Define DISTRESS

[tjmills]

Very funny post Gard D.

 

[tlawler]

Nobody mentioned it yet, so I guess I will. Why didn't you swim in the direction of the dive boat? People who are not in distress swim for it. That's what I would have done.

 

[rawls]

I think it's a go with your gut kind of thing. If you feel distress then you are distressed.

 

[tjmills]

I think it's a go with your gut kind of thing. If you feel distress then you are distressed.

That seems like a clear road to panic to me. Obviously the DM wasn't concerned and it would seem to me that he was trying to aviod exactly that situation.

 

[Loneranger]

Unfortunately 5-10+ minute waits on the surface are common when drift diving in Palm Beach-Jupiter. There is no need to panic you had an experienced buddy with you, and the boat should not be going in unless they can't count. (Has not happened in a while in this area). If you do not like being in this situation, stay with the diver with the float ball. The boat uses the ball as a reference as to where diviers should be surfacing, and should be close by for pickup.

 

[dkktsunami]

I surfaced this weekend from a "Lemon Shark" dive down here in Palm Beach in the middle of a driving rainstorm. My buddy (coincidentally, the dive master who was diving that day) and I saw our boat in the distance and weren't sure if (a) the boat couldn't see us or (b) could see us but were picking up other divers.
We bobbed in the water for 25 minutes with our safety tubes bent over by the wind, our lights aimed at the boat starting to dim, and our whistles drowned out by the storm.
By now, we were also worried about being struck by craft racing back to shore.
At this point, when I saw our boat getting closer (but still not approaching us for a pick up) I started to wave.
The dive master said, "Don't do that, he'll think we're in distress".
Were we?

The boat apparently made no acknowledgement that they had seen you. Under the conditions that you have described, I would have wanted to make myself seen. I would have probably done the same thing until boat returned signal.

 

[Scuba Brad]

Gary.........Distress: #1 how about when your internal wet suit warming system goes off more often than you had planned. Panic:"#2" ......ahhh well you get the idea.

Happy Diving

 

[abysmaldiver]

After bobbing for 25 minutes in rough seas i would have set off a signal flare if it was accessable

 

[H2Andy]

After bobbing for 25 minutes in rough seas i would have set off a signal flare if it was accessable

see.... bad move right there... what are you going to beat the sharks off with?
or, if your buddy pisses you off, what are you going to threaten your buddy with?

eyebrow

j/k

i would have shot a flair too if it looked like they didn't know where i was after
25-30 minutes. better end the situation sooner ratherr than latter, and better
err on the side of caution. we can all laugh at what a wimp i am once
i'm back in the boat and safe.