Diver Dead in South Florida

[Errol Kalayci]

No boat should have engines running anytime anyone is getting into or out of the water, or near people in the water. If the engines are not running, no one can get chopped up by the props. This is a basic rule of safety and there is no reason to not follow it. If a boat is afraid engines will not start up again, they had no business leaving the doc. Commercial boats like electricians on projects have the lock out/tag out rule so boat can not start or electric can’t turn on and fry someone. The industry must stop allowing Captains to get away with such unsafe behavior. I always insist before boarding a boat that the captain follow this basic safety rule or I will not board. If everyone did the same the would have to follow safe practice or be out of business which their negligent actions will put all boats out of business with unobtainable insurance premiums if it does not stop. It sickens me! I teach basic open water course like GUE Rec1 or openwater divers to speak with captain prior to boarding and ensure they keep engines off and show them where O2 kit is - or else not board, and walk away. Exactly 0 people have ever been chopped up with boat engines off prior to allowing anyone near the boat in the water. How many times has a captain bumped the gears while picking up divers or clothes caught since boat rocking, or did not look, or forgot it was in reverse or forward....engine off people and it can not happen! Is that too deep of thought captain? For the record, I had a charter dive boat for years (Grateful Diver) and that was an ironclad rule any violation would be immediate termination of captain. Same rule on my private boat, and any boat I go on.

 

[muzikbiz22]

No boat should have engines running anytime anyone is getting into or out of the water, or near people in the water..

Ever dive the oil rigs in Southern California ? How about Cozumel ? Lot's of divers/boats do hot drops/pickups every day without issue.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Ever dive the oil rigs in Southern California ? How about Cozumel ? Lot's of divers/boats do hot drops/pickups every day without issue.

Normalization of deviance. Deviation from best safety practices isn’t a problem until it is.

 

[Errol Kalayci]

Hot drops are fine, I bring a torpedo of course so boat can track me and the engines are shut down before We jump in. Yes it is easily done, if you worried about current and don’t have a dpv then drop a little further upstream.

There is no excuse for engines being on. Counter arguments remind me of people that drive drunk for years with no issues (yet), or so drugs and have not OD (yet).

I have dive experience in every dive environment around the globe and have 100 Ton USCG Captain License, etc. Engines on while people are entering or exiting the water is prima facia evidence or negligence in my opinion. Any dive captains that operate without shutting off engines should keep my old friend, a dive defense attorney, on speed dial- since he is contacted by insurance company to attempt to defend a pretty indefensible action.

 

[johndiver999]

Having the engine(s) off when dropping divers- especially with a float can present some problems. If the divers do not exit the boat at the right time and simultaneously, the wind or the divers motions can bring the float and attached line in contact with the boat.

Do you expect the operator to re-start the boat and move away right after the divers enter the water?

 

[coldwaterglutton]

Ever dive the oil rigs in Southern California ? How about Cozumel ? Lot's of divers/boats do hot drops/pickups every day without issue.

I sure don't do that on my Grady White with outboards!

 

[jadairiii]

Having the engine(s) off when dropping divers- especially with a float can present some problems. If the divers do not exit the boat at the right time and simultaneously, the wind or the divers motions can bring the float and attached line in contact with the boat.

Do you expect the operator to re-start the boat and move away right after the divers enter the water?

The only "problems" would be if the captain does not know how to properly judge the current and wind, if they cant, they shouldn't be captaining a boat, with or without divers.

And unless the "float" is a Mk 5 torpedo, there is no issue with it "contacting the boat".

But, this issue always starts at the dock, this industry, and the customers, are so used to mediocrity (at best) that a discussion like this, stating what actually can be done, seems impossible, and most cant grasp there are boat captains that can and do perform safe, engine off, drops and pickups on a daily basis.

 

[johndiver999]

I have seen many times when dropping divers in a current and wind, that the boat "wants to" drift back next to or on top of the divers. They can be hit by the outdrives or platform etc. and if they are looking down and NOT descending, then you have a potential problem. It is worse when dropping freedivers.

So the operator has the engine off and just waits for a while until the divers seem far enough or deep enough and then starts the motor and puts it in gear?

 

[dmaziuk]

So the operator has the engine off and just waits for a while until the divers seem far enough or deep enough and then starts the motor and puts it in gear?

I've been in a slight chop once or twice, when the captain can properly judge waves and wind he usually has to adjust the boat's position every once in a while. They keep the engines running. On the way in, the briefing was go straight down and meet up at the bottom, captain and DM tell you when to jump, a that point they cut off the props and keep it off until you're under. On the way back the captain drops a rope, everyone hangs on to the end, the captain will wave the next one in when the props are off and it's safe to get to the ladder.

Like you say, "safe" as in "props not spinning" does not mean safe from the platform coming down on top of your head, banging your shins on the steps, falling off, and so on and so forth.

 

[jadairiii]

I have seen many times when dropping divers in a current and wind, that the boat "wants to" drift back next to or on top of the divers.....

A result of a captain that does not know how to gauge current, wind, or both.