CA Diver
Contributor
Here is my dive report from Sunday April 24 while diving with Florida Keys Dive Center in Tavernier.
The trip was planned for two afternoon reef dives with about 12 to 14 divers on the boat. There were two divers doing OW dives one and two on the boat with an instructor. Thankfully the mother of one of these students is associated with a dive boat in North Carolina (more on this later).
During the predive briefing for the first dive the captain joked that we "had 60 minutes because if we were down longer than that he would not". My first dive was exactly 50 minutes and was uneventful.
During the second dive my assigned buddy and I navigated back to the boat after about 45 minutes. After 50 minutes he signaled he was going up to the boat, I watched him exit the water from directly below the boat. I Know I should have left the water with him, but I had a pony bottle and stayed within a 100' radius of the boat for an additional few minutes. I glanced up and noted that the current line was still in the water. A minute later I noticed the sound of the motor and saw that the boat had moved a short distance. I then ascended and noted that while the current line was still in the water , the ladders were both raised. After exiting the water I was told by the mother of the student that she and another non-diving woman on the boat had to tell the captain that there were still two yollow scuba pro fins in the water next to the boat. I do not believe there was a roll call before I returned to the boat and there was never one after I returned. I was in the water for 59 minutes.
I have been in situations where the boat was signalling to the remaining divers to surface. This usually consisted of banging on either the lafdder or the side of the boat. I understand the points that will be made that I should have exited with my buddy and I accept this criticism, but that is no excuse for the behavior of this crew. To move the boat and pull the ladder is both unprofessional and dangerous. In the current environment after the diver was left at the oil rig here in California it is unbelieveable that a dive operator would operate with 12 to 15 divers on board and not do a roll call and head count.
The trip was planned for two afternoon reef dives with about 12 to 14 divers on the boat. There were two divers doing OW dives one and two on the boat with an instructor. Thankfully the mother of one of these students is associated with a dive boat in North Carolina (more on this later).
During the predive briefing for the first dive the captain joked that we "had 60 minutes because if we were down longer than that he would not". My first dive was exactly 50 minutes and was uneventful.
During the second dive my assigned buddy and I navigated back to the boat after about 45 minutes. After 50 minutes he signaled he was going up to the boat, I watched him exit the water from directly below the boat. I Know I should have left the water with him, but I had a pony bottle and stayed within a 100' radius of the boat for an additional few minutes. I glanced up and noted that the current line was still in the water. A minute later I noticed the sound of the motor and saw that the boat had moved a short distance. I then ascended and noted that while the current line was still in the water , the ladders were both raised. After exiting the water I was told by the mother of the student that she and another non-diving woman on the boat had to tell the captain that there were still two yollow scuba pro fins in the water next to the boat. I do not believe there was a roll call before I returned to the boat and there was never one after I returned. I was in the water for 59 minutes.
I have been in situations where the boat was signalling to the remaining divers to surface. This usually consisted of banging on either the lafdder or the side of the boat. I understand the points that will be made that I should have exited with my buddy and I accept this criticism, but that is no excuse for the behavior of this crew. To move the boat and pull the ladder is both unprofessional and dangerous. In the current environment after the diver was left at the oil rig here in California it is unbelieveable that a dive operator would operate with 12 to 15 divers on board and not do a roll call and head count.