Canoe and kayak diving

Last updated
Diver climbing back onto a kayak Kayakdive2.jpg
Diver climbing back onto a kayak
Canoe divers preparing for a drift dive. Canoe Diving 2.jpg
Canoe divers preparing for a drift dive.

Canoe diving and Kayak diving are recreational diving where the divers paddle to a diving site in a canoe or kayak carrying all their gear in or on the boat to the place they want to dive. Canoe or kayak diving gives the diver independence from dive boat operators, while allowing dives at sites which are too far to comfortably swim, but are sufficiently sheltered.

Contents

The range can be up to several kilometres along the coastline from the launching point to a place where access would be difficult from the shore, although the sea is sheltered. It is a considerably cheaper alternative to using a powered boat, as well as combining the experience of sea kayaking or canoeing with scuba diving.

Other advantages of canoe and kayak diving include: [1]

Canoe diving

Though similar to kayak diving in which divers use a sit-on-top kayak instead of a canoe, canoe diving allows divers to traverse greater distances at considerably faster speeds.[ citation needed ] Canoes can hold substantially more weight than a kayak, and they have more room for gear. They also offer paddlers a better view of the area around them.[ clarification needed ][ citation needed ]

Due to various economic constraints,[ citation needed ][ clarification needed ] canoe diving has recently gained popularity along the Gold Coast of Florida where many dive sites are less than three kilometers from shore. It is appealing to many individuals because it is relatively inexpensive and adventurous. Traditionally, a charter service is used to access offshore dive sites which can be very costly. While some may enjoy the luxury and safety of a hired charter boat, captain, and crew, others seek the challenge and thrill of navigating a canoe loaded with cumbersome scuba equipment on the open ocean.[ citation needed ]

Canoe diving is best suited for calm seas and fair weather. Large waves, rough water, and strong winds make canoe diving unfavorable at best and extremely dangerous at worst.[ citation needed ]

Two canoe divers preparing their scuba equipment and safety devices on a beach. Canoe Diving 1.jpg
Two canoe divers preparing their scuba equipment and safety devices on a beach.

Kayak diving history

Kayak diving has been done in southern California since at least the mid-1990s. [2] [3] More recently it is known from other countries, such as New Zealand, [4] and to a very limited extent the United Kingdom,. [5] One couple has been Kayak diving in Sabah, North Borneo, Malaysia since 2008 with members of the Piasau Divers club. Several dives have been made in and around the islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park. It was found that a dive-yak[ clarification needed ] was perfect for diving and snorkelling. Especially since as an inflatable it could be deflated, carried out to the further islands on a powerboat and then inflated and the divers left to dive and paddle their way back home.

Technique

Typically, the canoe or kayak is launched from a beach or jetty as close as conveniently possible to the intended scuba diving location. Scuba equipment is assembled ready for diving before it is loaded. The divers then carefully board the canoe or kayak, and paddle to the dive site. Navigation to the dive site may be facilitated by use of a hand-held global positioning system (GPS), or more traditional coastal navigation methods.

On reaching a dive site the lead boat drops an anchor, and the others tie on to the back or use separate anchors. The divers inflate their buoyancy compensators attached to their diving cylinders and put them into the water to float while remaining tethered to the boat. Then they put on their masks, fins, and weight belts, slide overboard,[ clarification needed ] and put on their scuba sets while floating. Once the divers are ready, they descend and proceed with the dive. The boat may be tethered to the divers via their surface marker buoy system if they are drift diving, or it may be anchored or fastened to a mooring buoy if one is available at the dive site.

In places where the visibility is less than excellent it is necessary to use a guideline to find the way back to the anchor, because usually there is no boat handler on the surface to pick up the divers if they surface away from the boats.

After the dive, the divers must board the canoe or kayak without capsizing it.[ clarification needed ] Small items of equipment will usually be placed into the canoe while the diver is still in the water, but the scuba set will either be passed up to a person already on board, or loaded after the diver is back on board.

