Dive From Your Own Boat in Melbourne

Using a Boat, Inflatable, Sea-Doo or Kayak for scuba diving

Scuba divers in Melbourne are fortunate to have a wide variety of great diving at their doorstep. More than a hundred shore dive sites in the Melbourne area cater to divers of all skill levels and offer diverse profiles and abundant marine life. Some of those shore dive sites, e.g. dives on the Back Beaches, are actually easier, and sometimes safer, to do from a boat.

Then there are the more than a hundred dive sites only accessible from a boat. Joining an organised dive charter is an obvious, easy option, to access some of these boat dive sites. But the dive charter operators don't go to all of them. Those who prefer DIY can also take the helm of their own boat and go wherever they like. It need not be a glitzy, multi-million-dollar luxury yacht. The waters of Port Phillip, Bass Strait and Western Port are an ideal place to play master and commander in much more modest vessels.

Choose Your Boat

You'll see divers using a wide range of vessels. Everything from tinnies, to single and multi-hull fibreglass and plate aluminium boats. Then there are the Zodiac-style inflatable boats and even personal watercraft (PWC), e.g. 'Sea-Doo', plus sit-on-top kayaks. All can be practical and effective ways to dive the reefs, pinnacles, kelp beds, walls and wrecks in waters near Melbourne.

Of course, the costs of these vessels varies. The larger 4.5 metres (15 feet) to 7.5 metres (25 feet) long fibreglass or plate aluminium boats with one or two big outboard motors can be quite expensive. An inflatable, powered by an outboard motor, or a PWC, costs more than a human-powered kayak. Of course the powered craft require additional maintenance, but they accommodate more divers and gear and excel in accessing distant sites.

When researching specific models of vessels, solicit input from experienced boat owning divers and make certain your craft of choice has enough cargo space and a total weight capacity that's sufficient for you and your dive equipment, plus that of your dive buddy or buddies. Not all vessel designs are appropriate for scuba pursuits, especially for people bringing along extra cylinders for double dives and/or a big camera rig.

Perks To Being Captain

Diving from your own boat affords ultimate freedom to dive when, where, and how you want. You can splash mid-week to avoid the crowds, or take advantage of soon-to-be-gone amazing sea conditions with killer visibility and zero swell. That's easily accomplished in your own boat, but unlikely with charter operators who typically schedule weekend-only outings.

Keen to thoroughly explore the same spot three times in a row without having to take a vote in a group? Have a special photo or video project requiring extra-long bottom times which would inconvenience or be impossible for others? Want to ensure that your buddy or buddies are on the same page as you in terms of experience level and focus? Check, check, and check! Being master and commander gives you flexibility and control. This is harder to come by on an open boat charter full of people with potentially widely varying diving styles, goals, and levels of training.

Most boat owning divers find they're usually more productive (and less stressed) when they're calling the shots in their own boat. But of course, this pathway is not for everyone. Boat trailers and oil changes, licensing and roof racks add considerably to a diver's gear pile and to-do list. Owning and maintaining a dive boat equates to more work, greater storage space, and additional expenses. From a cost per dive perspective, however, having your own boat may actually save money in the long run if you do a lot of boat diving. The money spent doing two dives per day spent on local charters adds up quickly. Then again, there is the age old expression that a boat owner is happy twice: the day the boat is purchased, and the day the boat is sold. Plus BOAT stands for Bring Out Another Thousand!

Dive Site Examples

Here are some boat dive sites we enjoy that are rarely visited by dive boat charter operators.

• Uralba — The Uralba shipwreck lies at a depth of 18 metres off Carrum on the eastern side of Port Phillip.
• Rosebud Reef — A lovely shallow dive on a very pretty reef situated about a kilometre offshore from Rosebud in Port Phillip.
• Hurricane — The remains of the Hurricane shipwreck lie in 12 metres of water offshore from Rosebud in Port Phillip.
• Chimney Rock — Out in Bass Strait off Barwon Heads, Chimney Rock is a swiss cheese of reef with lots of marine life. Arguably the best reef dive near Melbourne.
• The Pinnacles — A collection of large pinnacles of rock rising from a rocky bottom at 38 metres up 9 metres from the surface. Located off the South Eastern area of Phillip Island in Bass Strait.

DIY Boating Standard Operating Procedures,
Tips And Tricks

Over many years of diving from small boats we've picked up tips and tricks from salty sea dogs generous with their lore. Mostly from members of independent dive clubs. Some of these clubs have more than sixty years of experience boat diving in Melbourne waters and they've developed standard operating procedures (SOPs). Here is information — some general, some specific to the Melbourne region — which may prove useful to others embarking on their own dive boat owning adventure.

Firstly, you need to ensure that:

• Your boat meets the legal requirements of minimum safety equipment for recreational vessels for coastal offshore operations;
• Those who master your vessel have marine licences;
• Those who fish from it (e.g taking crays, abalone or scallops) have recreational fishing licences;
• Plus you have a highly visible, large, blue and white alpha dive flag displayed when divers are in the water.

