Diving from 16 foot fishing boat

[DogDiver]

 

[Belzelbub]

Never dive from an unattended boat, if it has to be there when you ascend. That's the rule I try to follow anyway.

Same. I’d add that the person left on the boat must be competent. I caught the conversation, and saw the CG boat deploy to rescue a couple of divers. They left someone on the boat, but the operator was clueless. Didn’t realize that the divers were over 1/2 mile away. Then when CG gave them a heading to follow, they went a different direction, so CG boat had to go get them.

 

[Darnold9999]

Just think it through. Currents change, weather changes, tides change. If you absolutely must get back to the boat to get home then be ultra conservative about all these things. I dive solo off mine and if there is ANY doubt in my mind at all that I won’t be able to get back on board or to shore then I don’t do the dive. Adding a buddy doesn’t change this calculation at all. You just have two people in the water that can’t get to the boat.

If you add a person in the boat they must be able to retrieve the anchor, start the boat and be comfortable approaching a diver in the water. You don’t want to get run over!

I always double check the anchor set at the beginning of the dive.

Most boaters have no clue what a dive flag is. I don’t bother most times, as I am typically diving in very remote locations with no traffic. Also my boat is big enough that not having someone on board is not an issue as you can’t tell and it is not unusual to have such a boat at anchor with nobody on board. For something that size I would display a large flag when diving otherwise you could find a Good Samaritan towing it away.

 

[johndiver999]

Same. I’d add that the person left on the boat must be competent. I caught the conversation, and saw the CG boat deploy to rescue a couple of divers. They left someone on the boat, but the operator was clueless. Didn’t realize that the divers were over 1/2 mile away. Then when CG gave them a heading to follow, they went a different direction, so CG boat had to go get them.

If the guy is diving 200 feet from shore in a lake, and the boat is swamped, stolen or catches on fire. - big deal, you swim to shore and have a story to tell. But if you safety really depends on the boat being there, then you need to invest some effort in putting a boat operator on the boat.

I've made this bet before and just barely made it out without a disaster. So I tell my self - no more.

 

[johndiver999]

Just think it through. Currents change, weather changes, tides change. If you absolutely must get back to the boat to get home then be ultra conservative about all these things. I dive solo off mine and if there is ANY doubt in my mind at all that I won’t be able to get back on board or to shore then I don’t do the dive. Adding a buddy doesn’t change this calculation at all. You just have two people in the water that can’t get to the boat.

If you add a person in the boat they must be able to retrieve the anchor, start the boat and be comfortable approaching a diver in the water. You don’t want to get run over!

I always double check the anchor set at the beginning of the dive.

Most boaters have no clue what a dive flag is. I don’t bother most times, as I am typically diving in very remote locations with no traffic. Also my boat is big enough that not having someone on board is not an issue as you can’t tell and it is not unusual to have such a boat at anchor with nobody on board. For something that size I would display a large flag when diving otherwise you could find a Good Samaritan towing it away.

The operator should be directed to be prepared to CUT the anchor line or tie it off to a float, but to demand that they pull the anchor, while solo on a boat when an emergency happens is silly -especially if you freaking set the anchor.

 

[Belzelbub]

The operator should be directed to be prepared to CUT the anchor line or tie it off to a float, but to demand that they pull the anchor, while solo on a boat when an emergency happens is silly -especially if you freaking set the anchor.

Agreed. Best addition to my boat was a windlass. Makes retrieval by one person at the helm a non-event. Though, cutting the line would be no big deal as well. I’ll get it later. Even if I don’t, I’m still positive in the anchor department as I’ve found and retrieved several.

 

[Darnold9999]

Calm down - silly is overstating this IMHO. Going to retrieve a diver that can’t get back to the boat is hardly an emergency in most situations. If the person on the boat can’t retrieve the anchor sure cut it loose - but if they can’t retrieve a set anchor on a 16 foot boat I would question their ability to operate the boat at all.

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

You also can take a black permanent marker and write "Divers Below" in big block letters onto the white stripe......so if another boater approaches and doesn't know what a dive flag is.....hopefully they can at least read..

Reflective stickers might be nice too, if you there's a chance of any night diving.

Apart from that a dive flag is likely the only unique requirement. But don’t expect other boaters to follow the dive flag rules. In some cases they are clueless. In others, they’ll purposely get close to mark the spot to fish later.

Around these parts, it's not uncommon for lobstermen to circle dive flags. On one occasion, I watched as they circled a flag and started chumming the water over a friend of mine's flag.

 

[Still Kicking]

Just think it through. Currents change, weather changes, tides change. If you absolutely must get back to the boat to get home then be ultra conservative about all these things. I dive solo off mine and if there is ANY doubt in my mind at all that I won’t be able to get back on board or to shore then I don’t do the dive. Adding a buddy doesn’t change this calculation at all. You just have two people in the water that can’t get to the boat.

If you add a person in the boat they must be able to retrieve the anchor, start the boat and be comfortable approaching a diver in the water. You don’t want to get run over!

Good points!

When i dive off my boat, if there is someone on board we generally don't anchor; we just live boat it. We drop a marker float on the dive spot for reference (lobster float wrapped with cave line and a weight that unspools when thrown in the water.)

Obviously the person on board has to know the basics of running the boat and keeps an eye out for bubbles etc. They drift near the float but keep watch and are ready to pick up the diver if they surface a way off (generally we are scootering so we cover some ground). This way the person onboard doesn't have to haul anchor to pick up a diver.

The only time we anchor generally is if all people onboard are going to dive. We don't leave the boat if there is any significant current, and the scooters are a useful backup means to get back to the boat if we surface away from the boat but generally we stay close to an unattended boat, eg. a wreck dive.

If you anchor the boat with someone on board, have a float they can tie to the anchor line so they can ditch the entire line in an emergency and they have to move. (Cutting an anchor line should be a last resort.) The float, line and anchor can be retrieved later. On my boat i keep a second anchor and line in case i can't retrieve the main one (an anchor is essential safety gear).

If a group of divers were to get caught down current and there is no one on the boat, have the strongest swimmer float their rig and hand it off to the group and then swim back to the boat with mask and fins only, then they can pick up the rest of the group. Not ideal but it's good to have contingency plans.

We go down and check the anchor set. Make sure it's holding and not fouled. An appropriate length of chain is key to a good set.

Small boat diving is great but you have to have your chit together. A good team, a well maintained boat, contingency plans and healthy amount of common sense are essential.

 

[Russjstewart]

Calm down - silly is overstating this IMHO. Going to retrieve a diver that can’t get back to the boat is hardly an emergency in most situations. If the person on the boat can’t retrieve the anchor sure cut it loose - but if they can’t retrieve a set anchor on a 16 foot boat I would question their ability to operate the boat at all.

Leave a bouy/ float connected to the boat (bitter) end of your anchor line (rode): that way you can just throw the whole lot over board. If the anchor is fouled multiple competent people may not be able to retrieve it