Dive Brief and Best Practice

Jetty Dive – “DIVE BRIEF”

Please read this safety information. It is important for your safety and enjoyment. All information under “Best Practices” applies to diving brief.

• Entry – Backward roll or Giant Stride (on Mega Wild)
• All divers to monitor their own computer. Minimum of 5 minutes NDL. (No Deco Time)

• Maximum Depth of Dive is applicable to Certification level (Open Water 18m, Advanced Open Water 30m)
• Maximum Bottom Time: 60 minutes
• Divers to dive in Buddy Pairs. Complete pre dive safety check before entry.
• Lost Buddy Procedure (if alone, 1 min search, then return slowly to surface, inflate safety sausage. Lost Buddy pair from group, complete your dive together)
• Low/Out of Air Procedures (Confirm Signals with buddy).
• 100 Bar Turn around point, 60 bar to start ascent. (indicate both to dive leader)
• Minimum returning tank pressure is 50 bar.
• Safety Stop to be completed at the end of each dive – 3 minutes at 5 metres depth.
• Emergency recall to boat procedure – Continuous banging sound from boat or leader.
• Exit – remove fins prior to boarding, please leave your mask on and your regulator in. Hold on to boat while taking your fins off.
• Protect the Marine Park – Practice good buoyancy, No touch, No take.

Jetty Dive – “SNORKEL BRIEF”

Please read this safety information. It is important for your safety and enjoyment. All information under “Best Practices” applies to snorkelling brief.

• All snorkelers are to be in “buddy pairs” to ensure the safety of each other. Children need to be under supervision at all times.    
• When snorkelling, the Boat must be visible at ALL TIMES. We need to see you to supervise you!
• If the Boat Operator is signalling the OK signal, they are asking if you are OK. It requires an answer of “OK” or “Not OK” and “Help Me”

Signal: Help Me! 

Signal: I am OK!

• If duck-diving or free-diving below the surface, to avoid “shallow water blackout”, do not hyperventilate more than 3 breaths before diving.
• When Free-diving always have “one buddy up and one buddy down” for safety of the diver.
• Emergency recall to boat procedure – Air horn, loud constant banging on boat ladders, or whistle will sound.
• Exiting – remove fins prior to boarding boat via ladders at rear. Please leave your mask on. Never walk in fins.
• Avoid the area around the Outboard Motors, if they are running, do not come close without instruction from boat.
• Protect the Marine Park –  No touch, No take.
• If unsure of procedures, please ask Crew or staff.

Sanctuary Zones

Sanctuary Zones within the Solitary Islands Marine Park (SIMP)  are ‘no take, no touch’ zones.

• The majority of the dive sites within the SIMP afford the highest level of marine protection within Australia -“Sanctuary Zones“, which provide protection for all marine animals, plants, and their habitat.
• This zone allows ‘passive low-impact’ activities such as diving and snorkelling and excludes commercial and recreational fishing.
• Sanctuary Zones within the SIMP are recognised as the most sensitive and ecologically important areas due to the occurrence of fragile life form, including hard corals, and many threatened marine species.
• Accordingly, it is mandatory to take all possible steps to minimise/eliminate; incidental diver contact with the sea life, and negative interactions with threatened species such as the grey nurse shark, black cod and other fish species.

Incidental contact results in accidental damage of hard corals, dislodging of algae, sponge, urchins and ascidians and abrasion of soft corals and anemones.

How to avoid incidental contact:

• Ensure that all diving equipment is adequately clipped to your BCD to eliminate contact and snagging with the bottom and/or marine life (rental equipment features clips/holders to do so).
• Maintain neutral buoyancy and a horizontal streamlined body position above the bottom.

Grey Nurse Shark and threatened marine species encounters;

• Do not chase, harass, touch or interrupt normal swimming behaviour of threatened marine species.
• View sharks from the side at the same depth or below the animal.
• Limit the release of large amounts of bubbles, which can spook sharks.
• No use of tank bangers or shark deterrants, as it disrupts the behaviour of Grey Nurse Sharks.