Whilst diving the
deep flooded slate quarry of Easdale on Seil island, a surprising
variety of different stride entry techniques were
observed.
Although the stride entry is taught in the pool, the details
are sometimes forgotten or become a little hazy since many
British dives enter the water by rolling off the back of an
inflatable
or
hard
boat.
To
remind ourselves how to do this occasionally daunting entry
we:
Stand on the edge of the entry platform.
Make sure that there are no obstructions or other divers
in the jump zone.
With one hand gather your octopus, gauges and other
loose equipment.
With your other hand hold your regulator in place with
your palm, and place your outstretched fingers over your
mask.
Look straight ahead rather than down. This minimises the
danger of your mask coming off.
Step off the platform keeping both feet together and with
fins outstretched to reduce a deep entry.
Give an OK signal if all is well.
As we can see from the photos some of our divers remember
their training well. Others take a more gung ho approach
and some even try to walk over the water before gently slipping
down.
