bad dive boat?

[23angler]

Well this weekend i went out on a dive charter for my dive cert. on the way out Saturday i was up on the fly bridge talking to the captain and ask him what does he do when he gets to his planed spot and there is a boat anchored there fishing.
His response got my attention and totally put me against this dive charter. He said that he will and does drop divers off next to on top of the fishing boat that was there first. He also said that no one owns the spots and that he has every rite to do that. But he will be pissed if you come and fish on top of his divers. He also said that he would rather deal with an angry fisherman than a boat full of angry divers. Well i think that if he does the rite thing here he will choose an alternate site and keep all parties happy.

Then today on the way out to our first dive site there was another charter dive boat there and he suggested that we try an alternate site, which the customers agreed to. So all where happy in this time.

This leads me to believe that at least this charter captain does not like rec fisherman or divers since he came about 75 feet from a dive flag that was being displayed on a rec. divers boat.

I guess i will not be going on that boat any more since the caption had no regards for the law or the safety of his divers of the other divers and fisherman on the water.

Just wanting to vent and hear other opinions on this matter.

Later
Brian

 

[The Kraken]

I'm not a captain of any sort of seagoing vessel, other than my canoe, but I do believe there are certain Coast Guard laws governing anchoring in the proximity of vessels already at anchor.

I hope some others will drop in on this thread because I experienced the same scenario not more than a month ago. I want to make the dive for which I paid, but not at the expense of a boat captain breaking the law to just in order to make sure he satisfied his paying customers.

As we say down south, "That just aint right!"

 

[String]

Why bother anchoring. Just do what we do here and use a "live boat".

No rules to stop that at all

 

[The Kraken]

String, I feel as if that would, in essence, be the same thing.
A person has established presence of place. I do hope that there still exists such things as honor, respect and integrity.

 

[Boogie711]

Explain again why sharing a wreck makes for a bad dive captain?

If divers aren't rototilling silt up all over the place, I find most fish just think you're mildly amusing and then ignore you. Let's face it - a diver is a heck of a lot dumber and slower looking than anything else they'll encounter down there.

On the other hand, if the dive boat is full of pink-snorkel, split fin wearing vacation divers, I can understand that there would be a problem...

 

[Don Burke]

Well this weekend i went out on a dive charter for my dive cert. on the way out Saturday i was up on the fly bridge talking to the captain and ask him what does he do when he gets to his planed spot and there is a boat anchored there fishing.

The first problem is that he should have tossed you off the flying bridge.

This from CFR Title 46:

Sec. 122.306 Passengers excluded from operating station.

When practicable the master shall exclude passengers from the operating station of a vessel when the passengers could distract the navigating crew from their responsibilities, or when otherwise directed by the cognizant OCMI.

His response got my attention and totally put me against this dive charter.

You were apparently looking for something to put you off and you found it.

He said that he will and does drop divers off next to on top of the fishing boat that was there first. He also said that no one owns the spots and that he has every rite to do that.

That is correct.

But he will be pissed if you come and fish on top of his divers.

That is his right.

He also said that he would rather deal with an angry fisherman than a boat full of angry divers.

Sometimes a captain has to make choices out there.

Well i think that if he does the rite thing here he will choose an alternate site and keep all parties happy.

Much of the time, it is literally impossible to keep all parties happy.

Then today on the way out to our first dive site there was another charter dive boat there and he suggested that we try an alternate site, which the customers agreed to.

There is a world of difference between a dive boat, a head boat and some little fishing boat.

So all where happy in this time.

Wanna bet? No one griped about not going to the planned site?

This leads me to believe that at least this charter captain does not like rec fisherman or divers since he came about 75 feet from a dive flag that was being displayed on a rec. divers boat.

Florida law calls for one hundred feet when practical in some waters and three hundred feet when practical in other waters. Perhaps he did not feel it was practical. It is also possible the small boat was illegally flying the flag and he could see this.

I guess i will not be going on that boat any more since the caption had no regards for the law or the safety of his divers of the other divers and fisherman on the water.

Get your master ticket and run boats for a couple of years. It will be an eye opener. There may have been no violation of law here other than allowing you on the bridge.

Everyone thinks he owns the ocean. Everyone has his own interpretation of what "on top of" means. I have had guys who have not caught a thing all day blame me for poor fishing when I hook a wreck 100 feet away at 1000.

