Diver Recall

[tekdvr2]

Has anyone had a situation where you had to recall divers? If so what where the circumstances and how did you do it?

I was thinking back a while (to 1979)..... I had a Navy EOD Chief that was part of a group teaching a Law Enforcement Diving program. Should the need a rise to recall divers during a training session, they would toss in a weighted M-80 away from the divers. All divers were LE or FD.

Any thoughts on this?

Regards,

Cap'n Tony Bach

 

[mitsuguy]

hah, thats great.... but, not always perfectly possible to tell exactly where all of the divers are, or at what depth the m-80 would go off - not good if you sit over 25 feet of water with healthy coral right below the boat as I usually do...

I have had emergencies, but none that required recalling the divers - broken mooring lines and such usually - and I just wait them out - let the boat drift well past where the divers are, then wait for the DM to surface close to where the mooring line was, then come back and do a live pick up...

I have had to get a DM's attention a couple times, and as discussed, our recall system is quite easy - 5 lb weight to the side of the big heavy ladder going into the water... its LOUD... 2-3 rings on the ladder and I just want the DM, continuous ringing, I want everyone out ASAP...

I've found revving the engine is noticeable, but only really when you are immediately under the boat, and even if it is audible at a distance, so are the other boats that skate by occasionally...

The only circumstance I can really see recalling everyone quite quickly would be in the event of a medical emergency, a squall with real heavy seas coming in (in which case its usually too late anyways), or any of a couple miscellaneous things that could harm the divers and/or the vessel...

 

[Terryb]

I've had to do recalls due to bad weather coming in. I found that a weight banged on the outside of a steel boat works well, or the ladder as Mitsuguy suggested. But with a lot of divers they just ignore, or don't recognize, the recall. Usually had a couple of buddy teams that would not respond.

M80, that would be quite the recall device. Not sure I would want to be in the water when that goes off nearby.

 

[Dortspiver]

They, the Masterdivers would drop the m-80's right down our bubbles. BP.

 

[kierentec]

i've had to recall divers a couple of times, mainly due to weather. Iphones are awesome, live radar feeds give me the heads up i need to get divers up before the rain starts so i don't have to get wet

We have a few dive sites that are very close to a breaking barrier reef, and when moorings pop in big seas there, it's go time. only have a couple of minutes to get everyone on the boat before we're all washed up on the reef. I'll call divers to the surface in this situation so i can start picking them up before they are headed back to the shallower water, or i can tell the DM to swim the divers back out to the deep.

3 hard bangs on our ladder with the hammer can be heard from 2 dive sites away, and our DMs know exactly what it means, time to go!

 

[jrmiah]

We rev our motors (motors in neutral), sets of 3 revs, pause, 3 revs.. etc...

 

[CAPTAINMIKESSII]

We use a repeated pattern of banging on the ladder this is good for the instructors but the customers dont recognize it. The instructors do hear it and return

 

[Viscya]

I find it upsetting that there is no standard.

Many recommend pounding on the ladder, but up here in the Northeast, there are often divers hammering on the wreck. There needs to be a distinction.

Revving the motors sounds good, except we often get other boats on the same wreck. While tying into the wreck, they will rev their engines. Not everyone can distinguish between boats. Also, it is dangerous for us to rev our engines with diver on the deco lines.

It would be nice if there was a device a captain could drop of dip in the water, and make a unique sound. An underwater siren. Maybe this is a business opportunity for someone.

 

[jrmiah]

At the Baltimore Aquarium they have a big brass bell that looks like a tube for diver recall, didn’t get a close look at it but it worked in the small tanks, not sure how effective it would be in open water, especially in places where people are wearing hoods.

 

[jrmiah]

Could always get one of these if you have a ton on $$

https://www.plimus.com/jsp/dev_store1.jsp?developerId=156762&bCUR=USD