Boat Diver Safety Briefings
Lloyd Borrett briefing Peter Fear aboard "Raydon"
Many boat owners may welcome guest divers onboard their boats and prudent ones will give everyone a proper boat safety briefing before heading out. But what does a good briefing include and what might guest divers need to know about your boat if anything happened to you?
It's essential that you use a prepared guide to properly brief everyone onboard before heading out. You need to consider how they will respond in the event of you falling overboard or having a medical emergency? Don't assume people will just know. So have a plan, keep it simple and be consistent.
Here is a checklist of the key things to make your guests aware of:
- Boat Layout and Moving Around
Boat layout and location of kit. Moving around the boat safely — one hand for yourself, one for the boat because the boat can move unpredictably. - The Journey
Where you're going and your route plan. How long you expect it to take, the weather and sea state expected, and things to look out for along the way. Also mention sun exposure and keeping warm. - Lifejackets
Where the lifejackets are and how to put one on. When to wear them. Ideally the lifejacket will be an automatic inflation, so explain how that works. - Emergency Procedures
Mayday procedure, with a note of it next to the VHF radio. Man overboard reporting (shout to raise the alarm and point to hold their position). Also explain what to do should they fall in. - Boat Controls
Basic boat and engine controls. How to shut off the fuel. How to start, stop and turn — and to do this the moment someone goes overboard.
We recommend using a Boat Safety and Dive Equipment sheet to conduct the briefing. An example is available for download below. Create your own and have a laminated copy kept together with other safety information on the boat for reference in an emergency.
Download/view the Raydon Boat Safety and Dive Equipment (Adobe PDF | 281.3 KB) sheet.
Listen to the Safety Briefing
As a diver on any dive boat it's essential that you listen to the Safety Briefing. It's there for a reason. Even on an airline, passengers are asked to pay attention no matter how frequent a flyer they are, because although the brief appears consistent, there are subtle differences between each aircraft.
Now compare that fact with the different dive boats you have been on. Things can happen remarkably quickly at sea and being able to remember where the lifejackets are, or even just the O2 kit for a DCI incident, will help you respond quickly and in a controlled manner.
Having listened to the Safety Briefing, it can be helpful to run through in your mind some simple 'what if' scenarios so that you better imbed the Safety Briefing in your mind.
Participation Agreement, Consumer Waiver and Concent Forms for Dive Boat Owners
We suggest that everytime you have divers coming out to participate in scuba diving activities from your boat you also ask them to read, understand and consent to the terms of a Boat Participation Agreement and Consumer Waiver. An example is available for download below. It should also be clearly displayed in the boat.
Download/view the Raydon Boat Participation Agreement and Consumer Waiver (Adobe PDF | 15.68 KB) sheet.
You should ask all divers to read and sign that they accept and/or will comply with the requirements for Scuba Diving From Your Boat. An example form is available for download below and it should be provided for each diver to sign before heading out on the boat.
Download/view the Raydon Boat Diving Consent Form (Adobe PDF | 155.5 KB) sheet.
Other References
The Dive Boat Related files on our Diving and Snorkelling Downloads web page are valuable references that will help you to better setup your boat for diving, and help you to conduct safe diving operations.
- VSAG Recommended Club Dive Boat Equipment (Adobe PDF | 170.77 KB) — November 2012
- Guidelines for the safe operation of member club dive boats from the Combined Diving Association (CDA) (Adobe PDF | 242.4 KB) — UK publication, October 2017
- BSAC Small Boat Safety Checklist (Adobe PDF | 2.07 MB)
- BSAC Voyage Planning Sheet (Adobe PDF | 55.38 KB)
- Marine Safety Victoria - I've Gone Boating flyer (Adobe PDF | 212.22 KB)
- Marine Safety Victoria - Vessel Pre-Trip Checklist (Adobe PDF | 156.8 KB)
- Marine Safety Victoria - Skipper's Manual (Adobe PDF | 2.13 MB) — Keep a copy on your dive boat.
- Marine Safety Victoria - Vessel Refuelling Safety Checklist (Adobe PDF | 152.79 KB) — Keep a copy on your dive boat.
- Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook (Adobe PDF | 14.08 MB) — A downloadable version of Marine Safety Victoria's Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook, July 2020.
- Safety Equipment, July 2012 (Adobe PDF | 1.77 MB) — Factsheet on Maritime Safety from Transport Safety Victoria.
- Victorian Marine Safety Act 2010 (Adobe PDF | 979.83 KB)
- Victorian Marine Safety Regulations 2012 (Adobe PDF | 1.06 MB)
- Harbour Master's Directions for port waters of the Port of Melbourne (Adobe PDF | 2.74 MB) — 11th edition, May 2019
- Port Information Guide for the Port of Melbourne (Adobe PDF | 7.68 MB) — 4th edition, effective from 23 March 2018
- Port Phillip Recreational Boating Guide (Adobe PDF | 10.32 MB) — 7th edition, June 2019
- Western Port Recreational Boating Guide (Adobe PDF | 5.65 MB) — 5th edition, June 2011
- Port of Hastings Harbour Master�s Directions (Adobe PDF | 1.73 MB) — August 2019
- Raydon Boat Safety and Dive Equipment (Adobe PDF | 281.3 KB) — An example information sheet. Create your own version, print and laminate it, and keep it on your dive boat.
- Raydon Dive and Boat Captain Information Sheet (Adobe PDF | 197.78 KB) — An example emergency information sheet. Create your own version, print and laminate it, and keep it on your dive boat.
- Raydon Boat Participation Agreement and Consumer Waiver (Adobe PDF | 15.68 KB) — Every time you have divers coming out to participate in scuba diving activities from your dive boat ask them to read, understand and consent to the terms of a Boat Participation Agreement and Consumer Waiver. Create your own version, print and laminate it. Keep it clearly displayed on your dive boat.
- Raydon Boat Diving Consent Form (Adobe PDF | 155.5 KB) — Create your own version, print copies and have every diver coming out to participate in scuba diving activities from your dive boat read, understand and sign it.
- Dive Management Sheet (Adobe PDF | 388.58 KB) — Use this form to record what happens on each dive from your dive boat.
- Radio Safety Information (Adobe PDF | 403.94 KB) — How to make an emergency radio call. Print and laminate this and keep it on your dive boat.
See also, Boat Diving Safety.
