One Is None, Two Is One
I first heard the phrase “one is none, two is one” as a private in the United States Marine Corp going through basic infantry training school. It’s a theme well suited for almost any situation in life, very much including scuba diving and boating. Which brings me to the topic of scuba diving off your own or your buddies boat, not a professional charter. Reality is more time than not, you will be unable to find a person to sit on your boat while you’re in the water diving. A two tank dive off of Clearwater, Florida in the Gulf of America is an all-day event. You have to travel at a minimum of 10 miles offshore to be in 40 feet of water. Let’s say you have found someone to tend the boat while you are underwater, is that person a capable captain? I get it, anyone is better than no one. But for the purpose of this writing, we will assume your boat will be empty while you and your partner are in the water diving.
So, let’s look at some ways we can mitigate exposure or risk. Basically, the theme is at every connection point you have redundancy. You will need 200 feet of a high-quality anchor line with a stainless-steel thimble suitable for your boat. It’s a lot of rope but you will need it to achieve the proper anchor line scope. A 25lbs grappling hook anchor made of iron and steel with aggressive flukes that will not bend with 5 feet of heavy-duty chain. Since you will be diving “structure” you will need to anchor in structure. A Danforth anchor, although great for sand, is nearly worthless in this scenario. And lastly you will need several heavy-duty stainless steel “screw” type shackles, along with several heavy-duty locking carabiners.
One is none, two is one. We will connect the grappling hook anchor to the chain with 2 heavy-duty stainless steel “screw” type shackles. Then you connect the anchor line to the chain by using 2 heavy-duty locking carabiners. The carabiners go through the thimble of the anchor line and through a link in the chain. Your anchor line is now ready to deploy.
With your boat positioned over your intended structure (dive site), lower the anchor to the seafloor and tug the anchor line until it “sets” into the structure. Once you feel the anchor “set” feed out enough line for a proper scope for your sea conditions. Now tie off the anchor line to the bow port cleat and then keeping tension on the line, tie it off again to the bow starboard cleat. As you are suiting up make sure the boat is not slipping and that you are being firmly held. Enter the water and descend down the anchor line. When you reach the anchor carefully inspect its placement within the structure and adjust if necessary, making sure of its steadfastness. Now all connection points from the anchor to the boat are redundant. You are now in good shape. However, should visibility be on the low side and you want a little more peace of mind, there is one more connection you can make. You can carry a reel with 200 feet of line in it. The same type of reel and line that the cavers use. Tie off the line to the top of the anchor chain. Even if the anchor slips a little, you will slip with it. You can now swim in a 360-degree, 200-foot radius with the knowledge at the end of the line will be an anchor and a boat.
One must be aware you are in nature and your playground is the ocean, it will never, ever be risk-free. However, barring a catastrophic event, this procedure will work as long as your equipment is in good working order, and you achieve redundancy.
We will discuss the process of retrieving the anchor in our next essay
Scuba certification Dunedin Florida
Learn to dive Tampa Bay
Open water scuba course Dunedin
PADI dive instructor Tampa Bay
Beginner scuba diving Florida Gulf Coast
I first heard the phrase “one is none, two is one” as a private in the United States Marine Corp going through basic infantry training school. It’s a theme well suited for almost any situation in life, very much including scuba diving and boating. Which brings me to the topic of scuba diving off your own or your buddies boat, not a professional charter. Reality is more time than not you will be unable to find a person to sit on your boat while you’re in the water diving. A two tank dive off of Clearwater, Florida in the Gulf of America is an all-day event. You have to travel at a minimum of 10 miles offshore to be in 40 feet of water. Let’s say you have found someone to tend the boat while you are underwater, is that person a capable captain? I get it, anyone is better than no one. But for the purpose of this writing, we will assume your boat will be empty while you and your partner are in the water diving.
