Antigua: Dive boat leaves behind two scuba divers

[guggie]

This thread convinced me to buy two DAN SMBs for my son and I for upcoming dives in Playa del Carmen and Cozumel. I hope it's one more thing that gets clipped to me that I never need.

 

[DandyDon]

In August I dove in Aruba with an operation that will go unnamed. they didnt take head counts. I asked about it and the one young divemaster said she counted the people in her head. very unnerving. Naturally Next day new dive operator, they were A+
Guess thats another question i need to ask in advance

Hell, don't be so shy. Insist on a manifest roll call starting at the dock or better - offer to do it. Pencil works better than ballpoint. If they have any problem with the idea, ask loudly if they accept tips...?!

 

[sporket]

Great point!

 

[Tricia]

This thread convinced me to buy two DAN SMBs for my son and I for upcoming dives in Playa del Carmen and Cozumel. I hope it's one more thing that gets clipped to me that I never need.

Sorry to be so ignorant, but what's an "SMB"? After reading all of this, I'm reading to buy anything that will help me get back to the boat!

Trish

 

[DandyDon]

Sorry to be so ignorant, but what's an "SMB"? After reading all of this, I'm reading to buy anything that will help me get back to the boat!

Trish

Stands for Surface Marker Buoy, I think - references a Safety Sausage type visual signaling device. There are different choices on size and type, but even the small $20US models will help when needed. Never go to sea without one.

A couple I know here told me about being lost in the current from a boat dive off of Bonaire. I asked if they had Sausages? "They were in our dive bags on the boat." :11:

I carry a small Sausage, Signal mirror, Storm whistel, Dive Alert whistle, and and LED Dive light on every dive just in case.

 

[guggie]

Sorry to be so ignorant, but what's an "SMB"? After reading all of this, I'm reading to buy anything that will help me get back to the boat!

Trish

https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/catalog/products/641-1000.html

 

[littlewaywelt]

I dove this year in Antigua at the Jolly Beach resort, I don't remember the dive resort name but it is on the the resort property, head counts after each dive were very positive and done twice, extremely professional...

uncaged

It's Jolly Dive

I got my ow at Jolly Dive last year and did a resort dive with them the year before. I agree, they were very professional. Will be heading back to Curtain Bluff in Antigua again this year, but I will do my dives out of CB. I haven't see a dive boat out of CB with more than 6 ppl on the boat and it was usually closer to 2-4 ppl with one dm. Seems pretty safe. Only 1 dive per day, though.

 

[MarkUK]

I carry a small Sausage, Signal mirror, Storm whistel, Dive Alert whistle, and and LED Dive light on every dive just in case.

You might want to think about getting a small DSMB reel – or a spool, which you guys seem fond of using – to go with your SMB, as it is all well and good having something you can inflate once on the surface to raise awareness, but no good if you are at 100ft and get pulled off a wall by the current and are rapidly drifting away from the wall/boat/other divers. If you've got a reel, you can send up the DSMB immediately and then make your ascent hanging under it. If you get it launched fast enough, it should still be in visible range of your surface cover, wheras waiting till you have ascended to the surface, you might not be.

Just a thought...

Mark

 

[DandyDon]

Got a reel (what is a spool anyway?), carry it some and have practiced deploying it from 70 ft, maybe I should carry it more - with the rest of the walking dive shop I carry when I step off the boat?

 

[divingyogini]

The Antigua Sun (a reputable source) had a follow up story:

Antigua Sun

I think the original story had a wee bit too much drama to be considered the full truth. Journalists are trained not to editorialize, "crying like a baby", is opinion writing, not reporting.