Shore diving offers fun and convenience – plus, it’s often inexpensive to simply pack up your vehicle and head out to explore some new dive sites. There are some challenges, to be sure; here, we’ll take a few minutes to talk about some ways you can make issues surrounding your dive a little easier.
Dressing and Undressing
Getting dressed and undressed to dive has some particular challenges other sports enthusiasts don’t normally face. For example, unless you are lucky enough to live right next to your favorite shore dive sites, or unless you are fortunate enough to own a camper, getting dressed and undressed can often pose a challenge. Some things to try:
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If you live nearby, try wearing your wetsuit to the dive site. You won’t want to drive home soaking wet, but you’ll have half the battle taken care of.
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Bring a tarp with you. Stand on it while getting dressed, and you won’t end up with sand in your wetsuit. Before you leave for your dive, setup an empty plastic bin or a cooler to drop your gear into when you return. Put a few gallon jugs of water into the bin to keep it from blowing away, and to use for a quick rinse-off once you get back to your car.
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Guys, you can rely on the “wrap a towel around your waist” trick to get into and out of your wetsuit in public when there’s no privacy for dressing. Ladies, get your dive buddy to hold a sheet or tarp up for you while you get your upper half into your wetsuit. You can also look for a dive coat that has pass-through pockets that allow you to dress and undress while wearing it.
Staying Comfortable
The more comfortable you are, the better you’ll enjoy your dives, and the more enthusiastic you’ll feel about future shore diving trips. Do what you can to stay comfortable. For example, if you’re going to be diving in cold weather, keep a thermos of hot water back at the car, and pour it over your hands and feet to give yourself a quick warm up. You’ll be surprised at what a difference this makes in your comfort level. Additional tips for staying comfortable include:
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Don’t be a “cowboy.” If conditions don’t look good, don’t risk getting into the water. You’ll end up being pounded by waves, losing gear, or worse. At the very least, you’ll probably end up with scrapes and bruises.
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Learn to relax completely in the water, if you haven’t already. A good way to do this is to spend some time snorkeling. Go with a buddy, and work on enjoying the feeling of self-reliance that comes with just enjoying the water.
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Be prepared at all times, properly equip yourself, and ensure your equipment is in excellent condition. Even if you’re just going to a local lake to log a little bottom time between vacations, don’t skip any steps. When you’ve done all you can to ensure you are safe, your comfort level will increase greatly.
Finally, remember to tell someone where you and your dive buddies are going, and remember to bring a non-diving friend along to stay on shore with your car, wallets, and other valuables. Plan your dives carefully, and plan for contingencies and emergencies. Armed with these simple tips, you’ll find the entire experience of shore diving is much more enjoyable.