[BaliVillast]

Some of the most common terms in sailing refer to the basic directions you'll need to know while on the boat itself, as well as some terms referring to the boat's position (or location) while in the water. If you aren't a sailor but rather a passenger, mariners can seem to speak a foreign language at times. Still, knowing some common nautical terms will help make your experience more enjoyable. And if you're a beginning sailor, using these terms accurately is imperative for operating your boat as well as for communicating with your passengers and fellow sailors.

[paperfree]

Going topside is moving from a lower deck to an upper deck of the boat while going below is moving from an upper deck to a lower deck. [links]

[lilomar]

The front end of a boat is called the bow. When you move toward the bow on the boat, you are going forward. The rear of a boat is called the stern. When you move toward the stern on the boat, you are going aft.

[dhaniellemar63]

The story of OPEN WATER was taken from the real life events of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. Tom and Eileen had just recently returned from two years with the Peace Corps on a small South Pacific Island when they had decided to join a scuba-diving tour off the Great Barrier Reef of Australia on January 25, 1998. When the rest of the divers had returned to the boat, neither they or any of the crew had noticed that Tom and Eileen were not aboard. It wasn’t until two days later, when their belongings were found on the ship, that the crew realized they had left behind the young couple. Although their bodies were never found, they did find their diver’s slate, a board used to communicate underwater. On it was written, “We have been abandoned on Agincourt Reef by MV Outer Edge 25 Jan 98 3pm. Please help rescue us before we die. Help. ” more

[valam]

Unfortunately, being left behind on a scuba diving expedition is not all that uncommon of a thing. In 2008, DATELINE interviewed Richard Neely and Ally Dalton, two divers left stranded for nearly a day before being rescued off the Australian coast. The couple tied themselves to each other as they drifted nine miles from their original dive sight. The couple failed to signal both the dive boat and several of the helicopters sent to locate them. Eventually, they were found and rescued 19 hours after they were lost. here

[woola20]

In 2003, Lions Gate released a low budget Indie flick called OPEN WATER. Shot for just $500,000, the film went on to gross $55 million worldwide. Daniel and Susan are a young couple who head to the Bahamas for a scuba-diving vacation. Chartering a boat with several other divers, the couple decides to swim away from the group to explore on their own. When the rest of the group resurfaces, no one notices that Daniel and Susan had not yet returned to the boat. The couple eventually surfaces to find that the boat has already left without them. Stranded, they succumb to days of barracuda bites, shark attacks, and jelly fish stings finally both perishing at sea floating in the open ocean.

[chaord]

Many theories surfaced regarding Tom and Eilieen’s disappearance. Some people believed they were never on the boat and were just running an insurance scam. However, that theory was abandoned when no one came forward to cash in their insurance policies. There was also a theory that it was all part of a murder-suicide plot. Investigators pointed to Tom’s diary which contained some very cryptic, possibly suicidal entries. This too was later abandoned. In the end, the fishing boat captain was put on trial for their deaths, but ultimately found not guilty.

[sethsethseth]

Though the boat was obviously not designed for diving, she still had sufficient storage for our dive gear inside as well as space in the deck lockers for our tanks. I also installed a pair of two-tank holding racks, available from most local dive shops, on the stern rails, which keep four tanks secure and close at hand for when we were ready to go exploring. Being a center-cockpit design, Wildest Dream also had a great aft deck area where we could suit up before going into the water or load the dinghy before venturing farther afield. She also had a swim platform close to the water, a large swim ladder and a great shower for rinsing off the saltwater from both our gear and ourselves. [links]

[concetxos01]

In fact, she opened up a whole new world of diving for us. Thanks to her size and robust construction, we found we could both get aboard and still load her up with four tanks, our buoyancy compensators (BCs—the “backpacks” on which the tanks are mounted), weights, fins, masks, skins, towels, lunch, water and an anchor, and still travel at a decent enough speed to go to the dive sites. (Don’t forget that you must also have a dive flag and some way to display it!) We could travel comfortably up to 10 miles away, or just explore until we found what we thought might be a good location. We also discovered that a good “look-ie” bucket (a bucket with a clear bottom on it) also helped us scope out prospective dive sites before getting into the water.

[Pascual99]

Of course, one way to do away with these logistical problems when cruising or chartering in areas that are popular with divers is to simply contact a dive operator and make arrangements for them to pick you up at your boat and take you with a group to a dive site. We have even found such services available in less frequented areas. However, over the years, Gail and I have also had a lot of success going scuba diving on our own. In fact, we have made scuba diving a part of all our charter trips (except for Greece, where the rules for diving are restrictive); and over time we have learned to work our way around and through all of these difficulties by bringing our own fins, masks, and regulators, and then reserving some tanks ahead of time with local dive shops. more

[didiertomas2385]

My wife, Gail, and I began sailing in 1985 as charterers in the British Virgin Islands. We had been to Puerto Rico the year before, where we had a chance to see how beautiful the Caribbean waters are. So before our first charter, we got our dive certifications, rented scuba tanks and took our first open-water dive by ourselves on the wreck of the Rhone off Salt Island, one of the top-rated dives in the world. here

[jeffreyralph]

Florida has world class diving. That’s just a fact. We listed some of our favorite spots here but there are so many more. From South Florida to Key West to central Florida and beyond. The best dive sites are spread across the state. We tried to offer a nice, diverse range here. If you have some other favorites, let us and the other divers know in the comments.

[6174Kauri]

Miami offers numerous artificial reefs for diving. There are also over 75 wrecks here, so you won’t be at a loss for things to see and do. For a fast-paced and fun dive, try the Wreck Trek. Just one tank will let you cover over a half dozen wrecks. Plus, you can always go back for more.

[rodrick3nie]

Located in John Pennekamp State Park, the Christ statue was lowered back in 1965. It’s been a popular tourist spot ever since for divers looking for a great photo opportunity. The Key Largo statue is actually the third statue cast from the same mold. The first is off the coast of Italy. The second one can be found in Grenada. The statues are meant to commemorate those who have lost their lives at sea. But they also welcome those who enjoy diving and want to experience the world under the sea.

[hewhocutsdown]

Sponges and coral have claimed the body of the towers. That has lead to the creation of an incredible artificial reef. But the abundance of marine life throughout is amazing. Turtles, barracuda, tuna and the occasional bull shark can be found all over this dive site. Depths range from 60 feet to 130 feet.

[marktaylor142]

Looe Key reef is another of the great dive destinations in Florida. The reef is named for a British Man O’ War that ran aground all the way back in 1744. The reef is part of a 5.5 square mile marine sanctuary. The reef itself is a U-shape and clocks in at around 200 yards in length and 800 yards in width.

[DJFC]

We already mentioned the USS Oriskany but Pensacola has so much more. The military influence here extends well beyond the city itself and under the waves. There are too many incredible wrecks off the coast. You have to give it a try at least once to appreciate the diversity of it all. here