Almost died today--Any captains out there???

[blueanchor]

This couldn't have been a drift dive in Palm Beach County could it? You weren't diving with a divemaster who was pulling a float and you didn't get sepearted from the group and then come to the surface alone and have no surface marker device did you?

When thunderstorms occur visibility can be less than 100 feet and this makes it very difficult to safely move the boat when divers are in the water. Why would you go in the water when a thunderstorm was bearing down on you?

"Well, yeah I was with a divemaster on a pro dive boat, and I was obviously separated when I came up with my friend. It was a drift dive in PB, and I had a 5 foot bright orange sausage I blew up in the midst of being tossed and turned with 3-4 foot waves.

While the rest of the four divers were under the thunderstorm was on top. Probably the reason the boat was not present like you wrote. I went down because the captain, the divemaster, and the rest of the passengers all thought the storm was heading north and we would have time to finish up our last dive. The captain makes the final decision, and he made one that almost cost me my life."

 

[vladimir]

I'm still not getting the "almost cost me my life" aspect, Blueanchor. I have been adrift for 45 minutes awaiting my pickup before. It's not the most comfortable situation in the world, but I think you're overstating the peril a little bit here. How about, "placed me in a risky situation" instead?

 

[wedivebc]

The captain makes the final decision, and he made one that almost cost me my life."

How does 45 minutes equate to almost losing your life? You had to wait for the boat to pick you up, it happens. cut the melodrama, get over it

 

[HisLovelyBride]

The only question that I have is this, if you have less than 24 dives and are new to diving, why would you go on a drift dive in a thunderstorm? Common sense must prevail. I am an average diver with about 85 dives over 2.5 yrs and have AOW certification, and I don't think that I would dive anywhere in a rain/thunderstorm! Partly out of safety but also because rain screws up the vis usually and then the dive is no fun anyway. Never be afraid to opt out of a dive when you are not completely comfortable with the conditions.

 

[DandyDon]

We were dropped off when it started to rain, and as I got to the bottom I felt uncomfortable and came back up.

So why were you so ill at ease anyway? How deep? Ever been that deep before?

Why did you put your second post in "quote marks"...?

"Well, yeah I was with a divemaster on a pro dive boat, and I was obviously separated when I came up with my friend.

Okay, you did ascend with your dive buddy? Always a good idea. Did you two stay together on the surface ok? I do carry a line that I can use to tie onto a buddy on the surface in case of such a need.

It was a drift dive in PB, and I had a 5 foot bright orange sausage I blew up in the midst of being tossed and turned with 3-4 foot waves.

Bubba, if 4 foot waves bother you that much...?

While the rest of the four divers were under the thunderstorm was on top.

Typo?

Probably the reason the boat was not present like you wrote. I went down because the captain, the divemaster, and the rest of the passengers all thought the storm was heading north and we would have time to finish up our last dive.

"Plan your dive, dive your plan." Heard that one before...?

The captain makes the final decision, and he made one that almost cost me my life."

Not seeing any real increase in risk here? Maybe some confidence training would help?

 

[mark00020]

its crap like this that ruins things for Americans. the culture of victim hood. you are ultimately responsible for your own actions, and even more so responsible for your own decisions and actions while diving. you got in the water buddy, suck it up and learn from your mistake (if you feel it was) and stop crying on the internet and trying to place blame on anyone except the face you see in the mirror.

people like you are the reason there is a warning on every cup of coffee.

 

[Cavs42]

"The captain makes the final decision, and he made one that almost cost me my life."

The captain made the final decision did he? He said, "I've decided that you will now step off my boat into the ocean whether you like it or not" and then threw you off the boat against your will? If so, then yeah, go after the captain. If not, YOU made the decision to do the dive. no one else.

How long were you down? What was the dive profile? You state that the surface was in a storm state, so are you sure all was well on the boat?

You called the dive early, so you shouldn't have been in any risk of drowning, even in 3-4 foot waves, due to the big tank of compressed air strapped to your back... Where was the threat to your life?

 

[jupitermermaid]

I think (just my opinion) blueanchor's fear of almost costing him his life is based on several factors. 1. He/she is a new diver and hasn't had experience surfacing and not having the boat in sight; 2. It was not just the waiting 45 minutes that was frightening, but the fact there was a thunderstorm with lightening present; 3. OW usually doesn't prepare one for solving situations such as this.

Blueanchor, as you become a more experienced diver, you will find more comfort in situations that will arise as you dive. Think beforehand of situations that could possibly happen and come up with 3 courses of action you could take (ask other divers, post on SB, come up with them yourself). Not to bash you, but where the captain makes the final decision for the dive, it's ultimately up to each diver whether or not they do the dive with everyone else. If you weren't comfortable, you could have refrained from the dive and stayed on the boat. As a new diver, you may not have seen that you had this choice and depended on the captain to make your decision for you. No worry, we all do that as newbies and learn that we ourselves are the final decision makers. I remember as a new diver I had a similar experience of being left out at sea and had to have a fishing boat call the captain to retrieve me. The experience made a better diver out of me because I learned very fast what to do and what questions to ask before diving with an operation I'm not familiar with.

I hope you fill out the rest of your profile and continue to post on SB. Sometimes people forget what it's like to be new and scared, and their answers may come across as being harsh. But if you can sift the gold from the brass you can learn a lot here.

BTW, welcome to SB!

 

[Zieg]

"Well, yeah I was with a divemaster on a pro dive boat, and I was obviously separated when I came up with my friend. It was a drift dive in PB, and I had a 5 foot bright orange sausage I blew up in the midst of being tossed and turned with 3-4 foot waves.

While the rest of the four divers were under the thunderstorm was on top. Probably the reason the boat was not present like you wrote. I went down because the captain, the divemaster, and the rest of the passengers all thought the storm was heading north and we would have time to finish up our last dive. The captain makes the final decision, and he made one that almost cost me my life."

No, the captain does not make the final decision about whether you dive or not. You do. It's your call, it will always be your call.

 

[TheScubaBOB]

BlueAnchor,

First thing you need to do is ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF.

Any Diver can call a dive at any time for any reason. You made the choice to get in the water when you could have just as easily made the choice to stay on the boat.

Sounds like you were diving beyond your limits. Maybe there were too many variables on this dive that didn't match your previous experiences or expectations. This is a prime example of "Um, guys... I think I'll sit this one out".

I only have 37 Dives & just completed Rescue Diver Cert. I am the only one responsible for my diving. I choose if I go in or not.

Sounds like you didn't even understand how the drift diving works because if you did then you would have known the boat was moving in tandem with the divers below and wouldn't have expected the boat to be parked waiting for you.

As Judge Milian on People's Court says, "Looks like it's time to put on your big girl panties and take care of yourself" or take up golfing.