Legal Requirements

The Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic) imposes a range of duties on recreational boaters to act safely. This includes ensuring that:

• you have the right safety equipment in good working order (carrying the minimum safety equipment, having and using personal flotation devices (PFDs), otherwise known as life jackets)
• the condition of your vessel is well-maintained and safe (hull, deck, engine conditions, fuel systems, electrical systems)
• you have prepared for your trip (checked your vessel, batteries and allowed enough fuel for your trip, checked the weather, told someone where you are going and when you expect to return, checked waterway zoning and maps and safe loading)
• you navigate your vessel safely by understanding the rules for the waterway you are operating on (anchoring, launching, retrieving, crossing ocean bars)
• you understand and comply with required emergency procedures (knowingwhat to do in an emergency and who to call, etc.)

See also, 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.

Boat Participation Agreement and Consumer Waiver — We suggest that every time you have divers coming out to participate in scuba diving activities from your boat you ask them to read, understand and consent to the terms of a Boat Participation Agreement and Consumer Waiver.
Raydon Boat Participation Agreement and Consumer Waiver (Adobe PDF | 15.68 KB). Create your own version, print and laminate it. Keep it clearly displayed on your dive boat.

Boat Diving Consent Form — To protect yourself, have every diver that comes out to dive from your dive boat sign a Boat Diving Consent Form.
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 Boat Bits and Bobs

• Brass clips on short lines tethered to your boat are great for hanging over weight belt, BCD/tank/reg, camera, etc. when getting out of the boat into the water, and vice versa.
• Dry bags to help keep important things dry
• Straps, mesh bags, and cargo nets to help secure all gear in the boat. Especially important for kayak divers, in case waves wash over the top or in a capsizing event. Don't forget to secure your paddle, and keep your BCD setup fully inflated during transit just in case!
• Anchor, chain, line (rope). Make sure your anchoring equipment is appropriate for your boat and where you will be diving. The line must be long enough. Mark your anchor line so you can easily gauge how much line you've let out. Take extra lines just in case you need to be towed, or tie off to kelp, tie to another boat, and so on.
• Marine charts and an echo depth sounder are essential.
• GPS device — indispensable in finding submerged reefs and wrecks, plus for general navigation. For emergency situations you should have a laminated information sheet aboard which instructs those unfamiliar with your GPS unit on how to enter a waypoint and navigate to it.
• Extra fuel and fuel line for motorised vessels

Dive Boat Safety Gear

• EPIRB or personal locator beacon, preferably with GPS
• Cell phone, for a million reasons
• VHF Marine Radio with DSC, handy for boat to boat (and harbour) communications, as well as mayday calls and weather reports. (Display a channel sticker nearby.) Distress and calling channels 16 and 67. Club channel 73. Commercial channel 74. (If your VHF radio has DSC, enter your MMSI code.)
• 27 MHz AM marine radio. (Display a channel sticker nearby.) Distress and calling channels 88 and 86. Club channel 96. Commercial channel 68.
• Oxygen Administration Kit
• DAN First Aid Kit
• Knife. A sharp knife capable of cutting through 12 mm rope, located in a position where it's readily to hand in case of an emergency.
• Lifeline. Buoyant heavy line at least 30 metres in length with quoit, or throw bag.
• Whistle, fog horn or bell for sounding out your position in low visibility conditions.
• Gaff/ Boat hook.
• Tow line and towing bridle. Strong line of at least 30 metres in length.
• Tool kit. Should include: engine manual, flywheel pull-rope, new spark plugs, spark plug spanner, ratchet with extender, spare fuses, spare O-rings for fuel connector, spare hose clamp, spare bung, pliers, spare propeller nut, washer, split pins and socket for propeller nut, length of soft wire, steel wool to clean battery terminals, spare shackle, set of screwdrivers (Phillips and flathead), shifting spanner, de-watering spray (CRC / RP-7 or similar), spare oil and funnel, spare key and stop harness (kill switch lanyard).
• Engine Oil. Spare two litres of oil.
• Jumper leads. Ideally long enough to reach from boat to boat.
• Radar reflector.
• Waterproof clock/watch to help with dive recording and tidal stream monitoring.
• Life vests, aka PFDs (personal flotation devices)
• Water, and food
• Boat insurance
• Have a copy of the Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook onboard

Boat Diving Safety Gear:

• Alpha Dive Flag to warn other boaters that you have divers in the water
• Boat Safety and Dive Equipment location information sheet. For emergency situations have a laminated information sheet with the list of safety and dive equipment aboard. You should use this sheet as a part of your dive safety briefing before leaving the boat ramp. See Raydon Boat Safety and Dive Equipment (Adobe PDF | 281.3 KB) for an example.
• Dive and Boat Captain Information Sheet. For emergency situations, a laminated information sheet with marine radio details, plus emergency contact information. Create your own version, print and laminate it, and keep it on your dive boat. See Raydon Dive and Boat Captain Information Sheet (Adobe PDF | 197.78 KB) for an example.
• Large Orange Buoy (e.g. 20+ kg buoyancy). For drift diving and shot line identification.
• Shot weight (e.g. 10+ kg) and suitable length shot lines (e.g. 10+ mm diameter).
• Drift line (e.g. 30+ metres, ski rope) to accommodate two divers, with modified small reef anchor.

