You must be certified by a recognized training agency in order to dive off Gauntlet. You must hold the appropriate certifications to participate in dives requiring use of specialized gasses, equipment or techniques (i.e. trimix, rebreathers, decompression diving, etc).

Gauntlet is primarily a technical diving boat. Technical divers who have not dived with us before (either on Gauntlet or elsewhere such as on a trip) must come out on a dive <130 fsw for the first time with us and before booking a technical charter. If you are unsure if this policy applies to you, please contact us to discuss. The aim of the policy is to ensure divers are qualified and familiar with Gauntlet. We have a very conservative and safety oriented attitude, which is the rationale behind this policy. For recreational divers, we do visit sites in the recreational depth range and advanced recreational divers are welcome. Recreational divers must have a minimum of Advanced Open Water certification and recent prior experience diving New England shipwrecks.

Unless we list an open boat scheduled dive to >200 feet, dives to this depth range are by invitation only.

COVID-19: In order to join a charter, passengers will need to meet the requirements of and comply with the safety management plan (SMP). We reserve the right to deny any and all passengers from boarding the vessel if there is a concern related to coronavirus or compliance with the SMP.

For individual bookings, you must reserve your spot with a credit card, although the card will not be charged and you may pay however you prefer on the day of the charter. Booking the entire boat requires full pre-payment in advance. Please contact Heather via email at hlk@northernatlanticdive.com for questions or to make a reservation. We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express. We accept PayPal in specific circumstances. Returned checks are subject to a $40 fee per check.

Charter prices will depend on the location of the wreck and the nature of the dive. Local diving prices will vary depending on whether it is a half or full day charter, the distance to the site and the type of dive. We can customize any type of dive trip to your needs. For additional information, contact info@northernatlanticdive.com

Cancellations are made the day of the dive at the dock, unless weather forecasts allow us to cancel at an earlier time point. In such a case, a weather determination will generally be made by 5:30 pm ET the night prior. We generally cancel with ample advance notice, but we reserve the right to cancel the day of the dive at the dock. Notification will be made by phone, text, e-mail or may be posted online; all divers will be notified of the cancellation. We ask all divers to acknowledge receipt of the cancellation notice to be sure you got the message. We will make a reasonable effort to contact you, but if we do not receive acknowledgement of receipt, we are not responsible if you show up at the dock and no one is there!

If the conditions are poor but do not warrant a cancellation, the destination may change. Be prepared to dive alternative locations, we will ask for input and will try to give as much consideration and notice as possible about a changed destination.

If a local dive is cancelled because of weather or mechanical problems with the boat prior to departure, no charges apply and if already paid, the full charter fare will be refunded. Partial refunds may be issued depending on how the trip was affected if the problem arose at sea and was related to mechanical problems.

Once you sign up for a spot, you are responsible for FULL payment.

If you do not show up or arrive late and the boat leaves without you, you are still responsible for your reservation. Your credit card will be charged and there is no refund.

If you must cancel, you must pay for the spot. We will only permit replacements to fill your spot in the event the boat is already full. Please contact us if you need to cancel and we will discuss whether or not your spot can be filled. See explanation below.

Why this cancellation policy?

We do our best to replace spots from cancellations when able. The reason we do not permit replacements due to cancellations until the boat is full is because we need to have a reasonable chance to fill the charter instead of continuously focusing on filling spots due to cancellations. This helps prevent needing to cancel charters entirely due to insufficient numbers to run the trip. In addition, we work in the order in which we were notified of cancellations once the boat is full, which is meant to be fair and give those that canceled furthest in advance a chance of having their spot filled when there is more than one cancellation that has occurred.

You are required to supply all your own equipment, including weights. We do not offer rentals, but can help arrange them through local dive stores. Wetsuits are not permitted between November 1 and April 1 (exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis).

You may not dive deeper than 130 feet using a single tank configuration. For dives between 100-130 fsw (this does not include the Chester Poling), a pony bottle is required for single tank configurations. These dives include, but are not limited to: New York Central 14 ii, Reliance, Saturday Night Ledge, etc. We may make exceptions to this requirement if you are diving in a true buddy team or contact us to discuss your configuration.

