hypothetical scenario 4 our Monday morning quarterbacks 20 miles out & boats gone

[H2Andy]

How do you know that anyone is coming to look for you??

i would not go out on a boat with a captain high as a kite, so scratch that.

if they don't know they left us, they will figure this out when they reach shore or even before then. the captain then can give an estimate search point to the CG.

if the boat is in trouble, it may be able to get a radio call to the CG out. if not, eventually the boat will be missed and the CG will start to look for it. it's a lot easier to find a boat than four divers in the water, so the boat will be found first. they will then let the CG know of our location.

if the boat sank for whatever reason, we would have seen it as we returned to the mooring point (you stated that we all came back to where the boat was; only a mooring point would allow this to happen). we obviously didn't see the boat at the bottom.

so, i know the boat didn't sink at the mooring.

if the boat sank after leaving the mooring, then it's going to be the worst case scenario. still, the CG will start looking for the boat when it's noticed missing (and it will ... trust me on this -- there's just too many relatives, employees, competitors, who will notice the boat hasn't made it back)

bottom line is, the CG will start to search eventually, though it may be days before someone realizes we're missing. we need to save our energy and stay together.

trying to swim for shore is just going to waste effort and the sea will suck all that extra heat being generated right out of us.

but, if things are dire, maybe having something to do will keep our minds from panic, so perhaps we could get on our backs and start swimming slowly towards shore, though i think this is more a palliative than a real solution.

 

[rawls]

What would I do...With the options you provide...I would probably get a bad sun burn on my face...75 degree water...I would probably get hypothermic relatively quickly...By night time my lips, hands and, um, never mind that, would be blue. I would be numb and shivering...then, at some point the shivering would stop and I would think...S**t

 

[D_B]

I think Andy has it convincingly covered

After reading on scubaboard things that have happened to others, and what minimum equipment you should have for boat diving, I went and purchased a good SMB and a spool with 120' of line before I ever stepped off of one .. this is in addition to the signal mirror (with sight) , Knife , and a backup light that I always carry in my BC

75* water ... I am wearing a hood and gloves
Edit: OK, maybe not thick ones

 

[Kevin K]

No way am I gonna float around waiting for someone to come find me that might not! Take off bcd's tie them together leave a note on them with your slate. make sure everyone is streamlined-buoyancy provided by wet suit and head for the hill!!! Slowly but surely. I had a friend that fell off of a shrimp boat at night off of daytona-17 miles and he swam al the way in in shorts! True story! With fins and a wet suit you just might make it, certainly better than floating around! IMHO. kk

 

[grassyknoll]

Something I would consider. Since hopefully the dive boat or rescuers are going to come looking for you, you should try to remain in the area. Ususally rule #1 when lost is to remain stationary, you said there were reels, assuming you didn't run out of air and there is no ripping current, perhaps tethering to the reef, a rock or an anchor made from your combined weights would work.
Other than that you use all the usual tricks, mirrors, sausages, flashlights etc and wait for rescue, hypothermia, dehydration or other.
Too many variables in the op to really make a clear cut to-do list.

Oh yeah, maybe a deck of waterproof playing cards to while away the time (when your not busy making all sorts of promises to the god of your choosing).

 

[cummings66]

The way the OP is taking this we're not coming home guys.

I'd say if the current is moving us towards shore I might gently help it along in short spurts but if it's away from shore I'm just drifting. There's no way to do it any other way, you'd get closer but at some point you must rest, then the current moves you back out again. All you've done is wasted energy you'll need through the night.

For what it's worth, as the OP stated it I would not be on this dive. 75 degree water with no hood or gloves is IMO insane. I'm always using those items, heck I'm in a drysuit in those temps to boot. Nope, this dive is one I'd have skipped for many reasons, Capt who's high. Man, this dive was doomed from the start.

Here's the deal, on a dive 17 miles from shore I'd have more gear than we're being allowed here, it's plain silly to be so ill equipped this far from shore.

As is we're going to die out here all alone and there's going to be a new movie made of it. The only good thing to come of this is my insurance will pay off and my wife and child will live comfortable for a while.

 

[evensplit]

All you have to do is strike up a conversation about all of the Grouper on the site and a fisherman will show up post haste.

Or you could strip naked...a tour boat will be by within minutes.

 

[Don Burke]

I would still be on the boat because my wussie factor would keep me from making a second dive in 75 degree water with no hood or gloves.

 

[dannobee]

Wasn't there a thread a while ago where an instructor in Puerto Rico swam a similar distance back to shore after the boat left him? It might have been 12-15 miles or something, but he still made it back the next morning by slowly swimming back to shore. Still kept all of his gear on, IIRC.

Yeah, here it is, it was 10 miles:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=129548&highlight=puerto+rico

I'd be fuming if the boat left me 20 miles out. I'm pretty sure I could make it back from 10 miles, dunno about twice that (assuming I had correct exposure protection).

 

[plot]

If I know where shore is, I'd make a raft out of the two divers that weren't regular buddies of mine, and rest while they paddled me to shore. My regular buddy would swim beside us.

Otherwise I'd make a raft out of the two divers that weren't regular buddies of mine and slowly start eating them as hunger began to take over. My regular buddy would be in charge of swimming in 20 mile circular patterns to try to find the shore or a boat to come save me and the 2 other divers before they become my food.