Interesting dive off Palm beach yesterday

[johndiver999]

So I was doing a solo, drift dive in 60 feet looking for lobsters (I found none BTW). I am pulling a floatball with about 300 feet of yellow polypropylene line and after about 30 minutes or so, I feel a bunch of resistance on the line.

At first, I figured the boat driver might have accidentally got the boat or outboard engine caught on the float and it was pulling on me as he presumably tries to free it. I have the floatline clipped to a scooter and the scooter is clipped to me, so I am directly attached to the float, but this accident (caused by operator inattention) might happen once every 300-500 dives or so. I've done it and had it done to me quite a few times.

After a few moments, I feel myself being hauled in and upward. It was a not a steady pull (like a boat which is accidentally wrapped up in the floatline), but I could feel the rhythm of someone hauling in rope hand over hand very aggressively. I was like, maybe my buddy has grabbed the float and wants me to come up or something? Not that I can remember that ever happening.

So I get hauled to the surface, it was a little faster than I might like, but I just lay back into the line and slow the ascent to a reasonable rate. As I approach the boat, I look up from like 20 feet deep and see a single outboard. So now I realize it is NOT my boat (since the one I’m diving from has twins).

I am kinda pissed, why the hell is some random boat grabbing my floatline and hauling me to the surface? I get to the surface and I am about 30 feet away from a single fisherman, standing in his drifting boat, hauling the floatline in and laying it on his deck. All I can figure is maybe the floatline got caught on his boat and he was pissed and hauled it in and/or cut it? I look around for my boat as the guy continues to drag me toward his boat. I start yelling for my boat even though I don’t see it.

The fisherman is yelling to me in Spanish and we have zero ability to communicate. I yell repeatedly to “let go”, but he either holds the line tight or hauls me in further. I don’t assist in his attempt to haul me in and lean back into the tension.

I am really getting pissed and frustrated and can’t figure out why my buddy would not have at least noticed that this guy is hauling my ass in and dragging me off the bottom and he is not even in the vicinity of this boat or the float.

So I keep yelling “let go” and start to violently. and as forcefully as possible, begin trying to pull the line back out and be free of this boat. I figured maybe he cut the float off and was going to keep it, but I might as well salvage as much floaline as I can. I was surprised at myself, that I refrained from swearing at the guy. I could have easily cut the line with my knife, but figured it was best to preserve/retrieve as much floaltline as possible, even if he steals the floatball itself.

So after a short period of tug of war, the guy relinquishes and starts feeding me back the line. I am amazed that he has all 300 feet of it on his deck and that he finally tosses the (still attached) float ball in at the end. Obviously, I cannot see up and into his boat from the water, so I really didn’t expect to see the float ball still attached.

So then I am drifting on the surface for a few moments, still yelling for my unseen buddy and he comes driving up. I could not see him due to the distance and also I think, the fisherman’s boat was blocking my view of him.

I still have no f’n clue why he lost me, why he allowed some fisherman to haul me in like a fish - when it was very calm, unlimited visibility and mild current…He is a very experienced boat driver and diver, doing this stuff for 30-40 years, maybe more.

Before I finish the silly story, any ideas how I could have handled this better or what caused this situation? LOL?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

That's insane!! Trying to think how I would have handled it, I don't believe I would have wanted to be dragged to the surface against my will. Could you have disconnected the float line from you and your scooter and then come up more slowly on your own?

Regarding this guy pulling you up like that, IMO what he did should be a crime. In the right scenario (mandatory deco obligation), that could have been borderline manslaughter or murder even! Did you call any authorities? Someone should not be able to forcibly pull up an unknown diver without any recourse! Is there any law against this type of malfeasance?

 

[johndiver999]

That's insane!! Trying to think how I would have handled it, I don't believe I would have wanted to be dragged to the surface against my will. Could you have disconnected the float line from you and your scooter and then come up more slowly on your own?

Regarding this guy pulling you up like that, IMO what he did should be a crime. In the right scenario (mandatory deco obligation), that could have been borderline manslaughter or murder even! Did you call any authorities? Someone should not be able to forcibly pull up an unknown diver without any recourse! Is there any law against this type of malfeasance?

I could have cut the line easily, I can normally deploy my knife from my leg sheath in less than 2 seconds, literally. Disconnecting a long line clip might take a little time and effort. The ascent rate wasn't that fast, I just like to come up slow.