So, let’s look at some ways we can mitigate exposure or risk. Basically, the theme is at every connection point you have redundancy. You will need 200 feet of a high-quality anchor line with a stainless-steel thimble suitable for your boat. It’s a lot of rope but you will need it to achieve the proper anchor line scope. A 25lbs grappling hook anchor made of iron and steel with aggressive flukes that will not bend with 5 feet of heavy-duty chain. Since you will be diving “structure” you will need to anchor in structure. A Danforth anchor, although great for sand, is nearly worthless in this scenario. And lastly you will need several heavy-duty stainless steel “screw” type shackles, along with several heavy-duty locking carabiners.
One is none, two is one. We will connect the grappling hook anchor to the chain with 2 heavy-duty stainless steel “screw” type shackles. Then you connect the anchor line to the chain by using 2 heavy-duty locking carabiners. The carabiners go through the thimble of the anchor line and through a link in the chain. Your anchor line is now ready to deploy.
With your boat positioned over your intended structure (dive site), lower the anchor to the seafloor and tug the anchor line until it “sets” into the structure. Once you feel the anchor “set” feed out enough line for a proper scope for your sea conditions. Now tie off the anchor line to the bow port cleat and then keeping tension on the line, tie it off again to the bow starboard cleat. As you are suiting up make sure the boat is not slipping and that you are being firmly held. Enter the water and descend down the anchor line. When you reach the anchor carefully inspect its placement within the structure and adjust if necessary, making sure of its steadfastness. Now all connection points from the anchor to the boat are redundant. You are now in good shape. However, should visibility be on the low side and you want a little more piece of mind, there is one more connection you can make. You can carry a reel with 200 feet of line in it. The same type of reel and line that the cavers use. Tie off the line to the top of the anchor chain. Even if the anchor slips a little, you will slip with it. You can now swim in a 360-degree, 200-foot radius with the knowledge at the end of the line will be an anchor and a boat.
One must be aware you are in nature and your playground is the ocean, it will never, ever be risk-free. However, barring a catastrophic event, this procedure will work as long as your equipment is in good working order, and you achieve redundancy.
We will discuss the process of retrieving the anchor in our next essay
Start your Scuba Certification Journey today in Dunedin, Florida
Learn to dive Tampa Bay
Open water scuba course Clearwater, Florida
NAUI dive instructor Dunedin, Florida
Shark Conservation
Back in 1983, when I was a 22-year-old open water student, I heard a fellow student ask the instructor with dread “will I see sharks?” To which the instructor replied, “you can dive your entire lifetime and never see a shark.” He further asserted, much to the comfort of the student, “in 15 years of diving, I have never seen a shark underwater.” Well, I am very happy to report that the United States and most Caribbean Islands have made great strides in marine ecology, and we are now reaping the benefits of efforts started in the 1990’s. There will always be more work, research and education needed to continue the progress, but it would be foolish not to acknowledge the gains made. Based on my experience, should you dive 10 times in the oceans of the United States and the Caribbean, you will encounter sharks 8 out of the 10. Now the query is “How do you know if you are diving with sharks?” Answer, if the water tastes salty, you are diving with sharks.
Because of this success, we now have a debate whether feeding sharks for the purpose of observation and eco-tourism is good or bad? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Regulations for Feeding Fish, Shark or other Marine Species reads: “Feeding fish, sharks or other marine species while diving or snorkeling is prohibited. It is also prohibited to operate a boat that is hired to carry passengers to any area within state waters to engage in fish feeding while divers are in the water. In these circumstances, fish feeding means the introduction of any food or other substances into the water by a diver or snorkeler for the purpose of feeding or attracting marine species.”
