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A question: during the night dive, we were out there exactly midway between low and high tide...would one expect the current to be a greater factor at such a time? Thanks!
To add to what I asked above, it was a new moon on the 12th as well, which may play into the current strength?
---------- Post added November 15th, 2015 at 08:24 PM ----------
There is a smaller PLB available, costs a little more, but good for 7 years = 75c/week. You need to carry it in the included neoprene pouch so it will float, but on land it can fit in a shirt pocket. Ocean Signal PLB1 rescueME Personal Locator Beacon
The moon certainly drives tides and phases can affect them more, but mostly it's the Gyre current that goes thru the Florida Straits before it turns north becoming the Gulf Stream, and wanders at times.
Most diving fatalities are still wearing their weights, dropping weights at the first sign of trouble may be a bit of overkill, but then again, it may not. in the keys, I would think wearing likely a 3 mm, probably 10 lbs of rented weight costing the dive shop all of 20 dollars, I cannot think of a shop that wouldn't trade a fatality for 20 bucks every day of the week. In fact, there is a spear gun manufacturer out there that will give a new weight belt and weights to anyone who buys their weight system and drops it due to an emergency.
My rule of thumb is that if I start wondering whether or not I should drop my weights, that's about the time I should drop them. Which means that I probably won't drop them at the first sign of trouble, but hopefully I'll drop them before I'm too far down into the incident pit and it becomes too late.
We are all saddened by Steve's passing. I wanted to say a little more about him than what was mentioned here so far.
Captain Steve Kipp worked here at Key Largo Dive Center for several years. He started as a Scuba Instructor and had many years of experience before he even started to work for us. He was very familiar with the reefs and wrecks of Key Largo. He earned his USCG Captain's License and served as Captain on our Crusader dive boat the Garden Cove Diver. He was promoted to our Dive Center and Dive Operations Manger. He left Key Largo Dive Center a few months ago to pursue his personal business and he also worked at another dive center.
Captain Steve Kipp was also an avid fisherman, he owned a few small boats of his own that he enjoyed working on. He loved diving and underwater photo/video.
His passing is a great loss to the Key Largo dive community and he will be missed by his co-workers and by the many divers from around the world that he taught to dive, guided on dives, and Captained on dive boats.
I know this was a night dive, but I am surprised nonetheless that there has been no mention made of a SMB / DSMB. I will not do a boat dive without one, and even at night it can help show your location.
I know this was a night dive, but I am surprised nonetheless that there has been no mention made of a SMB / DSMB. I will not do a boat dive without one, and even at night it can help show your location.
If you have a torch you can light up the SMB from the bottom and it stands out like a big candle.
I also initially queried why one would drop weights, however in retrospect as others have said, if it feels right for someone to do so then they should. I would only suggest it shouldn't be something one does simply because one has drifted off, or because someone said I should.
It all depends on the diver, their experience and comfort etc. An experienced diver might be ok to keep them, on the other hand might dump them immediately due to sea conditions etc and based on experience, where an inexperienced diver often keeps their weights on for far too long when things go pear shaped. As wedivebc said, "No diver should ever second guess the decision to drop weights. If a diver feels the need to do that they should without hesitation".
That some of us feel we might have kept them on in this situation (and recognising that we weren't there so didn't actually experience it so guessing), just means we "feel" we might have done something different. However bringing this exact point up is good as it encourages everyone to ask the exact question of themselves in this situation and encourages discussion and preventative planning for future dives.
In flying... As a pilot the minute you think you should maybe turn around is the time to start turning... In skydiving , The second you think you may Chop a main and go for the reserve is the time you should be chopping... In Drag racing the second the car starts out of the groove, Peddle the car/off the gas... Same goes for diving, The second you think about it, The weights should go... These are hard learned lessons by people who died because of not doing it fast and in time.. Before BC's ... First thing you learned was drop the weight belt.
Jim...
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