Weather

Double-check weather forecasts shortly before you launch, and periodically while out on the water to make sure bad weather isn't quickly on its way. Be wary of thick fog materialising suddenly; if you cannot wait for it clear, proceed slowly and carefully, using your GPS to navigate. Shut down periodically to listen for other boats. Reviewing swell forecasts ahead of time can help you decide where to most comfortably dive that day. When the swell is large, say 1.5 metres (4.92 feet) or more, especially if it's coming from the south, remaining inside Port Phillip or Western Port and diving close to shore is advised. Generally speaking, Bass Strait offers less protection.

VHF Radio weather services — Marine Radio Victoria (MRV) provides twice daily local weather forecasts on VHF radio, with instructions and broadcast times announced regularly on Channel 16. MRV also broadcast current weather warnings at 00:47, 02:48, 04:48, 06:48, 08:48, 10:48, 12:48, 14:48, 16:48, 18:48, 20:48 and 22:48 eastern standard time (EST) on VHF channel 67 following the initial broadcast until notice of the cancellation is received by the Bureau of Meteorology.

See also Weather, Tides, Conditions etc. for links to the lastest information about Melbourne and Victoria diving conditions.

Voyage and Dive Plan

Leave your Voyage and Dive Plan with someone on land, informing them of your intended destination(s) that day, when you expect to be back onshore, how many people are in your group, your mobile phone number, and a basic description of your boat(s). Check-in with your contact when you are back onshore. If your plans change, let someone know.

You might consider using the Marine Safety Victoria - I've Gone Boating flyer (Adobe PDF | 212.22 KB), or the BSAC Voyage Planning Sheet available for download below.

Anchoring

Avoid anchoring if possible. For most boat diving in Melbourne waters it's preferable to drop a shot line, or use a drift line, and keep the dive boat live. See Boat Diving Safety for details on how to setup and use Boat Lines, Shot Lines, Drift Lines, Cray Lines, Decompression Trapese etc.

Make sure you leave enough slack ('scope') when you let out and tie off your anchor line. A ratio of at least 3:1 (and up to 7:1) line length to water depth is often recommended, though the type of boat, conditions, and dive site location should also be taken into consideration. When you begin your dive, check the placement and hold of your anchor, and move the anchor (or redeploy entirely) if necessary. Be mindful not to harm marine life. Using your compass to navigate during the dive can help you return to the anchor at the end of the dive.

Anchor, warp, chain and buoy —An anchor of appropriate weight for the size/type of vessel (5kg approx. for a 5m RIB) with holding characteristics for the seabed nature in the diving location. There should be at least 3m of chain attached to the anchor used and at least 30m of warp. There should be a strong point within the vessel for attaching the anchor warp and a suitable buoy, which allows for the anchor to be abandoned at short notice should the need require. The anchor and warp should not be used as a shot line.

See also Marine Safety Victoria: Anchors.

Dive Boat Maintenance

Take care of your boat with regular maintenance and inspections performed by those who know what they are doing. Your life may depend on this. Confidence in your sea chariot will provide peace of mind and make your diving much more enjoyable.

See also Marine Safety Victoria: Vessel Maintenance.

Dive Boat Launching

There are plenty of excellent boat ramps near Melbourne. See Melbourne Boat Launching Ramps. Most are well maintained, and it's easy to launch and retrieve boats regardless of tide height. Of course, they can be busy on weekends and it's always easier to have another person on the boat ramp to help with the whole launch/retrieve process while you are operating your vehicle.

More Dive Boat Owner Resources

See the Scuba Diving Safety section of this website where we have extra information, including:

• Dive Site Selection
  — Considerations for dive site selection near Melbourne
• Weather, Tides, Conditions etc.
  — Links to Melbourne and Victoria diving conditions
• AIS Marine Traffic Melbourne
  — Interactive map of AIS Marine Traffic in Melbourne
• Boat Diving Safety
  — Tips for safe private boat diving in Melbourne
• Boat Diver Safety Briefings
  — Give and Listen To Dive Boat Safety Briefings
• Using a Dive Float and Flag
  — Dive Flags and Floats and How to Use Them
• Seamanship
  — Safe boat handling and seamanship for divers
• Diver Communications
  — Ways for divers to communicate, both under and over the water
  • Underwater Hand Signals
    — Hand signals commonly used by scuba divers
  • Diver Rope Signals
    — These diver rope signals are important to know
  • Marine Flag Signals
    — These marine flag signals are important to know
  • Marine Radio Operation
    — An essential skill for all sea divers
• Diver Emergency
  — Don't Panic! Use these Emergency Numbers

See the Melbourne Dive Sites section of this website for maps and detailed descriptions of local and Victorian dive sites.

See the Diving and Snorkelling Downloads section of this website to download GPS marks for Melbourne and Victorian dive sites, plus get more detailed information about boating on Port Phillip and Western Port.

Dive Boat Related Downloads

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.