Brownie's Southport Divers loses divers

[DeepSeaExplorer]

They do hot drops on deep wrecks in that area. Some wrecks are too deep to tie-in, especially when in the 200ft+ range.

It’s the dive team’s responsibility to shoot a bag when leaving the wreck. The boat then follows. If the divers delay shooting a bag, they can drift a long way, leaving the boat to search for them. It has happened to me, not a big deal. I know the boat will come get me. Sometimes there are so many boats in the area it’s makes it difficult to track the divers. The boat doesn’t know the exact moment the divers will surface, so they drift with the divers while staying close by.

Other boaters often make it more difficult, had one try to steal our bag while we were doing deco underneath it. Our boat had to run them off.

 

[LI-er]

I've been on dive boats where they drop groups of divers in different areas. Some want the reef, some want a wreck, and they're doing their best to try and accommodate everyone.

Throw in some unpredictable current at depth and some longer, shallow dives and you can get separation like that.

 

[Dan G]

I've been on dive boats where they drop groups of divers in different areas. Some want the reef, some want a wreck, and they're doing their best to try and accommodate everyone.

Throw in some unpredictable current at depth and some longer, shallow dives and you can get separation like that.

This practice, called "split drops" (IIRC) was discussed in a thread earlier this year. Not something I'd like to be on a boat doing.

 

[boulderjohn]

This practice, called "split drops" (IIRC) was discussed in a thread earlier this year. Not something I'd like to be on a boat doing.

If we are talking about the same thread, it was about a case where a group was dropped at a dive site, after which the boat left to take the remaining divers to the second site. One of the divers at the first site had a medical emergency during descent and was brought to the surface successfully. There was, of course, no dive boat there, and there was no way to contact that boat. They had to flag down a fishing boat for help. The diver, a major figure in the dive industry, did not make it.

I have participated in those split drops, and I do not like it. When I return this winter, I will do what I can to avoid them.

 

[CosbySweater]

Yeah they should, but honestly I think they focus heavily on the yacht industry.

I also own a Island Hopper charter vessel in Broward County.
Hydrotherapy Dive Charters – Snorkel. Scuba. Explore.

I have seen this video on qualified captain already as well. While there are definite issues with what happened, the guy filming was a complete prick, and he nor many of the people commenting on the videos understand much about how diving works. There are a lot of assumptions being made without knowing the details of what happened leading up to this.

This appears like a recreational trip. I do not see a dive flag, and only a single SMB deployed. If the divers hot dropped on a shipwreck and didn't appropriately shoot the bag when coming off the wreck, they could have drifted quite a distance before they got a bag up.

They also could have been blown off the downline, if one was attached, and drifted before sending up an SMB. It is highly likely the divers share some of the responsibility in this situation.

The current here was 6+ knots the other day when we went to do a tech dive on the Hydro Atlantic. We drifted nearly 2 miles on deco before surfacing. My captain was right there when we surfaced because we have good communication and a plan in place. However it takes a coordinated effort to get it right. We simply don't know the full story here about this particular incident.

I posted many of these same points on the qualified captain’s instagram post for this video and got ROASTED. Gotta love the gram! Too many unknowns to make a solid judgement on what happened. The only solid judgement I can make is that the situation could have been resolved with a simple radio call.

 

[CosbySweater]

If we are talking about the same thread, it was about a case where a group was dropped at a dive site, after which the boat left to take the remaining divers to the second site. One of the divers at the first site had a medical emergency during descent and was brought to the surface successfully. There was, of course, no dive boat there, and there was no way to contact that boat. They had to flag down a fishing boat for help. The diver, a major figure in the dive industry, did not make it.

I have participated in those split drops, and I do not like it. When I return this winter, I will do what I can to avoid them.

For hunters on recreational dive charters, split drops are often the only option if you want to hunt. I only do it with a select number of captains in well known dive sites. I also chose to accept added risk it entails and dive with three forms of surface communication.

 

[johndiver999]

Yeah they should, but honestly I think they focus heavily on the yacht industry.

I also own a Island Hopper charter vessel in Broward County.
Hydrotherapy Dive Charters – Snorkel. Scuba. Explore.

I have seen this video on qualified captain already as well. While there are definite issues with what happened, the guy filming was a complete prick, and he nor many of the people commenting on the videos understand much about how diving works. There are a lot of assumptions being made without knowing the details of what happened leading up to this.

This appears like a recreational trip. I do not see a dive flag, and only a single SMB deployed. If the divers hot dropped on a shipwreck and didn't appropriately shoot the bag when coming off the wreck, they could have drifted quite a distance before they got a bag up.

They also could have been blown off the downline, if one was attached, and drifted before sending up an SMB. It is highly likely the divers share some of the responsibility in this situation.

The current here was 6+ knots the other day when we went to do a tech dive on the Hydro Atlantic. We drifted nearly 2 miles on deco before surfacing. My captain was right there when we surfaced because we have good communication and a plan in place. However it takes a coordinated effort to get it right. We simply don't know the full story here about this particular incident.

6 knots of current... That is hard to believe, I've never seen much over 4.5... What was it like on the bottom???

 

[LandonL]

6 knots of current... That is hard to believe, I've never seen much over 4.5... What was it like on the bottom???

The average was indeed 6 knots between the North / South current check. I did a double take when we were checking. What was it like? Somewhat like skydiving sideways. lol.

I had to grab the wreck as we blew over top and I did a 180 turn from the point of contact almost immediately due to the flow. I dropped down in the hold to avoid the flow, and there were several areas inside the wreck where the silt was churned up just from the flow.

 

[johndiver999]

thanks, not sure what the terminology of north/south current check means.

 

[Catito]

Never heard of this charter. Not sure where they are based. Not one that I've ever used before.

Ditto. There is a Brownie's Dive shop in Riviera Beach...not the same?