Time and tide wait for no person, and that includes Yo-Han Cha, who explains the significance of the titular term ‘Ropes-off’.
"Ropes-off is at 8.30am."
When someone starts to go diving, there’s all sorts of new terminology and jargon to learn. It’s probably very nerdy to have a favourite one, but I do love the phrase ‘ropes-off’. It’s probably because it’s such a literal expression. Hardboats and RIBs are moored by someone tying them, with rope, onto a jetty or pier. So, to depart, the ropes are untied and my very nerdy brain, for some reason, really enjoys that.
It’s one of the most important pieces of information about that day’s diving, as that’s when you need to be on the boat. As I’ve explained to new divers, it’s not when you arrive or start to get ready, it’s when we leave. If some of the group are less experienced, then I’ll usually provide a rough time of when to arrive as well as the ropes-off time, but for an experienced group, just the ropes-off time is usually enough. “Ropes-off is at 8.30am” is all we need to be told and most divers are usually there around an hour before, which provides ample time to load our kit onto the boat and to get into drysuits.
It’s important to be ready to set off on time; believe me, skippers and trip organisers haven’t picked a time at random! They’ll have worked out the best times for the available dive sites with the day’s tides, factored in the journey and maybe just a bit of wiggle room for faffing if you’re lucky.
one of the most important pieces of information about that day’s diving... As I’ve explained to new divers, it’s not when you arrive or start to get ready, it’s when we leave
Unfortunately, my life doesn’t always go to plan, particularly when it involves an early start. The closest I’ve ever cut it was on an Anglesey trip when, after 30 minutes of driving down the M56, I realised that my drysuit wasn’t in my car. I knew exactly where it was, in my living room! There was a lot of colourful language as I berated myself for being such an idiot (I had no-one else to blame but myself) as I then had to drive the 30 minutes back to my house to pick up the drysuit before having to repeat the first 30 minutes of the journey. I arrived at Trearddur Bay in Anglesey with 15 minutes to spare. I then did my most efficient kit setup, loading and change into my drysuit that I’ve ever done in my life and I was somehow on the boat in time.
‘Ropes-off at 8.30am’ also means that the boat’s leaving at that appointed time. Not before. I certainly don’t expect the boat to leave before the agreed time when not all of the divers aren’t on board. And if the skipper asks if everyone’s on board and someone isn’t, it would be nice if his friends (one of them being my fellow columnist Kirsty Andrews) would notice!
One fine Saturday morning in Plymouth, after loading all my kit onto the boat, with plenty of time before ropes-off, I went to park the car and get changed into my drysuit. I was back on the jetty by 8.20am, when much to my surprise, there was an empty space where the boat was not ten minutes ago. Fortunately, I had the skipper’s number and he turned back around to pick me up. When I finally jumped onto the boat while my ‘friends’ cheered and it set off for a second time, I’d like to state for the record, the time was exactly 8.30am!
Article ‘Ropes-off!’ by Yo-Han Cha first published in SCUBA magazine, Issue 149 October 2024.
Author: Yo-Han Cha | Posted 04 Oct 2024
