Does anyone go on private trips?

[Orlando Eric]

Kudos to KBeck The big Kahuna for her vast Knowledge and Knife edged wit Keeping the Kaboodle of Karma debited divers, Diving together, through the tides of time.

To those of you with boats looking to form up foursomes for diving fun, Post on this Forum, the dates you are free to frolic in the wonderous world of water, and Do expect Divers, who dare to disembark on Other People's Privatley Paided for vessel's to Visualize the Virtues of the Deep.

(Some one called me Ahliterate so I looked up the word and all I could find was "Alliteration")

I for one would love to jump off a boat Especially in The Fort pierce Area I hear the diving has been great off shore. 60' Vis, at 80' depth. Shooting 40# groupers by the herd. THe upswell from the deep however makes it 55 degrees.

Post the WHEN, WHERE, and We will be Whereabouts.

 

[wsgts]

Great,

I'm in Panama City, Florida. I have a Wellcraft 22 WA. It has enough room for 2 sets of 2 divers and equipment.

Got a full boat for Saturday morning, but I have another trip next week, probably on Thursday, August 17th.

Later,
wsgts

 

[DebbyDiver]

Oooh, nice boat! Too bad you're way up there. Enjoy your dives!

 

[Data]

Is everyone afraid of a non-commercial boat trip?

Later,
wsgts

I guess I'm the minority, but there is usually one little thing missing on a private boat - surface support.
I wouldn't dive from a boat where there is not a captain and hopefully one additional pair of hands on the boat while the divers are down.
however, if this is taken care off, then I wouldn't have a problem to go on a privately owned boat to dive.
I had my own boat for 8 years and did a lot of diving from it.
I always had someone staying at topside while I and the others where diving, but even then, once someone on the boat couldn't get the anchor lose to come and get us when we got blown off.
we were to far away, he saw us and it never occurred to him to cut the line.
to add to injury he then run over the anchor line which took care of the cutting part but now he jumped into the water to unwrap the line.
gosh I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he would have lost his grip and started to be carried away by the current or if he would have lost sight of us.

 

[wsgts]

Data,

I don't think you are in the minority, I believe there are a lot of people worried for that reason. That's why it's good to have two sets of divers, one to dive and the other to sit on the boat, which is our problem, it's almost always ScubaMel and myself. I'm okay with it, because we usually tie into whatever structure we are diving, so I'm not concerned about structure, but on natural or live bottom, it's easy to get too far away from the boat.

It is worth mentioning that we don't babysit other divers on our boat. We don't put people's fins on, help them with gear assembly, or other things they should be able to do for themselves. Everyone is expected to take care of themselves and the boat, which may be more responsiblility than people want on a dive vacation.

Thanks for the comments,
wsgts

 

[Data]

.............. I'm okay with it, because we usually tie into whatever structure we are diving, so I'm not concerned about structure, but on natural or live bottom, it's easy to get too far away from the boat.

and what's your plan if you should ever lose your ascent line, the weather changes, current picks up and your blown of your structure.
you now ascent some 50 yards behind your beautiful boat and can't make it on a swim to get there?
or simply if your boat gets stolen while your down there?

never and I mean NEVER leave your boat unattended, this is only an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Orlando Eric]

I am not sure if he said he leaves his boat unattended. He said he was okay with it, then said he dives in the traditional 2up 2down formula.

This is easily done by having a boat savy person in the first group and another in the second group.

There are plenty of people who have boating experience, I do not mean the 18' single outboards, but actual vessels.

As a matter of fact I have been on paid charters were the Capt was greatly lacking in Seamanship, Common Sense, and Professionalism.

Case in point. He showed up late and looked hung over. The batteries were dead, the fuel was low but "should be enough for were we are going", had to Add oil to the engine (which is normal but not so good while the customers are standing at the dock waiting to get on.) finally on the way in he slips her sideways into a swell causing a SEVERE list later stating "I was trying to show youse guys the dolphins riding the bow wake." The boat and captian have since went out of business.

Just some tales to tell.

BACK to the point.. I'd dive a private boat, with compentant people just like a paid charter, if either lacked a good crew and sound vessel.. I would pass.

 

[wsgts]

Data,

I do and have come up where to boat was a long way away. Even during the times that I have come up far away from the boat with a boatsitter I have never had them come get me. It's too dangerous to the other divers that are in the water to pull up anchor (which is why we don't use them), remember that 60% of divers cannot safely descend/ascend without an anchor or tieline in the water. The plan is always the same, get compass bearing at surface, dive 20 feet, watch gauges and kick like hell. Most of the current will be at the surface. You may feel this doesn't work, but it has worked 100% for me. (plus the 200 ft tagline off the back of the boat helps too).

I have, will and do leave the boat unattended or dive solo if necessary. However, it doesn't make sense if we can find people that 1. want to dive, 2. are willing to boatsit 3. will chip in for gas. It is highly unlikely that anyone will ever need to move my boat to get me even if they are boatsitting, and if they do, they will not have to pull an anchor, but simply untied the front cleat, and throw the bouy back in the water. This way if others are using it, they can still use it and everyone will be by the huge orange buoy when the boat returns.

So what's your plan when you blow off the wreck and the commercial boat doesn't see you, or the boat doesn't start (highly common)? What about all those divers that actually took the time to find the line, the commercial boat will not leave them?

Diving is a risk, you just have to decide what is acceptable level of risk. You don't feel that an unattended boat is an acceptable risk, I do, but it's a risk I'd rather not have especially when I can do others of favor and get them cheap transportation to and from the dive site.

Later,
wsgts

 

[DebbyDiver]

I used to have a private boat and I always made sure that someone else was an experienced skipper. We did drift dives, one team up, one team down, and whoever was driving "protected" the flag and divers by maneuvering between oncoming boats and the divers. If I didn't have an experienced skipper on board, I just ran the boat and didn't dive, but that was infrequent.

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

and what's your plan if you should ever lose your ascent line, the weather changes, current picks up and your blown of your structure.
you now ascent some 50 yards behind your beautiful boat and can't make it on a swim to get there?
or simply if your boat gets stolen while your down there?

never and I mean NEVER leave your boat unattended, this is only an accident waiting to happen.

Data< i hate to say it, but we been diving off my own boat for years here in FL, and as everyone knows, the gulf stream is very unpredicatable.

I use a PLB ( epirb ) with built in GPS, in a canister, and when we dive, and there are times when we don';t leave anyone topside, fopr example, in the Key's, we never leave anyone on top, theres no reason to, the reefs are shallow, 30' for example, and all the years I been diving down there, You casn always duck into the reef and get back, no matter what and start your accent.

In Jupiter, West Palm Beach area, we ALWAYS drift, current can change, and depths are usalley in 100' range

In Ft Lauderdale, the shallow reefs we don't leave anyone topside, the deeper reefs and wrecks we do.

Depends on the place, the time, depoends on alot of things.

There are many variables for diving off your own boat. For me , peace of mind was having the PLB in a canister, Somone will always know where I am, thankfully, It's never had to be used

I dive off charters a few times a year, most of the time, We have enough divers to go where we want, when we want, and dive the profiles that we want to dive. Ahhhhh, nothing like having your own boat !!