Getting into a kayak is the reverse of getting off. It is relatively easy to climb onto them from the side as the freeboard is low, but they are not very stable and are easy to capsize. The diver's weights are usually removed first and secured on the boat. Other loose equipment may be loaded at this stage. The scuba set is removed and clipped to a tether. Sufficient air to float the set must be in the buoyancy compensator. The fins are kept on the feet as they are used to boost the diver onto the kayak. Boarding is usually done by holding onto the kayak and using the fins to get roughly horizontal at right angles to the boat, then boosting over the kayak so that the hips are over the cockpit, face down, then rolling face up and sitting before swinging the legs onto the boat. [1]

The scuba set can then be carefully hoisted out of the water and stowed.[ clarification needed ] Most divers will probably have to adjust their position for this maneuver.[ clarification needed ]

Equipment

Kayaks

Kayaks suitable for diving are available in a range of styles. Single seaters and tandems. Long, narrow boats track better, are faster and less effort to paddle, but can be clumsy in surf. Shorter, wider boats are more stable and maneuverable, and can be easier to manage in surf, but usually carry less weight. [1]

Sit-on-top kayaks are usually chosen for diving. Inflatable or rigid, they are generally relatively wide, and therefore provide greater stability, which is important when loading or unloading dive gear, and for boarding from the water. A moulded cargo well behind the cockpit is suitable for carrying the scuba set. This is provided with straps to secure the gear. Sealed hatches can provide storage space for other equipment, or it can be carried in another moulded cargo well in a bag or net. Some hatches are large enough to store an extra cylinder. [1] A paddle is required, and is usually tethered to the boat so it can't be lost. Optional backrests can make paddling more comfortable.

Until the late 2000s a purpose built inflatable dive kayak was built by "Sevylor". This came in two models - a single and double. The single was 0.8m in width and the double wider and more stable at 1m. The Diveyak was an excellent boat[ citation needed ] and could easily carry two divers and gear in an extremely stable platform that was simple to dive from and very rugged.

Today[ when? ] many fishing kayaks are available that have the stability and buoyancy to act as diving kayaks. An example is "Finn", a small manufacturer in Perth, Australia. "Feelfree" and other brands also make suitable kayaks.[ citation needed ]

Canoes

Safety

Most canoe and kayak diving is close to the shore at distances that would be easy to shore-dive had there been reasonable shore access.

It is an important legal requirement to fly a 'diver down flag' while diving to indicate that it is not an abandoned vessel and that there are divers underwater. In the UK, with its low water temperatures, strong tidal currents and changeable weather, an empty boat at sea is likely to be reported to HM Coastguard by experienced and responsible seafarers as a sign of a possible life-threatening emergency. [6] As it is the Coastguard's duty to investigate such reports, they may order a search of the area by an RNLI lifeboat or Coastguard helicopter. [7] [8] Similar laws may apply in other countries. To reach the minimum acceptable level of safety when boat diving, a capable person should be left on the surface at the dive site while divers are underwater, to start a rescue and operate a marine VHF radio to raise the alarm in the event of a diving accident whenever there is no easily accessible shore exit. [9] [10]

Safety equipment

Safety equipment required depends on the jurisdiction.

A VHF radio or cell phone may be carried to call for help in case of an emergency, a hand-held sonar "fishfinder" can be used to show the bottom contour of the site and a hand held GPS may be used to navigate to and from the site. [1]

An anchor may be used to moor the boat during the dive, or if conditions allow, it may be towed as a large surface marker buoy.

Safety equipment may be required by legislation. This may include lifejacket or personal buoyancy aid, dive flag, flares, water bottle, mirror, whistle, an EPIRB or PLB locator beacon or hand held VHF radio..

A light outrigger can make the canoe or kayak much more stable. This is an advantage when boarding from the water and when pulling tanks back on board.

Florida, USA

The following is a summary of regulations found in Chapters 327 and 328 of Florida Statutes which pertain to diving from small boats. [11]

  1. The size of divers-down flags displayed on vessels must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches, and a stiffener is required to keep the flag unfurled. Dive flags carried on floats must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches. Also, divers-down flags on vessels must be displayed above the vessel's highest point so that the flag's visibility is not obstructed in any direction.
  2. Divers must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of a divers-down flag on open waters (all waterways other than rivers, inlets, or navigation channels) and within 100 feet of a flag within rivers, inlets, or navigation channels.
  3. When all divers are out of the water, a dive flag may not be displayed.
  4. The owner and/or operator of a vessel is responsible to carry, store, maintain and use the safety equipment required by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).
  5. All vessels are required to have on board a wearable USCG-approved personal flotation device (PFD) for each person. The PFDs must be of the appropriate size for the intended wearer, be in serviceable condition, and within easy access.
  6. All vessels are required to carry an efficient sound-producing device, such as a referee's whistle.
  7. Vessels less than 16 feet in length are required to carry at least 3 visual distress signals approved for nighttime use when on coastal waters from sunset to sunrise. Vessels 16 feet or longer must carry at least 3 daytime and three nighttime visual distress signals (or 3 combination daytime/nighttime signals) at all times when on coastal waters.
  8. The use of sirens or flashing, occulting or revolving lights is prohibited except where expressly allowed by law.
  9. Recreational vessels are required to display navigation lights between sunset and sunrise and during periods of reduced visibility (fog, rain, haze, etc.). The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules specify lighting requirements for every description of watercraft.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scuba set</span> Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus

