California Commercial Dive Boat Discharge

[Leejnd]

Maybe I'm just dense, but something is not clear to me: Did the boat discharge sewage while moored or anchored at a dive site? With divers IN THE WATER???

If this is the case, EEEWWW!!! Obviously that's horrific...dumping poo on top of divers' heads??!!??

On the other hand...did the discharge take place while the boat was underway out at sea, during the journey there or back? If that's the case, and if the boat was more than 3 miles offshore, then they did nothing wrong. We have a boat, and when we go for multi-day trips out to the Channel Islands, we've gotta pump out our head occasionally. Hey, a holding tank will only hold so much! It is perfectly legal to dump your holding tank into the open ocean, provided you are outside of that 3 mile limit.

Obviously human waste is a health hazard if it is dumped in large quantities in small areas, such as many boats in a harbor, or in areas where people might come in contact with it, such as near shore. But when you're talking about a single boat out at sea it's no different than the waste that a pack of sea lions or a pod of whales or dolphins are putting out there...it's just poo, and is quickly diluted in the big ocean.

But if it was on diver's heads, PLEASE do share who the dive boat was! I'm going out on a SoCal dive boat this weekend, and I sure don't want poo on MY head!

 

[Delta_P]

It was definately more than 3 miles off shore as we were in the channel islands. The practice is unbelievable in relation to providing a service to divers to experience the "pristine" waters of the islands. So not only is the sea life exposed to the mess, a diver's health is jeapordized by swimming through it getting on and off the boat.

So, to be clear, this happened at anchor while divers were in the water? What size of boat - over 65' or under?

I'm Canadian so I'm not up on your regulations, except that if I enter your waters I must have the discharge valve from the holding tank closed and locked out. I'm wondering if you were on an old boat with an antiquated/illegal sewage system that somehow escaped inspection, or someone screwed up and left the wrong valve open. An email would probably be in order since divers picking toilet paper off their snorkels isn't going to generate repeat business.

 

[ekoast]

Maybe I'm just dense, but something is not clear to me: Did the boat discharge sewage while moored or anchored at a dive site? With divers IN THE WATER???

If this is the case, EEEWWW!!! Obviously that's horrific...dumping poo on top of divers' heads??!!??

Yes it was while moored at the dive site. We did an experiment, because we couldn't believe it at first. The deck heads have constant running (I assume sea) water. We tossed a small amount of toilet paper in the head and went over the gate to see it shoot out the side of the boat.

Don't get me wrong, I don't object to it while the boat is underway and outside of the 3 mile limit. But just not at the dive site.

One thing I'm not clear on regarding the 3 mile limit line. Is that measured from the main coast line or also around the channel islands as well?

 

[DwayneJ]

Definitely sounds illegal and not cool. I have a 31' boat and marine sanitation is the number one check made by Harbor Patrol - They want to see the method you use to disable discharge within the 3 mile limit.

Checked my charts and there is definitely a 3 mile limit around all coast line including Catalina and the Channel Islands.

http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/vessel_sewage/vsdfaq.html#3

Having water circulating through the heads nonstop would quickly fill a holding tank so sounds like no holding tank in the loop.

Worst case they may fall into a grey category based on the age of the vessel...

http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Pubs/FedMSD/index.htm

Who was it? PM me if you like.

 

[Leejnd]

Okay, so I'm officially grossed out.

My understanding is that it's 3-miles from the coasts of the islands as well. When we've taken our boat to the Channel Islands, we always make sure we're a good 3 miles out from any land before we pump out our tank.

Can ya share the boat name in PM? I've got my favorite local boats, and I wanna know what boat I should be avoiding!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I find it funny that some of the same people grossed out about a boat discharging sewage overboard at a dive site also say they pee in their wetsuits.

 

[cmburch]

I think one may have to experience it.

Imagine surfacing from a great dive. Looking up at the sun shimmering down from the surface and seeing what first looks like thin jellyfish in a cloud of turbid water then recognizing it is falling apart toilet paper. Large sea lions swim through the cloudy plume of water gobbling up the turds.

 

[snowflake4727]

This brings me to another question.

Can I do the Warhammer within 3 miles?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I can understand that this is not cool ... but think it's pretty funny that folks are grossed out by it.

Last time I was in Bonaire, I was underneath a turtle taking this picture ...

... note the size of the "tailpipe". Just before I snapped off the shutter, the turtle dropped a "Mr. Goodbar" about the size of a human turd ... it almost landed on me before I noticed.

And if anybody's ever swam with any large sea critter, guess what they do? Freak'n bumphead parrotfish are like aquatic cows f'er crissakes.

... and it's still less gross than your typical public swimming pool ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Mr.X]

Some of the dive boats in NY discharge macerated human poo when they are 3 miles out. There have been several occasions where divers in the water happened to be "lucky" enough to been swimming to the anchor line when someone needed to go. It's not a pretty sight. However, us techies never complained much about it and it usually ended up as topside banter as ca-ca- & pee-pee jokes.

That being said - it is three miles out, in particle form and dilute enough in a big ocean that it wouldn't really matter. If I were using a snorkel to get to the anchor, or it was nearshore where toilet paper could wash up in clumps I'd say we would have a problem. Ick.