Antigua: Dive boat leaves behind two scuba divers

[diver 85]

The dive op dropped the ball on this one for sure, but I have to wonder why someone else on the boat didn't realize that they were a couple of divers short? Was knowone on that boat paying any attention? almtree: Bob

My thoughts exactly but maybe it was 'take a moron diving day' there--- & alot of them got the word.......

 

[divingmedic]

The dive op dropped the ball on this one for sure, but I have to wonder why someone else on the boat didn't realize that they were a couple of divers short? Was knowone on that boat paying any attention? almtree: Bob

I dove with one of their op's in Turk/Cacios last year. Their instructors/DM leave a lot to be desired. One day one of the DM comes on the boat so hung over she couldnt put her gear together, one of the guest did. One day they spilt us up, no computer divers in one group and computer divers in another. I has having problems with a leak on my inflator hose coupling and stoped to fix it. When I fixed it I look up and everyone is gone, including the DM was my "buddy" for the dive. So I did the lost buddy procedure. When I surfaced I was about 100 yards from the boat. I drop down to 15 feet and swim back. When I get back on the boat the DM chews my butt for dropping back down and not doing a surface swim back to the boat. I will never dive with a Sandals/Beaches Resort again.

 

[shoredivr]

So, if this is an example of how disorganized and incompetent Sandals is in regards to their diving operations (ie, no company-wide roll call for all their dive boats everywhere),

why would anyone, knowing this, want to dive with them unless they modernized and updated their policies regarding roll calls?

Roll calls and sign in sheets and DAN tags are not new concepts.

 

[JillGadget]

(Thirteen divers on the boat, and no one – none of the other 11 divers, the instructor, the 2 DMs or the captain - noticed two of them, who had been there on the first dive, were no longer there???) Definitely, make yourself known to the crew AND other divers when you board.

Honestly, I think I have an advantage over men. Not only do I talk to everyone and their mother, but I am usually the only Female on the boat and a good deal of the time, I am the only Female puking.:l: So I get noticed
Jill (aka: pukegirl)

ps... If we get under way and a roll call is NOT done, I am now going to ask the crew why? It should be the standard.

 

[zufur]

What a terrible thing to happen...
That feeling of abandonment must have been horrible.
I hope everyone who reads this and is on a boat the next time will remember this story and insist on a proper system of keeping track of divers, cause not only do I wanna make sure I' am back on the boat, but I also dont want to be on the boat where someones goes missing, blaming myself later for not insisting on the roll call.

 

[JillGadget]

but I also dont want to be on the boat where someones goes missing, blaming myself later for not insisting on the roll call.

Good point.. our own guilt. i'd rather be a dork then feel guilty for not demanding a safety standard.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

ps... If we get under way and a roll call is NOT done, I am now going to ask the crew why? It should be the standard.

Honestly, I think if you are already underway it's too late. When I get on a new boat, I always shake hands with the captain and then specifically, courteously and pointedly say something along the lines of, "I just want to make sure you have a manifest and you will be calling roll before and after each dive, Captain?"

That puts the skipper on notice, politely of course, and these guys are smart enough to quickly compute that if something did happen their liability just skyrocketed because someone has raised the point.

Clearly, on the islands things are a bit more lax, but those dive operations are usually independent opreations, and the resorts contract with them. The boat captains are almost certainly not the owners of the boat, and liability laws there are much more lax --some would say nonexistent. But a word to whomever seems to be running the dive op, and another word to the captain may spark some action.

Of course, if all else fails, you can just say "let me off this boat."

Jeff

 

[fisheyeview]

It is not a fun feeling being let behind. I was DMing an O/W class in Ft Lauderdale several years ago. After dive 1 the instructor asked me to bring up the down line. I got to watch my boat leave while I was on the bottom attaching my lift bag.

It quickly causes a knot in your gut. Even for someone who is close to home and has been diving for a long time.

I can only imagine what these two were going through.

 

[sea nmf]

What a terrible thing to happen...
That feeling of abandonment must have been horrible.
I hope everyone who reads this and is on a boat the next time will remember this story and insist on a proper system of keeping track of divers, cause not only do I wanna make sure I' am back on the boat, but I also dont want to be on the boat where someones goes missing, blaming myself later for not insisting on the roll call.

One time here, on a club dive, the DM simply said "Is everyone back on the boat?" I suggested that he do a roll call and he ignored me. I reported it to the club president and he pretty much blew me off, too.

I left that club, not only for that reason, but it still makes me angry. I will say that the DM was new and every single previous club dive there were roll calls after each dive.

 

[Jim Ernst]

Maybe he was crying because he remembered how much the movie sucked?

I wold be crying also remembering that poor excuse for a movie!!

I am pleased to hear that they are safe, And as ststed before there is no excuse for losing those two divers!!