However, it is perfectly lawful and acceptable to introduce food or other substances into the water by a fisherman for the purpose of attracting marine species so they can…kill them. One of the arguments made against shark feeding is that it will change shark natural habits and associate man with food. One thing I think we can all agree on is killing a shark will all ways change its behavior. Sharks have been swimming in the oceans for 400 million years and have survived multiple extinction events. As such they are always adapting, so I highly doubt the premise has any credibility. But let’s look to our neighbors to the east for some stats. The Bahamas banned long line shark fishing in 1993 and commercial shark fishing in 2011. The dive industry in the Bahamas generates nearly US$114 million per year, with 99 percent of that money coming from shark diving, according to a 2017 study published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation. Andrea Haas, a researcher at the Cape Eleuthera Institute and lead author of the study, told Hakai Magazine:
“Our study found that the Bahamas has the largest shark diving economy in the world. This is exciting because it demonstrates the stream of economic benefits that the Bahamas is receiving . . . from conservation actions it took many years ago.”
Since 1580, there have been 33 confirmed, unprovoked shark attacks in the Bahamas, according to the International Shark Attack File. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation estimated 55,082 divers visited the Bahamas in 2024. The FWC’s numbers and rationale just don’t add up. I like to say, “divers can view a shark 365 days a year, but you can kill it only once!”
Sharks populations are under great stress worldwide, we are doing good, however we can always do much better.
Not everything in the ocean needs to be killed. I vote for Eco Tourism!
Back in 1983, when I was a 22-year-old open water student, I heard a fellow student ask the instructor with dread “will I see sharks?” To which the instructor replied, “you can dive your entire lifetime and never see a shark.” He further asserted, much to the comfort of the student, “in 15 years of diving, I have never seen a shark underwater.” Well, I am very happy to report that the United States and most Caribbean Islands have made great strides in marine ecology, and we are now reaping the benefits of efforts started in the 1990’s. There will always be more work, research and education needed to continue the progress, but it would be foolish not to acknowledge the gains made. Based on my experience, should you dive 10 times in the oceans of the United States and the Caribbean, you will encounter sharks 8 out of the 10. Now the query is “How do you know if you are diving with sharks?” Answer, if the water tastes salty, you are diving with sharks.
Because of this success, we now have a debate whether feeding sharks for the purpose of observation and eco-tourism is good or bad? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Regulations for Feeding Fish, Shark or other Marine Species reads: “Feeding fish, sharks or other marine species while diving or snorkeling is prohibited. It is also prohibited to operate a boat that is hired to carry passengers to any area within state waters to engage in fish feeding while divers are in the water. In these circumstances, fish feeding means the introduction of any food or other substances into the water by a diver or snorkeler for the purpose of feeding or attracting marine species.”
However, it is perfectly lawful and acceptable to introduce food or other substances into the water by a fisherman for the purpose of attracting marine species so they can…kill them. One of the arguments made against shark feeding is that it will change shark natural habits and associate man with food. One thing I think we can all agree on is killing a shark will all ways change its behavior. Sharks have been swimming in the oceans for 400 million years and have survived multiple extinction events. As such they are always adapting, so I highly doubt the premise has any credibility. But let’s look to our neighbors to the east for some stats. The Bahamas banned long line shark fishing in 1993 and commercial shark fishing in 2011. The dive industry in the Bahamas generates nearly US$114 million per year, with 99 percent of that money coming from shark diving, according to a 2017 study published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation. Andrea Haas, a researcher at the Cape Eleuthera Institute and lead author of the study, told Hakai Magazine:
“Our study found that the Bahamas has the largest shark diving economy in the world. This is exciting because it demonstrates the stream of economic benefits that the Bahamas is receiving . . . from conservation actions it took many years ago.”
Since 1580, there have been 33 confirmed, unprovoked shark attacks in the Bahamas, according to the International Shark Attack File. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation estimated 55,082 divers visited the Bahamas in 2024. The FWC’s numbers and rationale just don’t add up. I like to say, “divers can view a shark 365 days a year, but you can kill it only once!”
Sharks populations are under great stress worldwide, we are doing good, however we can always do much better.
Not everything in the ocean needs to be killed. I vote for Eco Tourism!
Start your Scuba Certification Journey today in Dunedin, Florida
Learn to dive Tampa Bay
Open water scuba course Clearwater, Florida
NAUI dive instructor Dunedin, Florida