UWSojourner
Contributor
Don't really know how to ask this but ... if I'm at 10ft on a safety stop are boats an issue? I know it might depend on the size of the ship, but give me an idea ... dive boats, fishing boats, etc.
Depth & Boats
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Don Burke
Contributor
It would take quite a boat to hit you at ten feet. You will hear them long before they are an issue.UWSojourner:
It is however, another reason to have a safe ascent path like a shotline or anchorline.
Also not unwise to deploy an SMB. Do this when you start your ascent. If you do a stop at 30' then blow the bag then or at 20' which ever is your preference.
I agree with Don. We were at 100' last week and the noise from a cargo ship just about wanted to rattle us. I could have sworn it was just overhead, but we were 1/2 mile from the nearest shipping lanes.
I agree with Don. We were at 100' last week and the noise from a cargo ship just about wanted to rattle us. I could have sworn it was just overhead, but we were 1/2 mile from the nearest shipping lanes.
I've been in Ky Lake when barges were in the area. You can hear and feel them even though they are a pretty good distance from you(as noted by OE2X). 10 feet down probably wouldn't be deep enough if they went right over you. Small craft like dive boats and fishing boats aren't much threat beyond three or feet down.
Sometimes I wonder if a surface marker is a good idea. I've been "trapped" UW while a jet skier used my dive float as a target to zip around. In the local lake, while at a depth of 12 to 15 feet and the line caught on my ankle I had a boat stop above me and the guy tried to pull the thing into his boat!! I tugged hard on the line and he hauled a little harder dragging me towards the surface. I was on myt way up to ream him out when he suddenly fired up the boat and took off. I was only about six feet from the surface. Just makes me wonder if I would be better off if the boaters and PWC'ers didn't know I was there.
Sometimes I wonder if a surface marker is a good idea. I've been "trapped" UW while a jet skier used my dive float as a target to zip around. In the local lake, while at a depth of 12 to 15 feet and the line caught on my ankle I had a boat stop above me and the guy tried to pull the thing into his boat!! I tugged hard on the line and he hauled a little harder dragging me towards the surface. I was on myt way up to ream him out when he suddenly fired up the boat and took off. I was only about six feet from the surface. Just makes me wonder if I would be better off if the boaters and PWC'ers didn't know I was there.
And I thought Florida boaters were bad!!!jbd:
My suggestion, fly a dive flag. It's usually better recognized than an SBM and while you'll have to drag it with you during your dive, all you really have to do is reel in the line when you ascend. Ultimately, it will depend on local laws, and what makes you feel safe. Here in FL., we have to fly a dive flag anytime we're 150' from the shore, unless we're doing a boat dive and the boat is tied to the dive site (whether it is a wreck or a reef), but on a deep drift dive, you guessed it, we must fly a dive flag.
pilot fish
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UWSojourner:
You should be at 15 ft on a safety stop. Are you diving near large ships, speed boats or barges? If that is the case then you should be floating a large diving flag near where you are diving. The DM in charge of the dive should know all this and be prepared for it.
Safe diving
emtdan
Contributor
Technicly, while at your safety stop, you should be right under your boat, or float, as the case may be. There should be a B I G dive flag, and the boaters of the area should recognize it, and stay away.
There was a case earlier this year where an instructor came up a little bit to help a student who had buoyancy problems, and they floated up a little, and got hit by a boat from ablove. I cant find the link...
In DAN's Alert Diver magazine, a few months ago, there was a article about a man who was hit by a launch boat, while waiting to be picked up after a dive.
there are rare cases that we all hear about, but they are isolated. As long as you take precausions, i doubt there will be a problem.
What kind of diving do you do? Where? How trafficed is the area?
There was a case earlier this year where an instructor came up a little bit to help a student who had buoyancy problems, and they floated up a little, and got hit by a boat from ablove. I cant find the link...
In DAN's Alert Diver magazine, a few months ago, there was a article about a man who was hit by a launch boat, while waiting to be picked up after a dive.
there are rare cases that we all hear about, but they are isolated. As long as you take precausions, i doubt there will be a problem.
What kind of diving do you do? Where? How trafficed is the area?
Don Burke:
Sail boats under sail power alone are silent and the bottom of the keel board extends up to 10 feet below the surface. A good sail boat can do 7 knotts and some even faster. A current around the world by sail speed record is being challenged with anticipated average speed of 15 knotts, but that is a special case.
Large ships will of course draw more than 10 feet (20-30 feet) but their engines would let you know they were comming.
UWSojourner:
Some of the larger sail boats (50') have keels that run to 9+ feet. They obviously could be a risk, if they are common in your area.
pilot fish:
Some of us do our stops in 10' increments and not the ubiquitous 15' stop that everyone has been trained in. So it's not out of the question to do a 3 or more minute stop at 10'. I recently had a 13 minute deco obligation at 10'. Also not everyone dives with a DM all the time, so you should be responsible for yourself at all times. If you are going to do a blue water ascent to the surface some sort of marking device is highly advisable.
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