If you are diving a rebreather, you must be carrying appropriate bailout gas in sufficient quantities to allow you to safely abort your dive.

Diving air/nitrox up to 140 fsw is permitted. Diving air/nitrox below 140 fsw is prohibited. This means you must have a mix containing trimix in your doubles or in your CCR diluent cylinder below 140 feet.

All equipment sold through manufacturers for which we are dealers are subject to the refund/warranty policies of those suppliers. Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions will do its best to represent these policies and ensure customer satisfaction for all products.

The full balance for the cost of the class is due on the first day the course begins. The cost of the class is non-refundable after the class begins.

There are no full or partial refunds for incomplete classes. All classes must be completed within 6 months of initiation of the class or the class is considered incomplete and additional fees will be required to resume. Exceptions may be made in cases where the schedule has been impacted by weather or a specific schedule has been arranged in advance and agreed to by all parties.

Depending on the class, you may be required to place a non-refundable deposit. Individual coaching sessions and 1-1 training will require a 50% non-refundable deposit upon booking. These requirements will be discussed with you at the time of booking as they are applicable.

For questions regarding this policy, or any policy of Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions, Inc. please contact us directly.

SCUBA diving can be hazardous. You are always under your own care, custody and control when diving. All divers will be required to fill out waivers before engaging in any activities conducted through Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions, Inc. Divers who are not using appropriate equipment will not be permitted to dive. You must be physically fit for scuba diving. You must have DAN insurance of at minimum “Master” status. Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions, Inc. reserves the right to refuse service to any diver deemed unsafe by our standards.

Participation in any charter organized by Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions is contingent upon agreement to any and all polices, payment schedules and objectives as defined here and/or in any applicable document or communication.

The requirements for conducting technical dives outlined in these pages are not to be substituted for actual training as they are supplementary to the prerequisites, standards and procedures of the training agencies approved as meeting the necessary requirements for deep diving. These pages are for information and terms of participation only and are the sole opinion of Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions, Inc.

The below list includes, but is not limited to, common signs and symptoms of decompression illness and pressure related injuries. If you think you are suffering from a decompression illness, you must seek treatment immediately.

Chest pain
Uncontrollable coughing
Voice change
Fullness of throat
Crackling of throat
Shortness of breath
Headache
Tightness in chest
Extreme Fatigue
Numbness, tingling
Itching
Loss of sensation
Weakness, loss of strength
Dizziness
Nausea
Blurred vision
Hearing or speech impairment
Rash
Generalized pain
Joint pain
Vertigo
Paralysis
Unconsciousness
Unresponsiveness
Loss of motor control
Difficulty walking
Difficulty swallowing

Emergency Contact Information:

USCG VHF Channel 16
Police, Fire, EMS: Call 911
DAN Emergency Hotline: 1-919-684-9111

What to expect when you call the DAN Emergency Hotline:

Your call will initially be answered by a non-medically trained operator. Please provide the operator with your name, location and callback number, and your call will be routed to a qualified DAN Medical Information staff member.

DAN’s Medical Information staff may make an immediate recommendation or request to call you back after making arrangements with a local physician, TravelAssist or any number of DAN’s other resources. DAN does not hesitate to reach out to its network to provide the best possible assistance.

If a call-back is necessary, please wait by the phone while arrangements are made. The resources may take 30 minutes or more to coordinate, as several pieces and calls may be required. The delay will not place the person in any greater danger, and DAN will call you as soon as the appropriate arrangements are made.

LOCAL BOSTON AREA EMERGENCY FACILITIES:

Massachusetts General Hospital
Emergency Department
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
617-724-4100

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
243 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
617-573-5520

Norman Knight Hyperbaric Medicine Center
Referrals and/or Emergencies: 617-573-4411, 24 hours per day.
Patient Referrals Only: 617-573-3793, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.