OP
Iknee
Registered
I find that people completely underestimate distances topside, and overestimate distances under water (like visibility)
Not to harsh on you, but what Dumpster Diver is saying is on point. You were at fault for not complying with your part of the dive flag law. Also FWIW... An SMB is not a legal dive flag according to the state of Florida. The minimum size for a dive flag to legally comply is 12" x 12".
Chalk it up to lessons learned. Glad you made it out safely
Point well taken! Conversation and education is the reason I like Scuba Board. I appreciate the feed back. Thank you for your reply.
I guess my frustration is that the focus of the discussion has been about dive flags. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the knowledge I have gained about dive flags. I know that it is important, and I do accept my responsibility for breaking the law, however, the reality is that I really do not care who is at fault, me or the boater when it comes to my life or safety. If I get ran over by a boat with or without a dive flag, I am dead. I cannot put the responsibility of my life on others. If I make a decision that puts me in harms way, knowingly, or unknowingly, I must accept consequences that come with my choices. I choose to follow rules because they increase my probability of living, and possibly others.
What I do care about is being aware of risks and hazards so that I can prepare. I do know that it is impossible to prepare for every situation, but the more I know about what is out there, the better my decisions will be.
When I first saw the rope, it took me a moment to process what I was seeing. Sometimes those moments make all the difference. What Dumpster Diver said about the frequency of dragging anchors is a very important piece of information for me. I was not prepared for a dragging anchor. Now that I know it is not an uncommon practice, I will be able to react a little faster if it ever happens again, and not be a deer staring in the headlights. I am curious about other hazards out there like what happened to Blue Sparkle.
I do agree with your over/under estimation statement. I am still learning to judge visibility. I actually have the line on my reel marked off in 10 foot increments that alternate from red to white (learned it on Scuba Board!). I didn't have it with me, so I had to use my dive computer and seeing when I could see things on the surface, or bottom (knowing bottom depth).
For the surface, I feel I am fairly accurate. When estimating distances of people (like boat crew), I use the following rule of thumb:
50 yards Mouth and eyes can be clearly seen
100 yards Eyes look like dots
200 yards basic details of clothing can be distinguished
300 yards faces can be seen
500 yards colors of clothing can be distinguished
800 yards a person looks like a post
Thanks for the info on the SMB and Florida dive flag laws. It will certainly have weight on the decisions I make in the future. Thank you for the concern for my safety.
