Diving safely from your boat.

[2divers]

Ok I am makeing several assumptions here.

First, my wife would really preffer to dive with me as opposed to just listen to stories of what I claimed to have seem.

Second, I am diving off my boat or dingy which assumed to be anchored.

I'm really looking for a couple of ideas on how to stay safer.

Just a couple of thoughts. And I realized that this is probably going to sound far more paranoid than I actually am. I'm just trying to think ahead and do some planning.

If I'm diving with my wife, I'm not real keen on the idea of having to swim back to the boat against the current. ( done that once, was very unhappy on both our parts.) Solution here is to either dive with the dingy as a float and tow (drift dive) or just watch the current and pay attention to the conditions (most likely). Thoughts on how to keep both people safe and happy when there is no one left to come get you or report you over due.

Diving alone (Hi Kai), does your wife on board keep a good eye out for you and your time of return or just knock back the beers and ponder your life insurance policy one more time?

Do you keep a set 'what to do if' items? Does your partner just drop you off, follow you on your drift dive, pick you up and bring you back?

Prudence would dictate that you take a good read on the water condition always and abort the dive before it anything becomes and issue or if conditions aren't condusive to diving. That being said, my personal realm of being comortable with conditions in probably a lot more broad than most peoples in many respects.

any existing diving procedures?

[CaptainK]

2divers.

If you do go out on the dinghy, or small boat. Don't forget your "Diver Down" flag!!

I never dived before. But, one thing I do know is that you need that flag out. So that other boaters know you're somewhere under them?

[Jentine]

to always assume that you are diving ALONE. Eventhough you have a buddy, he may be out of reach or occupied with something other than you. As long as you assume to be alone, you will limit the stupid things that so many divers do such as not keeping a close eye on their air, depth and time. When there is no one to assist ----- when you are it --------- you tend to be more careful.
I always dive alone whether alone or with a buddy.

Jentine, well put.
2divers, I have primarily done work dives with my wife on the boat. My solo dives with other people on the boat have been mainly with other divers on the boat, so there was never any formal plan in place. I always follow the rode down and go up current from there if I am dealing with a strong current, but that is very rarely an issue here. I always keep the rode in site (at least that is what I tell my wife). When diving from the boat, I always use the inflatable as a dive platform. It is the easiest to get in and out of the water.