Divers Found Drifting Way Offshore

[ScubaD1veDiv@]

Weather is bad and has been bad for the last week almost - top side visibility ain't great and underwater ain't the best either. A few days ago a Santa Rosa dive was aborted after 10 minutes when the current switched offshore and down and visibility went to nada.

I have a video from off the beach club area yesterday and the weather conditions ain't good. Off and on rain....... I could easily see a big boat losing people and could easily see them looking in the wrong area.

Particularly a rental boat from PDC, if that is true. But are there really PDC boats with costly marine park licenses?

 

[ScubaD1veDiv@]

Horse. Dead. Beat.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Hey, if I needed 70% to pass my driver's test, shouldn't coming back with 7 divers when one started with 10 also be sufficient to pass?

 

[ReefHound]

I have ALWAYS understood that divers should carry an SMB when drift diving and our dive op in Coz highly recommends having one in case you are separated from the DM and need to surface.

Have been diving Cozumel for a long time and all too familiar with boat traffic in the marine park. You are playing Russian roulette to surface without an SMB.

I've always "understood" it too but that understanding didn't come from Coz dive ops. Did yours? I didn't say that no dive ops advise an SMB just that I've dived with quite a few and none of them have done so. Who is your dive op? Is it part of their standard briefing?

 

[Animalitodimonti]

Thats pretty negligent

 

[pauldw]

I call BS on OP.

 

[DandyDon]

I've always "understood" it too but that understanding didn't come from Coz dive ops. Did yours? I didn't say that no dive ops advise an SMB just that I've dived with quite a few and none of them have done so.

I've dived with dozens of Ops in the Pacific, Atlantic, Saint Lawrence, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Central America, but I don't recall any insisting or even suggesting SMBs. It's always amazed me that anyone would dive any sea without one, but I don't think many carry one.

I call BS on OP.

And why would he make it up? I understand him not wanting to divulge the Op, altho I would, but anyway.

 

[ReefHound]

I've dived with dozens of Ops in the Pacific, Atlantic, Saint Lawrence, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Central America, but I don't recall any insisting or even suggesting SMBs. It's always amazed me that anyone would dive any sea without one, but I don't think many carry one.

I DM on the Fling, that goes out to Flower Gardens. Ever been? We require each diver to have an SMB and if they don't have one we will provide one. On a small boat charter I used to DM for I personally required the same and provided one if necessary. When I went to Red Sea on a LOB the first dive was a checkout and ended with everyone deploying their SMB while the DMs observed.

 

[tursiops]

I DM on the Fling, that goes out to Flower Gardens. Ever been? We require each diver to have an SMB and if they don't have one we will provide one. On a small boat charter I used to DM for I personally required the same and provided one if necessary. When I went to Red Sea on a LOB the first dive was a checkout and ended with everyone deploying their SMB while the DMs observed.

I require a SMB deployment on the first dive on any trip I lead, ground-based or Liveaboard. I warn the captain and DM in advance, but they love it.

 

[DandyDon]

I DM on the Fling, that goes out to Flower Gardens. Ever been?

Yeah, on the other boat that used to dive there.

We require each diver to have an SMB and if they don't have one we will provide one.

Maybe they did. My memory is nothing to brag about. I'm sure that none of the Coz Ops I've been out with ever mentioned them, but then they expect everyone to stay with the DM and group.