Had a close call yesterday, almost lost at sea...

[CuzzA]

I was thinking the very same thing. If you're out with four, two up/two down is a great option. It seems it would add an hour to the day, but it works out to be somewhat less than that.

Being a boat owner since 1999 and living 5 miles from the Gulf coast all my life I've pulled the hook more times than I can count.

The fact is it's much faster and safer to not anchor. We usually dive with 4; 2 up, 2 down. On the ride out the first 2 prep their rigs. As we get close to the ledge those two suit up. We find the ledge with the bottom machine and toss the jug. Turn around and drop the 2 divers on the jug, follow bubbles and pick them up where they surface. Grab the jug and we're off to the next ledge.

We rarely back dive a site because A) The dinner bell was rung. And B) We don't want to overfish our spots. Not to mention most of the legal fish will have been moved off the site from the first set of divers.

So with 4 drops on 4 sites, aside from all the other issues I mentioned, you're wasting time trying to set your anchor correctly over the ledge and then you're wasting time pulling the anchor and then pulling the jug. Also, if you have a diver surface away from the boat, now you're waiting for them to swim back to the boat. On a side note, everytime you drop that anchor on structure you're killing the reef. This is a consideration I was never concerned about until I started diving and saw the damage anchors do.

Anyway, I like hitting the marina at 7am, getting 2 dives in 25 miles offshore and being back by 2 pm to filet my fish, lay in my pool with my gear and have a beer all before dinner time. To each his own, anchoring certainly isn't wrong, just not as effective.

 

[Kevrumbo]

For a 2010 Wreck Expedition to the WWII Aircraft Carrier HMS Hermes off of east coast Sri Lanka, along with the waist belt mounted McMurdo Fastfind 210 PLB in Dive Canister, I brought a Halcyon Diver's Life Raft folded & stowed in a backplate pouch, and a Deep Sea Supply Hydration Pack mounted between the twinset cylinders.

We did a lot of drifting deco diving, and if the dive skiff lost sight of your SMB --you were essentially adrift in the Indian Ocean, next land mass to the west being Madagascar some 3000 miles away. . .

 

[undrwater]

@CuzzA , would you mind snapping a shot of your mirror setup?

 

[TampaScuba]

Being a boat owner since 1999 and living 5 miles from the Gulf coast all my life I've pulled the hook more times than I can count.

The fact is it's much faster and safer to not anchor. We usually dive with 4; 2 up, 2 down. On the ride out the first 2 prep their rigs. As we get close to the ledge those two suit up. We find the ledge with the bottom machine and toss the jug. Turn around and drop the 2 divers on the jug, follow bubbles and pick them up where they surface. Grab the jug and we're off to the next ledge.

We rarely back dive a site because A) The dinner bell was rung. And B) We don't want to overfish our spots. Not to mention most of the legal fish will have been moved off the site from the first set of divers.

So with 4 drops on 4 sites, aside from all the other issues I mentioned, you're wasting time trying to set your anchor correctly over the ledge and then you're wasting time pulling the anchor and then pulling the jug. Also, if you have a diver surface away from the boat, now you're waiting for them to swim back to the boat. On a side note, everytime you drop that anchor on structure you're killing the reef. This is a consideration I was never concerned about until I started diving and saw the damage anchors do.

Anyway, I like hitting the marina at 7am, getting 2 dives in 25 miles offshore and being back by 2 pm to filet my fish, lay in my pool with my gear and have a beer all before dinner time. To each his own, anchoring certainly isn't wrong, just not as effective.

WOW. I'm impressed. You have a damn good operation going there, sir. I will definitely run this by the boat owner and hopefully change our ways.

 

[The Chairman]

Anyway, I like hitting the marina at 7am, getting 2 dives in 25 miles offshore and being back by 2 pm to filet my fish, lay in my pool with my gear and have a beer all before dinner time.

Now you're bragging!

 

[CuzzA]

WOW. I'm impressed. You have a damn good operation going there, sir. I will definitely run this by the boat owner and hopefully change our ways.

I can't take credit. I've learned from others... Many who are ex-military, so that probably explains having a swift and efficient operation. I think they treat dive trips like combat missions. Don't get me wrong though, we have a lot of fun.

 

[CuzzA]

@CuzzA , would you mind snapping a shot of your mirror setup?

Sure... From a different thread...

I made it. Picked up some soft 2" webbing, Velcro, stretchy webbing, nylon thread, a slider, stainless steel screw, washer and a car blind spot mirror. Probably cost me about $15 and an hour to make. (JoAnn Fabrics and Auto Parts store). The mirror is coved so it gives a better field of view. Good for checking your mask mounted camera, bubbles and signalling SAR.

@MAKO Spearguns sells one with shock cord, but I needed a place to hold powerheads so I had to DIY.

GoPro Status Mirror | MAKO Spearguns

View attachment 374110 View attachment 374111

 

[The Chairman]

I can't take credit. I've learned from others.

This is the standard MO every time I've been on a private spearfishing boat. But you stated it very plainly so please take credit for that.

 

[KevinNM]

I talked to light monkey about buying a canister from them for various survival supplies, they suggested instead sending them the stuff I want in it and they would figure out what size canister I needed to make it all fit. Which pushes the onus on me to figure out what I want. Obviously a PLB that floats, but I was debating on things like radios. It seems logical to get a marine band radio, but I suspect that if I need to pop the PLB I'm where going to guard on 121.5mhz will be a lot more likely to find someone than a marine radio on channel 16/DCS distress call from an antenna 18 inches off the water.

 

[Wookie]

If I were buying stuff, I'd get a MOB beacon that will beep on Guard, flash on AIS, and SART on Radar.

Lookie here:

Personal Safety Devices