An undesired ride

[freename]

I had an... interesting experience last weekend that I would like to share and get some thoughts on. I'm going to leave out some details that will just muddy the water.

I was leading a group of 5 (myself and 4 others) on a deep shore dive - or, that was the intent at least. At one point at around 40 feet, someone managed to kick up a massive amount of silt and visibility went to zero in a heartbeat. I found two of my group, but there were two others that were nowhere to be found. So I decided to follow protocol and ascent.

The difficulty is that we were diving in an active marine area. This is a place where I have heard of idiots on boats dragging dive flags, so I had intentionally not brought one with us. I did have my DSMB however and, because I didn't want to surface only to get run over, I shot it. We began to ascent. At 15 feet we paused for our safety stop... and this is where things went a little sideways.

I heard a boat motor approaching. My first thought, "oh no."

... the motor quiets...

... and then it picks up again...

... and my DSMB goes flying. I start to get pulled along with it and quickly lose sight of the remaining two, but I pop off the clip holding the line to the reel (unfortunately losing it to the deep as I do so) and let the line run out. What can I say, I didn't want to just drop it immediately...

[EDIT: Please note that I did *not* have the DSMB clipped to me. I had the line clipped to the reel. I could have let go at any point.]

So, the boat slows before too long and I surface behind them... and I belt out, at the top of my lungs, a very emphatic "f*** you!"

Then I realize that I'm swearing at a police boat.

I'm going to skip the details about how I told them I didn't have time for them and went immediately to trying to find the other divers, or my bitching them out about their actions and endangering us; I'm also going to skip commenting on how they tried to turn it around to try to pin the blame on me (until they realized that there wasn't actually any law I was breaking by not having the red and white dive flag). Let me jump ahead and state that everyone got up safely and made it to the shore without issue. I should also state that when the police were deciding to mess with my DSMB, there were people ON THE SHORE who could recognize it as belonging to a diver and shouting at them to leave it alone.

So... now I'm at a point where I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth. These are people who should have known better, who could have caused a serious problem. But, what do I do? Do I cause a stink at the marine police department about getting their staff educated? Do I just forget it because, let's face it, nothing useful is likely to come of my complaints? Do I send them an invoice for my lost hardware and emotional damage? Ha!

... in all honesty, I think they knew what they were doing all along...

 

[Freewillow]

1. I would pay them a visit and formally complain. After all, police is there to receive complaint.

2. It is un UNSAFE PRACTICE to be tied to your real in the event that you get your DSMB taken away by a boat.

Good luck with the police

 

[sea_ledford]

First thing you should do is not clip a float of any sort to yourself, especially in an area where it is known that this type of stuff happens.

I have never understood this clipping off thing. You are either ascending, thus winding up the reel as you go, or doing a 3-5 min stop. Just hold the thing.

You could also write "diver below" plus any sort of additional inappropriate messages to get your point across. I wouldn't think complaining to the police would get much accomplished, but then again since you are in Canada, maybe they'll apologize out of habit

-Chris

 

[freename]

First thing you should do is not clip a float of any sort to yourself, especially in an area where it is known that this type of stuff happens.

2. It is un UNSAFE PRACTICE to be tied to your real in the event that you get your DSMB taken away by a boat.

Apparently I wasn't clear... I've edited my text above accordingly. Suffice it to say, the DSMB wasn't clipped to me. The line was clipped to the reel. I could have let go at any point and it would have gone bye-bye (but stayed the same depth! Ha!). The unclipping was to allow the reel to, well, unreel.

Unreal.

(I 100% agree with both of you, by the way...)

 

[Freewillow]

Got it .

 

[chillyinCanada]

I think it behooves you to attempt to get the police educated. You'll be doing a public service. The question is whether there's value in going to the police or the media. Media could get everyone educated not just the police.

 

[Edward3c]

Hi freename,

When organising any dive, be it from a boat or shore, its a requirement of my organisation to undertake a risk assessment. If training is involved it must be recorded.

Are there specific regulations/rules for diving the site?

What was the pre-dive brief about buddy pairing, 5 is a 2 and 3. did everyone know which buddy they belonged to?

Did you brief the team about the possibility of poor viability because of silt? I’ve instructed pairs to head (for example) ‘up the slope’ or ‘North’ and meet up again out of the silt.

If the potential for silt was high you could have used a buddy line to keep the group together. I had 6 inches viability at the start of last Saturday’s dive, so we held hands until the vis improved at 6m. But the briefing was we abort the dive if vis was still 6in at 6m.

If diving in a boating area why wasn’t a SMB (with flag) used from the start?

Attaching your DSMB to yourself is a no no, who trained you?

As for reporting the police for their action? I would, but then I’m in the UK.

 

[Marie13]

I would definitely go to the police, as well as the local media.

 

[freename]

Thanks for your thoughts, Edward... let me address them one by one:

When organising any dive, be it from a boat or shore, its a requirement of my organisation to undertake a risk assessment. If training is involved it must be recorded.

Risk was assessed. Decisions were made based on my knowledge of the area; I'm quite content with them - though the buddy line is a good idea that I hadn't considered, I may have to steal that.

Are there specific regulations/rules for diving the site?

The only ones are pertaining to how / where you can enter the water. None were broken.

What was the pre-dive brief about buddy pairing, 5 is a 2 and 3. did everyone know which buddy they belonged to?

Yes.

Did you brief the team about the possibility of poor viability because of silt? I’ve instructed pairs to head (for example) ‘up the slope’ or ‘North’ and meet up again out of the silt.

Yes. The divers knew what to do and were grouped appropriately to ensure everyone had someone experienced with them in the worst case scenario.

If the potential for silt was high you could have used a buddy line to keep the group together. I had 6 inches viability at the start of last Saturday’s dive, so we held hands until the vis improved at 6m. But the briefing was we abort the dive if vis was still 6in at 6m.

As I said, I think I'm going to use this idea next time I dive that site... well, the buddy line - 5 people holding hands would have gotten messy.

If diving in a boating area why wasn’t a SMB (with flag) used from the start?

As mentioned, I know of previous incidents where boaters at that site have dragged dive floats / flags. A choice was made based on the risks. I stand by it.

Attaching your DSMB to yourself is a no no, who trained you?

I'm not going to get past this one, am I? I DID NOT attach the DSMB to me. There was never a point where I couldn't have let go of the reel and been free of the whole thing. *grumbles*

As for reporting the police for their action? I would, but then I’m in the UK.

Still on the fence about this one.

 

[Edward3c]

Hi freename,

DSMB, OK terminology.

I've used the real from my DSMB as a buddy line linking students through poor vis. Takes a bit of practise and well worth a dry-run before getting in the water as lines and divers don't mix well.

I've had a yacht tie-up on mine once, they didn't know what the A-Flag stood for.