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Almost died today--Any captains out there???
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LynnB
Contributor
He said in the initial report that his buddy was reluctant to come up with him but did. he also said he had a sausage inflated.
We all learn from mistakes. Maybe he didn't word things right but give him a little leeway. He is only asking question because he wants opinions.
We all learn from mistakes. Maybe he didn't word things right but give him a little leeway. He is only asking question because he wants opinions.
A good lesson for new divers - always carry a sausage.
On the boat in Roatan last month, a couple of people kinda questioned why I always carry a sausage on a reel...... The best answer came from another diver...."Ya but when the ***** hits the fan, I want to be diving with him...."
On the boat in Roatan last month, a couple of people kinda questioned why I always carry a sausage on a reel...... The best answer came from another diver...."Ya but when the ***** hits the fan, I want to be diving with him...."
To all posters in the future
It just displays an inability to look at things calmly and objectively, an incredible sense of self-entitlement, inability to take criticism and the refusal to take responsibility for your own actions.
This is an excellent site for information and discussion and it's a shame if it'll get bogged down into whingeing and whining by attention seekers.
- Please avoid hysterical screaming headlines/titles
- State the facts
- Refrain from accusations that are without substance
It just displays an inability to look at things calmly and objectively, an incredible sense of self-entitlement, inability to take criticism and the refusal to take responsibility for your own actions.
This is an excellent site for information and discussion and it's a shame if it'll get bogged down into whingeing and whining by attention seekers.
If this was a drift dive you have to be prepared to float a while.. 45 minutes is not that bad nor is 3-4 ft seas... I've been adrift for over an hour in 6ft plus sees (there was a probelm with another group that took priority).. You just have to relax and be patient... BTW up here 3-4ft sees is considered a calm day...
You did choose to seperate from the group so unless the boat was right there you should expect under normal circumstances that the main group is going to be followed..
It sounds like the captain did just as he should have..
I think there is alot of sympathy for new divers here. If the post was written in a different light, such as "I am a new diver and this situation really freaked me out, but I learned alot, and BTW, is there any advice you have for me?", the answers would have been much different.
I think people primarily are ripping you not for being a new diver, not for screwing up, but for screwing up by diving when you were uncomfortable with the conditions and then trying to blame somebody else.
You lived, you learned, it was a bad diving day, there will be others. The good news is that there will be many wonderful ones, too.
Chin up
It sounds like you had a bad day of diving. They won't all be that way...
Similar story...
We were diving from a boat in the Bahamas a few years back. It was a fairly shallow dive... maybe 50 feet to the bottom. When we jumped in the water... sky was blue. About 30 minutes into what would have been a 60+ minute dive... we heard the recall signal (banging on the ladder.) So we started back to the boat. It wasn't until we got to about 20 feet that we could see the rain on the surface and the boat rocking really hard. Ten of our group of twelve returned to the boat safely. The recall signal was given because the boat was anchored very near the reef and the captain was afraid the rocking may actually push the boat over the reef causing a potential hull breech. He had move pulled the anchor and moved the boat slightly off the reef until we all returned.
Unfortunely we were missing two divers... the storm was really kicking at this point, high winds, waves and greatly reduced vis. The boat captain wanted to leave... the DM would not let him with two divers still in the water. They literally were arguing as the DM was suiting back up to go back into the water to search for the missing divers (two very experienced divers we all assumed were just riding out the storm below - and maybe had not heard the recall signal.)
Just before the DM went into the water - the couple surfaced and signaled with a whistle. We were able to pick them up and safely make it back in. To this day it ranks as one of my more exciting days of diving.
When the weather gets as really bad (especially for smaller boats) there is a great dilemna for a Captain. Risk the boat and the people onboard or stay to retrieve those in the water. Depending upon the location, duration of the storm etc... I can see many possible decisions and potential outcomes.
Your situation was bad because you had anxiety issues... then compounded by the boat (apparently) moving (I'll assume to safety - or possibly against the Captains will.) It was a bad experience . but as you noted... you and everyone else is still here... so whatever action/s the Captain took... apparently by luck or skill - they worked in your favor... and in the end - that's all that matters.
Similar story...