A scuba set, originally just scuba, is any breathing apparatus that is entirely carried by an underwater diver and provides the diver with breathing gas at the ambient pressure. Scuba is an anacronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. Although strictly speaking the scuba set is only the diving equipment that is required for providing breathing gas to the diver, general usage includes the harness or rigging by which it is carried, and those accessories which are integral parts of the harness and breathing apparatus assembly, such as a jacket or wing style buoyancy compensator and instruments mounted in a combined housing with the pressure gauge, and in the looser sense, it has been used to refer to all the diving equipment used by the scuba diver, though this would more commonly and accurately be termed scuba equipment or scuba gear. Scuba is overwhelmingly the most common underwater breathing system used by recreational divers and is also used in professional diving when it provides advantages, usually of mobility and range, over surface-supplied diving systems, and is allowed by the relevant legislation and code of practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayaking</span> Use of a kayak on water

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits facing forward, legs in front, using a double-bladed paddle to pull front-to-back on one side and then the other in rotation. Most kayaks have closed decks, although sit-on-top and inflatable kayaks are growing in popularity as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice diving</span> Underwater diving under ice

Ice diving is a type of penetration diving where the dive takes place under ice. Because diving under ice places the diver in an overhead environment typically with only a single entry/exit point, it requires special procedures and equipment. Ice diving is done for purposes of recreation, scientific research, public safety and other professional or commercial reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface marker buoy</span> Buoy towed by a scuba diver to indicate the divers position

A surface marker buoy, SMB, dive float or simply a blob is a buoy used by scuba divers, at the end of a line from the diver, intended to indicate the diver's position to people at the surface while the diver is underwater. Two kinds are used; one (SMB) is towed for the whole dive, and indicates the position of the dive group throughout the dive, and the other, a delayed surface marker buoy, DSMB or decompression buoy, is deployed towards the end of the dive as a signal to the surface that the divers have started to ascend, and where they are going to surface. Both types can also function as a depth reference for controlling speed of ascent and accurately maintaining depth at decompression stops. Surface marker buoys are also used by freedivers in open water, to indicate the approximate position of the diver when submerged. They may also be used to support a catch bag or fish stringer by underwater hunters and collectors. A DSMB is considered by recreational scuba divers and service providers to be a highly important item of safety equipment, yet its use is not part of the entry level recreational diver training for all training agencies, and there are significant hazards associated with incompetent use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diving weighting system</span> Ballast carried by underwater divers and diving equipment to counteract excess buoyancy

A diving weighting system is ballast weight added to a diver or diving equipment to counteract excess buoyancy. They may be used by divers or on equipment such as diving bells, submersibles or camera housings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreational diving</span> Diving for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment, usually when using scuba equipment

Recreational diving or sport diving is diving for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment, usually when using scuba equipment. The term "recreational diving" may also be used in contradistinction to "technical diving", a more demanding aspect of recreational diving which requires more training and experience to develop the competence to reliably manage more complex equipment in the more hazardous conditions associated with the disciplines. Breath-hold diving for recreation also fits into the broader scope of the term, but this article covers the commonly used meaning of scuba diving for recreational purposes, where the diver is not constrained from making a direct near-vertical ascent to the surface at any point during the dive, and risk is considered low.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy check</span> Pre-dive safety checks carried out by two-diver dive teams

The buddy check is a procedure carried out by scuba divers using the buddy system where each diver checks that the other's diving equipment is configured and functioning correctly just before the start of the dive. A study of pre-dive equipment checks done by individual divers showed that divers often fail to recognize common equipment faults. By checking each other's equipment as well as their own, it is thought to be more likely that these faults will be identified prior to the start of the dive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scuba diving</span> Swimming underwater, breathing gas carried by the diver

Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Christian J. Lambertsen in a patent submitted in 1952. Scuba divers carry their own source of breathing gas, usually compressed air, affording them greater independence and movement than surface-supplied divers, and more time underwater than free divers. Although the use of compressed air is common, a gas blend with a higher oxygen content, known as enriched air or nitrox, has become popular due to the reduced nitrogen intake during long or repetitive dives. Also, breathing gas diluted with helium may be used to reduce the likelihood and effects of nitrogen narcosis during deeper dives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dive boat</span> Boat used for the support of scuba diving operations

