How to - Scuba Diving from a Dinghy, Skiff, Inflatable 101

Scuba diving off skiff or inflatable dinghy. Safety gear. Diving in current, anchoring and dive site selection. Floating tank line.

[@MegaSling]

I had a small inflatable 8'. I use to dive off it all the time but always did a drift dive and attached the boat line to myself. No worries about where your boat is when you surface.

[@rpcomms1]

Informative video-some extra tips ive found inflatable diving in small dinghies-use a nylon throw out ladder,put 4-6kg weight on last ladder run using large cable ties.I used carabiner clips to attach the ladder to side of inflatable and on opposite side of tube a thick rope put so can grap and ease yourself back up ladders,detach weight belt by again clipping it onto boat.Use a bucket at front of boat for anchor\line.Use waterproof boxes for tools adio in a under the set storage bag that fits on plank seat on most dinghies,vert neat.I have also tied using a second small inflatable side attached for extra storage -tanks etc going to coves.A dive flag on pole fitted to transom on pot either in rad\white slash (USA) or blue\white "A" flag (UK\EU).Spare prop pins in tool box and 6 mini flares handy too.WE carry 2 VHF fully water proof handheld should one member need to be at shore or has to stay at dive site,so can stay in touch.Checking currents easy on anchor line add so material strips,ull see direction if strong current exist .Cove snorkel and scuba diving in pairs lot easier in small craft as sometimes depth can be an issue in larger ribs in rocky coves.I dive with smaller air tanks 3.8litre or 5litre as they are smaller and easier to handle in small inflatables-in shallow water 20-36ft thats fine! Rob in UK

[@dannyjensen4954]

Thanks for your comments. Flare and horns sound like a good Idea. Waterproof cases sound like a good idea buty I don't have much room so I find bags take up less room. The bucket sounds like a good idea for the anchor stuff however it takes up space so I have not wanted to add that since I'm launching from my sailboat with limited room. I have not had much use for a ladder since we put our rigs on in the water and I just toss my belt into the dingy when I'm in the water.

[@haveUSPwilltravel]

Most people dive overweighted as is. Intentionally overweighting is a bad idea and bad advice. Do a proper weight check and dive it. When properly weighted you should be able to hold a stop between 10-20 ft., but also be able to ascend using high lung volume (not holding breath) from 100' with an empty BC and light kicking. In most cases, what is mistaken for being underweighted at the end of a dive, can be easily remedied with proper breathing. You can breath just as well using high or low lung volume. Good info otherwise, and thank you.

[@lincolnworsham1085]

Step 1. turn you phone right way round. beautiful water though...

[@aevans692]

Some really bad advise here .... Dont over weight yourself , if your diving you need to do a proper weight check for your kit ... Dont use a suicide clip on your belt or any of your kit it will catch on something ... dont take your kit off and swim back Dont bail on your kit , when on the surface its your buoyancy aid .. i dive from my boat , and our dinghy , but some bad advise in this video ... :(

[@dannyjensen4954]

Right. Don’t bail you bc in a ripping surface current when you have a 7m wetsuit on and your BC is a sea anchor taking you out to sea and you can’t make it back to the boat with the sea anchor on. I can swim 2x as fast with my 7m wetsuit. Maybe you can enlighten us how you have over come a life or death can’t make it back to boat ripping surface current. It’s my last choice but I needed to do it my bc is a sea anchor and my 7m is a buoy. Ripping currents happen when you don’t expect them. Staying with your anchored boat is survival job 1. Compromise is necessary when you are by yourself. Dive a dive boat with a dive master if you want your perfect world where compromise is not necessary to survive.

[@dannyjensen4954]

Right. Don’t bail you bc in a ripping surface current when you have a 7m wetsuit on and your BC is a sea anchor taking you out to sea and you can’t make it back to the boat with the sea anchor on. I can swim 2x as fast with my 7m wetsuit. Maybe you can enlighten us how you have over come a life or death can’t make it back to boat ripping surface current. It’s my last choice but I needed to do it my bc is a sea anchor and my 7m is a buoy. Ripping currents happen when you don’t expect them. Staying with your anchored boat is survival job 1. Compromise is necessary when you are by yourself. Dive a dive boat with a dive master if you want your perfect world where compromise is not necessary to survive.

[@dannyjensen4954]

Oh yea. Try crawling back to the boat in a ripping current in shallow water when your buddy is accidentally too light at the end of the dive. I can hand him a few pounds and we are good. Again .. a perfect world would be so much safer? But we are by ourselves trying to survive and we need to make it back to the boat or we may die. I’ll take the risk with a few extra lbs but it’s not in your diver 101 book.

[@aevans692]

@@dannyjensen4954 Your still wrong , firstly id be diving at slack tide to avoid such a rushing current , if or when I need to make a swim back and have had to surface , it is easier to do this on your back , let your fins do the work .. if your bcd is such a sea anchor maybe you should consider changing to a wing and bk plate ...

[@aevans692]

@@dannyjensen4954 And ... if your buddy is too light at the end of his dive , he hasn't spent enough time working out his weighting , and shouldn't be making difficult dives until he has his $h1T in order ... I dive a balanced rig , we regularly dive to around 130 feet give or take .. and we aim to have a balanced rig so Im able to swim all my kit up from that depth even when my suit is compressed and lost buoyancy , if I was over weighted at these depths it would make things that much harder to swim up , with my weighting I can hold a good safety stop at 5 meters with 50 bar left .. I understand it way too easy to just over weight yourself , most school do this , but its not the best way , next time out have a look at your weighting at the end of your dive with a empty tank .. ..