Just wanting to vent and hear other opinions on this matter.

I think you need to run a dive boat for few years.

 

[CBulla]

Florida law calls for one hundred feet when practical in some waters and three hundred feet when practical in other waters. Perhaps he did not feel it was practical. It is also possible the small boat was illegally flying the flag and he could see this.

Only because I am a serious stickler about making sure that the state law is correctly quoted, here is the synapsis of the law as posted on the official Florida Wildlife Comission website. I've taken the liberty of bolding the area that is appropriate:

http://myfwc.com/law/boatsafe/StateReq.htm

DIVERS-DOWN FLAG

The size of divers-down flags displayed on vessels must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches, and a stiffener is required to keep the flag unfurled. Dive flags carried on floats may still be 12 inches by 12 inches. Also, divers-down flags on vessels must be displayed above the vessel’s highest point so that the flag's visibility is not obstructed in any direction.

Divers must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of a divers-down flag on open waters (all waterways other than rivers, inlets, or navigation channels) and within 100 feet of a flag within rivers, inlets, or navigation channels.

Vessel operators must make a reasonable effort to maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from divers-down flags on open waters and at least 100 feet from flags on rivers, inlets, or navigation channels. Vessels approaching divers-down flags closer than 300 feet in open water and 100 feet in rivers, inlets, and navigation channels must slow to idle speed.

Happy diving and beware the uneduacted boaters!

 

[cdiver2]

The first problem is that he should have tossed you off the flying bridge.

This from CFR Title 46:

Sec. 122.306 Passengers excluded from operating station.

When practicable the master shall exclude passengers from the operating station of a vessel when the passengers could distract the navigating crew from their responsibilities, or when otherwise directed by the cognizant OCMI.

WHEN the passanger could distract the navigating crew.
Emphasis on WHEN, obviously the Capt did not think he was being distracted.


You were apparently looking for something to put you off and you found it.

Substitute GUESS for assume


Florida law calls for one hundred feet when practical in some waters and three hundred feet when practical in other waters. Perhaps he did not feel it was practical. It is also possible the small boat was illegally flying the flag and he could see this.

Why would it not be practical ?

Perhaps = Guess
There may have been no violation of law here other than allowing you on the bridge.

?
How about giving the name of your charter so I know to steer clear of it.

 

[DennisS]

Well this weekend i went out on a dive charter for my dive cert. on the way out Saturday i was up on the fly bridge talking to the captain and ask him what does he do when he gets to his planed spot and there is a boat anchored there fishing.
His response got my attention and totally put me against this dive charter. He said that he will and does drop divers off next to on top of the fishing boat that was there first. He also said that no one owns the spots and that he has every rite to do that. But he will be pissed if you come and fish on top of his divers. He also said that he would rather deal with an angry fisherman than a boat full of angry divers. Well i think that if he does the rite thing here he will choose an alternate site and keep all parties happy.

Then today on the way out to our first dive site there was another charter dive boat there and he suggested that we try an alternate site, which the customers agreed to. So all where happy in this time.

This leads me to believe that at least this charter captain does not like rec fisherman or divers since he came about 75 feet from a dive flag that was being displayed on a rec. divers boat.

I guess i will not be going on that boat any more since the caption had no regards for the law or the safety of his divers of the other divers and fisherman on the water.

Just wanting to vent and hear other opinions on this matter.

Later
Brian

Surprise, there are dive boat captains that don't like divers on their bridge. They rely on divers for their paycheck and are not allowed to tell them to frop off, so they tell them anything that comes to mind. They do want to have a safe dive.

 

[MSP Rescue Diver]

What you described is fairly common on charters I've been on. A big dive boat full of paying divers comes up to the wreck and that's usually enough to get the smaller fishing boat to move on. The fishing boat usually realizes that the fish are going to get spooked with all the divers around, and that the fishing isn't going to be any good anyway. The only time I've ever had a captain ask about changing sites is when there's already a dive boat or two moored to a wreck when we've arrived.

Personally I usually check ahead of time to find out what sites the boat's going to, and make my boat selection based on the site. And I've been annoyed when we haven't gone to where we're supposed to, though it's only happened twice.

Marc