A dive boat is a boat that recreational divers or professional scuba divers use to reach a dive site which they could not conveniently reach by swimming from the shore. Dive boats may be propelled by wind or muscle power, but are usually powered by internal combustion engines. Some features, like convenient access from the water, are common to all dive boats, while others depend on the specific application or region where they are used. The vessel may be extensively modified to make it fit for purpose, or may be used without much adaptation if it is already usable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diver rescue</span> Rescue of a distressed or incapacitated diver

Diver rescue, following an accident, is the process of avoiding or limiting further exposure to diving hazards and bringing a diver to a place of safety. A safe place is often a place where the diver cannot drown, such as a boat or dry land, where first aid can be administered and from which professional medical treatment can be sought. In the context of surface supplied diving, the place of safety for a diver with a decompression obligation is often the diving bell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidemount diving</span> Diving using equipment configuration where scuba sets are clipped to the divers sides

Sidemount is a scuba diving equipment configuration which has scuba sets mounted alongside the diver, below the shoulders and along the hips, instead of on the back of the diver. It originated as a configuration for advanced cave diving, as it facilitates penetration of tight sections of cave, allows easy access to cylinder valves, provides easy and reliable gas redundancy, and tanks can be easily removed when necessary. These benefits for operating in confined spaces were also recognized by divers who conducted technical wreck diving penetrations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Open Water Diver</span> Recreational scuba diving certification slightly above minimum entry level

Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD) is a recreational scuba diving certification level provided by several diver training agencies. Agencies offering this level of training under this title include Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and Scuba Schools International (SSI). Other agencies offer similar training under different titles. Advanced Open Water Diver is one step up from entry level certification as a beginner autonomous scuba diver. A major difference between Autonomous diver equivalent Open Water Diver (OWD) certification and AOWD is that the depth limit is increased from 18 to 30 metres.

CMAS one-star scuba diver is the entry-level diving certification for recreational scuba diving issued by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwater search and recovery</span> Locating and recovering underwater objects

Underwater search and recovery is the process of locating and recovering underwater objects, often by divers, but also by the use of submersibles, remotely operated vehicles and electronic equipment on surface vessels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diving equipment</span> Equipment used to facilitate underwater diving

Diving equipment is equipment used by underwater divers to make diving activities possible, easier, safer and/or more comfortable. This may be equipment primarily intended for this purpose, or equipment intended for other purposes which is found to be suitable for diving use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scuba skills</span> The skills required to dive safely using SCUBA, a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

Scuba skills are skills required to dive safely using SCUBA, an acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, known as a scuba set. Most of these skills are relevant to both open-circuit scuba and rebreather scuba, and also to surface-supplied diving. Certain scuba skills, which are critical to divers' safety, may require more practice than standard recreational training provides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of underwater diving</span> Hierarchical outline list of articles related to underwater diving

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to underwater diving:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of underwater diving</span> Alphabetical listing of underwater diving related articles

The following index is provided as an overview of and topical guide to underwater diving:

Diving support equipment is the equipment used to facilitate a diving operation. It is either not taken into the water during the dive, such as the gas panel and compressor, or is not integral to the actual diving, being there to make the dive easier or safer, such as a surface decompression chamber. Some equipment, like a diving stage, is not easily categorised as diving or support equipment, and may be considered as either.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human factors in diving equipment design</span> Influence of the interaction between the user and the equipment on design

Human factors in diving equipment design concern how the needs of the diver should influence the design of diving equipment. The underwater diver relies on various items of diving and support equipment to stay alive and to perform planned tasks during a dive.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Francis, John (August 2003). "Kayak diving". How to Scuba Dive. Scuba Diving magazine. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  2. ↑ John Liddiard (June 2000). "Paddling in Catalina". Diver Magazine. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2009-08-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ↑ Jim Spears. "Kayak diving introduction" . Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  4. ↑ Matt Aukett (June 2005). "Kayak Diving". Dive New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  5. ↑ Julian Todd (January 2010). "Kayak Diving in Britain and Ireland". Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
  6. ↑ National Diving Committee (Dec 2007). "British Sub Aqua Club, Incident Reports 2007, Incident 07/281" (pdf). British Sub Aqua Club. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  7. ↑ "Sea search sparked by empty boat". The News (Portsmouth, England). 26 February 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  8. ↑ National Diving Committee (Dec 2005). "British Sub Aqua Club, Incident Reports 2005, Incidents 05/399 and 05/446" (pdf). British Sub Aqua Club. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  9. ↑ National Diving Committee (Jan 2009). "British Sub Aqua Club, The Diver's Code of Conduct" (pdf). British Sub Aqua Club. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
  10. ↑ Safety and Rescue for Divers. British Sub-Aqua Club. 1993. ISBN   0-09-171520-2.
  11. ↑ Staff. "Boating Regulations". MyFWC.com. Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.