DIVE OPs AND BASIC EQUIPMENT

[cdiver2]

While reading the thread diver dies on French reef I saw a post where a poster stated binoculars would have helped. I suddenly realized I had never seen a pair of binoculars on a day dive boat in the US or anywhere else in the world for that matter. This seemed a little odd, at least to me. I would have thought any mariner would have them and perhaps it should be part of the standard equipment on a dive boat, or am I asking for to much?
What should be standard equipment on a day dive boat?.

 

[SteveAD]

Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean they're not there. Binos are small, easy to stow, and don't take kindly to being left exposed to the elements. Every charter boat that I deal with regularly has at least one pair available. It's also worthwhile to keep a set in a waterproof case in your personal gearbag.

 

[covediver]

They seem to be sandard equipment on larger dive boats 45 feet or greater that I have been on, usually up holster box up in the wheel house. I too have not seen them on smaller dive boats, although I would suspect they might be buried in the storage console to prevent damage. When I was a divemaster, I would carry good field glasses in my pack but only had one or two occassions to use them (amazing how an orange lobster bouy bobing in the swells looks like I divers tank in the kelp to the naked eye) and eventually quit carryng them. On fast, small boats (six packs) I would think the need for binoculars would be limited. The boat is moving fast and bouncing enroute which limits the use of binocs. Also, the unaided eye is a great tool for scanning and seeing contrasts perhaps even more so than vision aided by binoculars which while it enlarges detail limits field of vision. I note that when I flew search and rescue from small airplanes we did not use binoculars because they limited field of vision and induced airsickness if used. They are good for magnifying detail once a target is recognized but limited for scanning.

 

[cdiver2]

Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean they're not there. Binos are small, easy to stow, and don't take kindly to being left exposed to the elements. Every charter boat that I deal with regularly has at least one pair available. It's also worthwhile to keep a set in a waterproof case in your personal gearbag.

But by the same token just because they are small/easy to stow doe,s not mean they have them. The reason the use of binoculars came to mind. I have never seen a thread where divers were lost and there was any mention of binoculars used in the search.

 

[cdiver2]

They seem to be sandard equipment on larger dive boats 45 feet or greater that I have been on, usually up holster box up in the wheel house. I too have not seen them on smaller dive boats, although I would suspect they might be buried in the storage console to prevent damage. When I was a divemaster, I would carry good field glasses in my pack but only had one or two occassions to use them (

amazing how an orange lobster bouy bobing in the swells looks like I divers tank in the kelp to the naked eye

) and eventually quit carryng them. On fast, small boats (six packs) I would think the need for binoculars would be limited. The boat is moving fast and bouncing enroute which limits the use of binocs. Also, the unaided eye is a great tool for scanning and seeing contrasts perhaps even more so than vision aided by binoculars which while it enlarges detail limits field of vision. I note that when I flew search and rescue from small airplanes we did not use binoculars because they limited field of vision and induced airsickness if used. They are good for magnifying detail once a target is recognized but limited for scanning.

Granted using them on a small MOVING boat is not the best of conditions or use, however if still at anchor and you know x # of divers have not returned perhaps a quick scan of the area might be prudent.