How should a dive team begin their dive from an anchored boat?

Beginning a dive from an anchored boat against the prevailing current is crucial for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the dive. When divers start into the current, it allows them to swim back to the boat without expending excessive energy as they tire. This approach enhances the likelihood of a safe ascent and return to the boat, as divers can gradually work with the current during their return rather than against it when they may be fatigued.

Additionally, starting the dive against the current enables the divers to explore the area more freely and helps ensure they do not drift too far from the boat inadvertently. This positioning is critical in maintaining awareness of their surroundings and ensuring that the dive team remains within a manageable distance from each other and the boat throughout the dive.

Other choices do not incorporate the principles of safe diving practice. For instance, starting with the current could lead divers away from the boat, increasing the risk of becoming lost or separated. Entering shallow waters may not provide the best conditions for the dive depending on the dive plan, and beginning a dive too close to the anchor might complicate entering the water and create potential entanglement hazards with the anchor line or other equipment.