 

[Sascha314]

Wtf? That is really weird.
Was that maybe he expected some drug or other illegal exchange and you just have been the wrong at the wrong time and place - so he confused you?

But just for me to understand. You are diving alone with a scooter, and you have a buddy following you with a boat. For that you carry this float and drag it, actually with a scooter.
Do you use the full length of the line, or is there first something like a spool? I ask because with the full line it will be quiet of your underwatet position?

And what did your boat captain say to this?

 

[johndiver999]

Never, EVER clip yourself to a line that is attached to a surface float.

Even if there's a scooter in between you and the line.

That's asking for trouble as you just found out.

LOL, this from the guy who says ox tox is a myth. I have done so, so many dives clipped to a scooter and having that tethered to a float. There is NO practical way to dive our area (with the prevailing currents and depth). Sometimes local knowledge is useful.

However, in general it is better NOT to be attached to something, but in our situation, it is a necessary evil in order to be an effective diver. Last weekend we were diving in 4 kts in a little over 100 feet. Think you can hand carry that line and have any mobility?

 

[johndiver999]

Wtf? That is really weird.
Was that maybe he expected some drug or other illegal exchange and you just have been the wrong at the wrong time and place - so he confused you?

But just for me to understand. You are diving alone with a scooter, and you have a buddy following you with a boat. For that you carry this float and drag it, actually with a scooter.
Do you use the full length of the line, or is there first something like a spool? I ask because with the full line it will be quiet of your underwatet position?

And what did your boat captain say to this?

On some boats we use a reel and others we have a fixed line. Regardless, the amount of line deployed is around 200-400 feet maybe, depending on depth and current etc. For the (unusual) days where the current is really slow, it is very beneficial to be able to shorten the floatline by winding in the reel. We often drift well over half a mile on a dive, so being directly under a float in not so much of a concern.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

And yes, there is not one report of 02 toxicity in a single tank recreational diver which makes it little more than a myth.

Now it's your turn to say I'm wrong because you're so much more knowledgeable than me.

So you're willing to be the test subject to take a tank of 40% down to 130' for the full NDL allowed, all recreational limits, for say 10 dives to see if you ox tox on any of those 10 dives? Maybe you won't, but do you care to put your money where your mouth is?

 

[johndiver999]

I've dived quite often in SE Florida in currents of all types. I would never, ever clip myself to a line, it's too risky and your post is a clear example of why.

And yes, there is not one report of 02 toxicity in a single tank recreational diver which makes it little more than a myth.

Now it's your turn to say I'm wrong because you're so much more knowledgeable than me.

So what were you doing on these drift dives? Were you using a scooter? That makes all the difference in the world.

I dive with a guy who takes 34% to 135 twice a day, once a week, for decades. Not that I think that is at all smart, but I do suspect that the 1.4 limit is probably conservative. On the other hand, I think oxtox is not something to be disregarded.

 

[johndiver999]

No scooter, deployed a dsmb from depth towards the end of the dive.

Not understanding why carrying a scooter means a diver must incur significant additional risk by clipping themselves to a flag.

You provide another great example as to why recreational single tank diving on Nitrox poses such a low risk of 02 toxicity that it can almost be completely disregarded.

Well if you don't have a lot of experience pulling a float (with and without a scooter), then I can understand your perspective on rigging. A diver is going to have quite an issue hand pulling a float and riding a scooter and accomplishing anything.

Since you didn't answer what you were doing on these drift dives, perhaps it is reasonable to assume your comments pertain primarily to a tourist boat and you aren't trying to "do" anything other than sightsee. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course, but sometimes we make compromises in diver safety in order to accomplish some task or objective.

I'm make this assumption on your experience, based on your indication that you deploy an SMB at end of dive. If I were just drifting on a recreational dive and no scooter, I definitely would just hand carry the dive hook/float line and not clip it off to my harness.

With respect to ox-tox, my interpretation of anecdotal evidence indicates that the prevailing recommendation for 1.4 may be overly conservative, but the consequences of getting "it wrong" are potentially catastrophic, so applying a good degree of caution makes sense - as opposed to applying ZERO caution toward oxygen exposure limits.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

No, but I'll continue to set my computer to PP02 of 1.6, drop considerably below the MOD for my particular mix if there's something interesting to see, and not lose any sleep over it.

It's your neck. Do as you wish.