After Checking In

Okay, you’ve checked in and are itching to get in the water. What else can you do to make things go smoothly?

Once you are checked in:

• Have your divers bring only essential equipment to the docks. As you read earlier, it is best to leave non-essential equipment, such as gear bags, in cars or topside staging areas.
• Remind divers to show consideration for others by occupying as little space on the tank racks as possible. Just as on a dive boat.
• With the exception of entering the water, divers should keep equipment items stowed on or under the tank racks, so that others won’t trip on it.

Dive boat etiquette is among the best analogies to follow here. Dive boat captains generally expect their passengers to keep equipment either in the tank racks or underneath the seat in in front of the tank racks. The tank racks at the Grotto provide more than sufficient space for singles or doubles, with fins and deco bottles stowed underneath.

The only time any equipment should be on the deck is when divers put fins and deco bottles on the edge of the deck adjacent to the entry stairs. Doing so enables divers to hold firmly on to the hand rail when entering, then don their fins and deco bottles while standing on the waist-deep platform at the end of the stairs.

You will remember from earlier in this course that equipment left unattended on the deck can cause divers to trip and fall. By keeping gear off the deck (except when entering), divers can reduce or eliminate this risk.

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