-card. No certification, no diving

13) don't go into the wreck, no matter how open it looks or who's swimming through it, etc. you're not certified for wreck diving and it's just not worth the risk

14) after remembering all these things, enjoy!

 

Many of these apply to boat diving as well. Once you get a few dives under your belt you won't even have to think about all this and just do it. :D

Randall

 

Just so you know, I went back and checked my old dive book and my first dive after certification was a shore dive in the Bahamas. :)

[sslkrissi]

Thank you for taking the time to give me these tips! As a new diver, it is wonderful to speak to so many others who are willing to share their expertise!

[scubaran]

Thank you for taking the time to give me these tips! As a new diver, it is wonderful to speak to so many others who are willing to share their expertise!

 

Funny, my wife says the same thing but different words. She says, "Can't keep your mouth shut even if I wanted you to." :)

 

r

[scubadiver888]

Thank you very much. That was really helpful!

 

One more question though... do you think that shore diving would be good or bad for a first dive following certification, since it seems like there will be little supervision, if any at all.

 

Cocoview in Roatan requires you to do an orientation dive with a dive master before they will let you do any diving at their resort, whether shore diving or diving from a boat. The purpose of it is to make you familiar with the shore diving areas. But, after the orientation dive, we will pretty much be on our own, unless we hire a private guide (which is probably what I would do). I have read that the shore diving from their resort is top-notch because their is a wreck.

 

Thanks again!

Greetings sslkrissi,

 

scubaran has a very good summary of shore vs. boat but there are a few assumptions in his list.

 

He is assuming the shore dive will be a "Here is your equipment. Have fun." On my first shore dive it went a lot smoother than that. The dive shop was located right on a really nice cove. Just outside the cove was a wall dive. Getting in and out of the water was REALLY easy because they built a breakwater. You'd wade in, get your fins on behind the breakwater then head out.

 

Additionally, because the sea floor dropped off fairly quickly, there was some large animal life. Nothing like a whale shark but there were sea turtles, barracuda and average size squid. I was told there was the occasional shark as well but I didn't see any. I've never been to Roatan so I don't know what you'll see there.

 

All of scubaran's tips are really good as well. The only thing I would add is, ask if there is a current and does it change direction (you might have to ask which direction the current is flowing each time you dive). If there is a current, swim into the current at first. This was if you use up your air faster than you expected, you can relax and let the current take you back.

 

As to your actual question, I'd hire a guide and let them know my experience level. If you can afford the dive it will make the dive that much more enjoyable. You won't be as nervous and a good guide will know what to look for.

[gmcrow]

All of the advice sounds really good, but what it really boils down to is that a newly certified diver in an unfamiliar setting needs supervision initially.

[scubaran]

All of the advice sounds really good, but what it really boils down to is that a newly certified diver in an unfamiliar setting needs supervision initially.

 

Hi,

 

I would agree if you added, "generally". I know for myself, I actually did fine on my own with my newly qualified dive buddy after my initial certification. But I was cautious, I'm a security analyst by trade, or maybe I was just lucky.

 

I also think it depends on the instructor you had. Even after years of diving I find my dive instructor, who's a regional PADI course director, a very "by the book" type of instructor and he always added in more course materials than was needed (he says there's nothing that says you can't add more material, just can't delete any of the basic stuff...). For example, during the pool exercises if you set your tank down standing up and stepped away from it to get your BCD, he would reach over and toss it in the deep end of the pool. As you'd go get it he'd say something like, "If you're on a boat dive and you did that your tank would end up in the ocean and the captain would make you go back for it. :O)" Also things like crossing your legs doing a roll off into the water to keep from "slapping" your fellow divers with your fins since otherwise they angle out. During my OW certification we covered everything from dive boat edict, various entry techniques, to a bunch of underwater hand signals not in the book, etc. It's the little things like this that a good instructor points out during your certification that allows you to be better prepared than most.

 

BTW, he has also 10,000 dives and still wears his snorkel and completely fills out his dive logs every time.

 

Randall

[kimala]

Where did you shore dive in the Bahamas?

[docBarb]

Hi,

CocoView is a great place to dive for a new diver. The path from shore is very well marked (2 liter plastic bottles on a string mark the path from a sunken ship which is in the middle of 2 walls - one heads in either direction). It is virtually impossible to get lost. You don't waist very much air getting to the "dive". The boat dives are super. The staff is super too. Also, you can pretty much take any classes you want while you are there to advance your training. Consider stuff like peak control bouyancy, nitrox, etc.

 

I hope you go and enjoy yourself as much as we do when we are there.

Barbara

[kimala]

Thank you Barb, Been praying someone would answer. We are leaving on this little cruise on the 20th Going to Grand Bahama Island (freeport) then Nassau, then their (NCLs) private island. Where is CocoView? Is ther a dive shop there where we can rent tanks? Do you have their web site by any chance?

[docBarb]

Hi,

Their web site is: http://www.cocoviewresort.com

I have not visited the island on a cruise. I have only flown in and stayed at CocoView so I can't answer the other questions - Sorry!!!

E-mail them - they are all so nice - I'm sure they will get back to you with answers.

Barbara

[scubaran]

Where did you shore dive in the Bahamas?

 

Hi,

 

It was Coco Caye, the cruise private island. I don't know about Freeport but Nassau doesn't have any shore diving though Stewart Cove's dive center there does excellent boat dives for cruisers. Also it looks like Cocoview resort is in Roatan, not in the bahamas.

 

Randall