For a maintained anchor line and little to no current, little to no waves, I'd argue that is a really small risk, small enough for dive ops throughout the world to take it.
Dive Boat Unattended By Dive Op With Divers Below - Safe Practice?
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For a maintained anchor line and little to no current, little to no waves, I'd argue that is a really small risk, small enough for dive ops throughout the world to take it.
If you are diving 10-50 meters off shore without a current, a boat that drifts away, may be no big deal since you might as well be doing a shore dive. However, I can assure you that during the course of a 50 minute dive in open water, a boat can drift a lot farther in a 10-15 knot wind than you might be able to swim. When I take the family out boating on our lake, I always stay in the boat while they swim and snorkel. If I need to get in the water, another adult gets in the boat before I exit. I am not a boat captain, just a recreational boater, but that is just common sense IMO.
There have been several threads over the years where you have multiple divers with one DM/quide and an issue leads to a diver making a quick ascent with other divers left in the water.
Worst case scenario where it breaks just as everyone is far enough away, I'd agree with you. But again, low wind, low waves, low current, low risk. I'm a recreational boater myself. I've never left a boat unattended, other than to a mooring line that is owned/maintained by me. But I've seen it being done. I'd only have an issue if when I surfaced that getting to shore would be an issue.
I think it's bad practice to subjectively decide on the spot, based on current conditions, whether it's okay to leave a boat unattended. Sure, the risk may be small, but we as divers take precautions against the small risks all the time. This is a commercial operation, to which safety of their customers should be a prime concern. It's a small risk, but such an easy one to mitigate, simply by not leaving the boat unattended.
You assume that the diver reaching the surface is in good shape. What if they had a medical issue. what if they had cramps. What if they had a marine life injury. Not saying you cannot get away with it 95% of the time but if something happens no boat can be really bad. Seems like you are discarding another layer of safety.
Not clear in OPs post that the clients were asked. They came up to find captain out of the boat.
Local maritime authorities may impose and enforce requirements for attended commercial boats that fall under their jurisdiction. A couple of years ago a dive op in Grand Cayman got a fine and some bad press for having divers in the water without a lookout on the book, see the link below.
The article quotes Cayman Port Authority law as stating: “At least one person shall remain on board and act as a lookout on any dive boat or other vessel whilst divers therefrom are down.”
Dive operator fined for safety breach | Cayman Compass
The article quotes Cayman Port Authority law as stating: “At least one person shall remain on board and act as a lookout on any dive boat or other vessel whilst divers therefrom are down.”
Dive operator fined for safety breach | Cayman Compass
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Again. It comes down to calculated risk. In the US, the dive boats I've been on were taxis. In other places, I had to be accompanied. Now in some places having more staff is an economics issue. That's just reality.
I agree. I won't say it is the safest practice, but I'm trying to explain why a dive op, from their perspective, are willing to take such risks.
For situations where I can swim to shore, I personally don't have a problem with it for my own personal safety. Each individual needs to make that choice for himself or herself. In the case where I couldn't easy reach shore, there's no way I would do it. Others might. That's their choice.
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