Hey, I have been a long time reader of the forum but this is my first post. Blue anchor was my dive buddy yesterday, and is also my girlfriend who I am trying to get into diving. We went out on a charter yesterday, I usually run my own boat, so that she would feel more comfortable and it would be an all around easier experience.
What happened was on dive # 2 she was pointing to her ears and signalling me to go up as soon as we were down on the bottom, so we went up next to the float and the boat was pretty far off. I immediatly got the saftey sausage out and started waving figuring eventually he would see us but he didn't and we road out a nasty lightening storm on the surface. It was whiteout conditions, and on one attempt during a clearing in the weather we got on our backs with saftery sausages in the air and triend to swim towards the boat, but it took off in the opposite direction shortly after our attempt, and we also lost sight of the float. Eventually, the other divers came up and also did not see the boat, and had to ride out some of the storm at 15 feet for an additional 15-20 minutes before they were picked up. We were up on the surface, (The GF got rid of her weight belt and couldnt get down) for the entire storm, at least 45 minutes, mostly out of sight of the boat with crazy lightning overhead.
I guess the captain was trying to avoid the storm also, and went away for a bit and planned on returning after the storm passed to pick us up. I got a couple problems with that. 1) of course what if divers had to come to the surface, especially for a medical emergency. and 2) I was spearfishing with another one of my buddies down there, and during a dive I expect the people on the boat to be overhead waiting for my bags which are pretty expensive and usually have good fish on them.
The whole experience was a pretty good scare. It got pretty rough with almost no surface vis at times and lightning was right overhead. I know afternoon storms come up really fast but when I go out with my buddies this type of thing never happens, and we always keep an eye out on the radar to see what is coming. We would never leave out divers down there. When I go out on a charter I leave that responibility to the captain which I guess I shouldnt. I understand his pressure though to get us down a second time on a 2 tank dive trip but you really got to put saftey first. Crew was great, and if they are reading Im sorry hell is getting raised, and I love your store and operation besides this occasion.
