fishing with divers.

[Big G]

Hi all,
I have no experience with handling divers and have not done it myself. I have been asked by a friend to take him out for a dive on the weekend. My boat has a transom door so access is fine but as the skipper what obligations and rules must I follow. Do I need any special gear on the boat. They have all the diving gear. This is a private boat and these people are friends not paying passangers.
I have private boat insurance with Club Marine.

I would appreciate any advice from any members that know about this.

thanks
Big G.

[Marlin_Mike]

you will need to go to bias boating or any marine shop somewhere and get a dive flag that has to be displayed when divers are down.


Mike

[Kiktz]

Yep Agree with Mike,

Its a burgee (spelling) Flag Blue and white, with the Blue to fly.

and for all the great info you get off us a couple of good marks wouldn't go astray.

Cheers Aj

[nigelr]

If the divers are experienced, they will tell you what they need you to do.
As stated, you will need a 'divers down' bouy and flag set-up, but the divers will probably have this.
If they are drift diving, they will want you to drop them and then pick them up at the end of their drift.
If they are stationary, they will most likely want you to mainly act as an observer.
Are they scuba divers or spearos?
If you get a chance, get down and have a look around, you'll love it!
Oh, must add, what a great boat you have, I'd love to be diving from it!
Cheers.

[Els7]

Yip, all the above info is 100% correct

[bushbeachboy]

Mate with your thread title I thought you might be using them for bait...

[PWCDad]

If there is a bit of current running (or even just a slight current) run a line out the back from the boat (20metres or whatever the divers say is enough).

It really helps with holding yourself at the back of the boat whilst you get ready to pull yourself up ... saves hanging onto boat bits and if the current takes you you grab the rope and pull yourself back to boat.

If a diver loses grip of the boat in current its hard to swim back in full dive gear and you cant exactly start the boat to get them with the anchor down !!

If you want .... and I always did .... run a float at the end of the rope with small dive flag on it .... kept other boats clear if they came around.

Make sure the rope is a floater dont want it sinking.

Regards
PWCDad

[Blue_Escape]

Big G,
I think the floating rope out the back is essential, a ski rope would probably do the job. Get the biggest dive flag you can get....'curious' boats passing at 40 knots are a real hazzard! An ascending diver will likely not see/hear the approching boat. Assume you have a decent (deep) boarding ladder (& handrail) on your transom...getting out of the water with dive gear on can be quite difficult.

Cheers
Blue
p.s. a shotgun / .303 for the sharks is a good idea as well

[Nowhere Bob]

All the above plus boxes for dive gear, you dont want fins masks etc all over the shop.

I think your diver friends will be a bit suss on you getting a burley trail going when they are on the bottom, I've never fished & dived on the same trip [unless you include spearing.] You may like to arrange with the divers to head up current to keep away from your baits / hooks. I don't think it would be a good idea to just drop them off and pick them up later. It's comforting to have a boat as a refuge if a big bitey turns up.

Blue Escape, I don't know about you, but I've always heard boats when diving, after reading a dive medical book that described the damage a prop did to a spearfisherman, It's a sound that always gives me the Heeby Jeebies.
The go on boarding the boat is; hand up weight belt, tank & BCD then fins to a helper on board then climb up the ladder. Mates & I always try to out-tough each other just so we are not the first back into the boat.

From the title I thought you were using really big (& expensive) live baits, like the clowns who troll up & down in Whaler Creek Also known as the Noosa River towing live baits on tubes / wakeboards.

[Big G]

Blue and all others,
thanks for feedback.... I don't have a boarding ladder but I have a rather large duckboard between both engines with good grab rails down both sides... Will this be enough or should I rig something up.

And I don't have a shotgun or 303...I hope you are joking as I was considering having a go myself.

thanks Big G.

[blaze]

when I was diving I had no ladder on the boat and used the fin on the outboard to climb in, sorta all depends on how long the dive is and how buggered the divers are but I reckon the boarding platform will do the job.
cheers
blaze
ps
jump in and have a look if you get the chance, make you a better fisherman and apriate whats under there.

[Big G]

nowhere Bob,
yes I agree I was a bit concerned to have Fishing and diving happening at the same time. That was the intention of the rest of the party but I think I will err on the side of safety and have two seperate sessions.... my burley has on occasions attracted a shark or two......chook pellets, left over pilchards & squid through a blender with a little added tuna oil frozen into suitable blocks works for me.

thanks
Big G.

[wessel]

With divers down there should always be a person left on the boat that can handle the boat in case the current turns and takes you for a ride i.e dont jump into the water and the only person left on the boat is a 5 year old.
While boarding, the engine is off - no discussion
While drifting along with the divers down, the engine is off = no discussion. It is better to drop them off, double check that everybody went down OK and then motor a 100 yards back up current before you start to drift with them. Just check what the wind is doing at the same time...
Once all the divers are on the surface you may start the engine and approach from down current. Set the boat up so that the divers can swim the last couple of meters to you.
Needless to say, at this point the engine is off.

Dive gear is stored in dive bags or milk crates - an experienced diver will come packing with all the right gear and first aid equipment
Dive cylinders are properly secured, a cylinder that falls over and gets it valve knocked off becomes a missile and can take your head off.
Your radio works and you know who to call when things end up southbound on a northbound camel.
The dive plan is left on board before the divers go down. You dont have to understand all their scribblings, but the plan has to be on the surface.
Everybody holds a certificate that dives - or else no diving off this boat. Go find somebody else that likes to play games with their own lives.
No re-compression dives i.e the diver stays down too long, comes up because his air has run out then changes onto a fresh cylinder and goes down again to do his recompression timings.

if you peed in your wetsuit, then rinse in the water first before getting onboard please
No stabbing your buddy at the first sign of toothy telephone poles and swimming away with your buddy acting as a decoy.
Please dont drop the weightbelt - or throw it at somebody that is in the water.

It is all common sense issues really, but there is no second chances with some sports.

Have fun and enjoy

Wessel

[nigelr]

Great reply, Wessel, thanks for that, I learn't heaps.
Cheers.

[Belly66]

If anyone in a boat that I was diving from let a burley trail go they would be in it themselves wearing only a weight belt. I've had the pleasure ( not ) of playing with a shark while diving for crays and can tell ya the color of adrenalin is $hi@ brown.