We were diving from a boat in the Bahamas a few years back. It was a fairly shallow dive... maybe 50 feet to the bottom. When we jumped in the water... sky was blue. About 30 minutes into what would have been a 60+ minute dive... we heard the recall signal (banging on the ladder.) So we started back to the boat. It wasn't until we got to about 20 feet that we could see the rain on the surface and the boat rocking really hard. Ten of our group of twelve returned to the boat safely. The recall signal was given because the boat was anchored very near the reef and the captain was afraid the rocking may actually push the boat over the reef causing a potential hull breech. He had move pulled the anchor and moved the boat slightly off the reef until we all returned.
Unfortunely we were missing two divers... the storm was really kicking at this point, high winds, waves and greatly reduced vis. The boat captain wanted to leave... the DM would not let him with two divers still in the water. They literally were arguing as the DM was suiting back up to go back into the water to search for the missing divers (two very experienced divers we all assumed were just riding out the storm below - and maybe had not heard the recall signal.)
Just before the DM went into the water - the couple surfaced and signaled with a whistle. We were able to pick them up and safely make it back in. To this day it ranks as one of my more exciting days of diving.
When the weather gets as really bad (especially for smaller boats) there is a great dilemna for a Captain. Risk the boat and the people onboard or stay to retrieve those in the water. Depending upon the location, duration of the storm etc... I can see many possible decisions and potential outcomes.
Your situation was bad because you had anxiety issues... then compounded by the boat (apparently) moving (I'll assume to safety - or possibly against the Captains will.) It was a bad experience . but as you noted... you and everyone else is still here... so whatever action/s the Captain took... apparently by luck or skill - they worked in your favor... and in the end - that's all that matters.
Jayde323
Contributor
Blue, the board has to be taken with a grain of salt. When I was a new diver and first started looking on SB, I was stunned by some of the comments and responses I read. I felt bad for the divers that posted an issue or a problem and the bashing responses they received in return. The more I read and the more I posted, I learned the divers' comments were not to be malicous, but to be an eyeopener. Yes, some of the posts are unnessesary. Ultimately, we are all here to share and learn, and if the "advice" is a bit harsh, it's just that we don't want to be reading about a fellow diver in the Passings forum for a reason that could have been preventable. I hope you stick around and learn we are really nice once you get to know us, and our bark is much worse than our bite.
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dumpsterDiver
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If this occured saturday, we had particularly strong storms blow in very fast with hail and very strong winds. The seas were predicted to be less than 2 ft and SW winds. It was great in the morning, but got really ugly later on.
If any of you have been driftingon the surface in white-out conditions for 45 minutes, it is very tiring, depressing and time goes by VERY slowly. There is also a distinct possibilitly that another boater running for the inlet could cream you, regardless of a suasage. Also, when the winds are high, the suasage lays over. It is much safer to have the float on a line and to happily wait out the storm at a depth of 20 feet.
Even for the best of divers, this situation is uncomfortable and dangerous and for a new diver it would be terrifying.
Never the less, she sounds like she learned a lot from the dive and getting the crap scared out of you is the only way to really gain experience. Obviously this was not a situation where the captain "should be reported", but I suspect she knows that now. If she decides to do another drift dive, I suspect she will be much better equiped mentally.
BTW, I dive there often and carry a marine radio in a pressure-proof canister because I REALLY don't want to be floating out there.
If any of you have been driftingon the surface in white-out conditions for 45 minutes, it is very tiring, depressing and time goes by VERY slowly. There is also a distinct possibilitly that another boater running for the inlet could cream you, regardless of a suasage. Also, when the winds are high, the suasage lays over. It is much safer to have the float on a line and to happily wait out the storm at a depth of 20 feet.
Even for the best of divers, this situation is uncomfortable and dangerous and for a new diver it would be terrifying.
Never the less, she sounds like she learned a lot from the dive and getting the crap scared out of you is the only way to really gain experience. Obviously this was not a situation where the captain "should be reported", but I suspect she knows that now. If she decides to do another drift dive, I suspect she will be much better equiped mentally.
BTW, I dive there often and carry a marine radio in a pressure-proof canister because I REALLY don't want to be floating out there.
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