Canoe and kayak diving

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.

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.

Large waves, rough water, and strong winds make canoe diving unfavorable at best and extremely dangerous at worst.

[5] One couple has been Kayak diving in Sabah, North Borneo, Malaysia since 2008 with members of the Piasau Divers club.

Typically, the canoe or kayak is launched from a beach or jetty as close as conveniently possible to the intended scuba diving location.

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.

Shorter, wider boats are more stable and maneuverable, and can be easier to manage in surf, but usually carry less weight.

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.

Sealed hatches can provide storage space for other equipment, or it can be carried in another moulded cargo well in a bag or net.

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.

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.

[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.

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.

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