Diver drifts 3 miles

[Indian Valley Scuba]

Sorry couldn't resist, it's that darn physics thing....it's never wrong!!

 

[Scott L]

Grabbing and jumping on a bucking ladder at the end of the bottom portion of the up & down cycle always made sense to me. Don't like any part of it coming down on me...

 

[Walter]

Try it. It works extremely well.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

OK ... glad it does.

When that technique works best is when the ladder is bucking clear out of the water .. love that stiff-armed diver hanging off it.

Holy smokes guys, seriously now, have you never been on a boat where the ladder pitched completely clear of the water as you were approaching to board? That is when the fins need to be on the feet, the hands free to grab the ladder firmly, not at the bottom but at chest height so the feet can get on too, and you can safely take the ride up into the air.

Maybe we dive in some different oceans, or different conditions, I'm not sure.

 

[ti325v]

This is precisely why every diver on my boat has an SMB and air horn. If they do not have, we give for free...and we NEVER dive in four knot current !

 

[Scott L]

OK ... glad it does.

When that technique works best is when the ladder is bucking clear out of the water .. love that stiff-armed diver hanging off it.

Holy smokes guys, seriously now, have you never been on a boat where the ladder pitched completely clear of the water as you were approaching to board? That is when the fins need to be on the feet, the hands free to grab the ladder firmly, not at the bottom but at chest height so the feet can get on too, and you can safely take the ride up into the air.

Maybe we dive in some different oceans, or different conditions, I'm not sure.

Looks spot on with my earlier post.

 

[ONESPEED]

This is precisely why every diver on my boat has an SMB and air horn. If they do not have, we give for free...and we NEVER dive in four knot current !

I can assure you this group was not diving in a four knot current either.

 

[Cave Diver]

I can assure you this group was not diving in a four knot current either.

Bingo. If the current was that high, then I think the dive op should never have allowed any divers in the water from a fixed anchor.

If it wasn't that high, then it casts doubt on the amount of time and distance the diver drifted. Distance is likely more accurate if they were "lost" at point A and "found" at point B, so that makes the time suspect. If the time is suspect then perhaps the op didn't realize how long the diver was actually missing?

I still feel this was a shared responsibility, the blame doesn't rest entirely on the diver.

 

[Orlando Eric]

IF it is really heavy seas I like the WPB Shamoo exit platforms they have. Swim right onto the deck with fins on. Crawl to your seat with fins on and climb into your seat still kitted up. Ladder exits elsewhere and if the ladder is still staying in the water but bucking it is better to get the fins off submerged at the bottom of the ladder. The ladder is attached to the back of and bottom of the swim platform. I guess a ladder to be about five feet long?? If the stern is coming completely clear throwing the ladder into dry air I can only imagine what kind of seas that is because I have not dove it yet. 6' to 8' has been my limit so far... I stay home for the 12 to 14's

I have however seen a swim platform on a smaller boat submerge 3' go 3' out over my head etc. That calls for some special timing.... now that I think of it.. I must have seen a ladder clear in the 8'rs but I do not remember it. I am going to have to pay closer attention next winter to see if I can see a ladder completly clear of the water..

 

[fisheyeview]

Last swim on platform I used was on the old Captain Crunch in Key Largo back in the early 80's. That was before it sank on St Patricks Day 1985.

I have seen divers miss time it and swim face first into the edge of the platform.