Hong Kong diver killed by prop - Philippines

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Umm...yes SMB is, but DSMB is not. A SMB would not have helped him as it sounds like he got hit as he was surfacing or very shortly after.

Roger that.

 

[DandyDon]

Not when I got certified in 2012. In fact, I did not deploy my own dSMB until this past December as part of AOW, and it was as a result of me specifically requesting the instructor to teach me. It wasn’t part of the OW or AOW, as far as I knew.

Edit: I never deployed an SMB at the surface either, as part of either OW or AOW. Was it a mandatory skill or an optional one?

I don't think SMBs were even mentioned in my OW, AOW, or Rescue courses, at least not that I remember. I have traveled to dive many destinations around the States and Caribbean, dived with many others, but seldom see other tourist divers who bother carrying them. Sounds scary to me, but that's been my observation.

I learned to deploy a DSMB after reading about the use here, then practiced in a nearby freshwater spring. My home bud doesn't read here or anywhere else so I suggested he get one, too. On our next practice trip to that spring, I deployed mine, then he deployed his, then quickly lost control and got his line snagged around his body as he drifted up towards a partly filled sausage - so I had to control mine with one hand while I unsnagged him with the other, glad that it happened there on a practice dive rather than at sea.

On DM lead dives, it seems that many count on the DM to shoot the DSMB, but unless I am very close to the DM with one - I do like my own.

 

[wgw04024]

No SMB in any of my classes either.

 

[ericinmich]

I was just in Apo Island a couple weeks ago. It's a bit of a zoo there, probably 20 boats in a small bay with snorkelers, divers, and some shuttling to beach. Not sure a SMB would of done much with many of the boats as they are long and captained from the back with essentially zero viability dead ahead.

 

[Jay]

ordering my DSMB today and ditching the SMB

 

[DandyDon]

ordering my DSMB today and ditching the SMB

I just added a spool to my Smb.

 

[wgw04024]

Boat captain Detained Boat captain detained for death of Chinese scuba diver - Northbound Philippines News Online

 

[Sam Miller III]

Most sincere condolences to the victims family on this most unfortunate accident

On September 22, 1962,off Long point Catalina Island, the very first accident occurred involving a diver displaying the then new untested Red and White divers flag .

The victim was run over by a boat and the propeller severely chopped up his shoulder and arm, He survived but he was in pain for the remainder of his life from the injuries he sustained to his arm and shoulder.

I was called as the only "expert witness" to verify the validly of the use of the red & white divers flag to denote diving activities. I have also been consultant or witness to a number of other litigations involving the divers flag

Since that time diving has increased in size and migrated from the beaches of SoCal to the hinterlands of the US and world wide
It is appropriate and past time that training agencies established protocol's for proper use and displaying of SMBs

@DandyDon you have the interest and time to begin a movement --

SDM

 

[Steve_C]

On my favorite charter op depending on the dive site they may require
-Dive computer
-Signal Sausage
-Wreck Reel
Particularly on tooth dives which tend to be deeper, viz can be shot due to other tooth hunters, and divers are known to get distracted they often require all three. For Some dive further out that are deep and may have some current they require the first two.

Requirements are posted on the charter list so no surprises.

 

[Centrals]

Boat captain Detained Boat captain detained for death of Chinese scuba diver - Northbound Philippines News Online

I am still thinking how the prop managed to hit the diver under water?
1. The victim did not jump off from that boat.
2. Given the size of the banca boat, the prop is usually no more than couple of ft below the surface.
3. The boat was not reversing.
4. If the victim was already on the surface then it should be the hull or the outrigger which might hit the diver. Unless the victim saw the boat coming and decided to descend but not deep enough to avoid the prop.