Posted by Jeff Shaw on December 01, 2004 at 06:24:14:
In Reply to: Do waves affect diving at all? And in which way? posted by kylecawaza on November 30, 2004 at 15:27:04:
Kyle,
I don't remember if you are certified. I know that you snorkel, but I for one would like to invite you to get certified. You will love it. Especially the flora. There are a lot of discussions on the animal life here, but you have shown a lot of interest in plants too. Scuba can only extend your interests.
On waves... The real problem is that they make entry and exit very difficult. On shore diving, beach entries are not so bad for someone who has experience with whitewater. Exits are another whole mater. You are really top heavy, and waves like to whisk your legs out from under you. Plus you are tired and transiting from a weightless feel to a big clumsy tired slug of a human.
Rock entry and exit in a swell can be BRUTAL. Unforgiving sharp hard slippery rocks with random angles make this not for the faint of heart.
Boat diving has always had an easy entry. The other divers on the boat are the big obstacle. But returning to the boat under a big swell can be really scary. The swim step for returning to the boat can go from several feet above your head to several below the surface. You need to time your dash on to the step with good timing and grace. Bad timing and you can get pitched off the step, or thrown against the boat. The worst thing is the opportunity to get hit on the noggin by the step or boat itself.
Then there is surge mentioned in other posts. I have personally been thrown against urchin covered boulders by serge. This hurts a lot for a month as the urchins have a marvelous way of reminding you of their existence.
Any of this should inspire you to dive rather than scare you off.
Remember... "A bad dive is infinitely better than anything on television!"
Jeff