Is there a main fatality cause in Lobster diving?

[MasterGoa]

Hi all!

As you know, the only lobstering I know
is sending that wood type cage to the bottom
and bringing it up the next for a lobster.

As I read into lobstering, the conditions seem ideal
for diving and luke warm water and depths in the 20's
and 30's, So my question is, why so many problems
with this type of diving? I beleive those lobsters dont
even have claws like the Canadian ones, so you cannot
get injured by one...

I am confused, please someone explain...

Pierre

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Deleted.

I didn't realized this was a question about a recent incident.


I have never been lobstering not sure other than possibly people being more active than they are in shape for or getting task loaded? Not sure.

 

[ERIC.K]

folks being invited down from someplace and being told...sure we have gear you can use, now let me see where did we store GRANDPA"S old reg, ahhh here it is, just dust it off and it will be good as new. maybe you can fit into his old wetsuit....well it looks a LITTLE tight on you, but if you don't zip it up then you should be fine........never been diving before? no problem well just dive off the back of Jake's boat, you've been snorkling right, it's practically the same......one more thing if you could just drop by that carry-out and pick up some beer....did I pretty much sum up mini season?

 

[dpbishop]

The biggest danger in lobster diving is the "one more lobster" syndrome; even though you know you are down to 500, 400, 300 psi you think "I'll just look under that next ledge, there might be one there". I sucked aluminum more than a few times in my misspent youth while lobster diving.

 

[trtldvr]

There are many different reasons, but it seems that the most common cause of death over the last couple of years is heart attacks.

 

[Theunis]

In South Africa we have strict laws regulating the catching of crayfish (Rock Lobster) or kreef as it is called in the Afrikaans language. If you are diving on a recreational level you must buy a seasonal permit, you are only allowed to catch 4 lobsters per day in the Cape Province (I think in Kwazulu Natal this quantity differs), divers may only use snorkels (NO SCUBA), you may only do a shore entry or a ring net or scoop may be used from the shore or boat.

I've been doing a lot of lobster hunting in the Cape Province. It can be challenging due to rough seas, currents, etc. It can be risky as well, normally the lobsters disappear between rock grooves when you are getting close and you have to get you hand in there to grab it. You may get stuck and drown or some "vicious" creature may bite or sting your hand!

I agree with trtldvr that a common cause of death may be heart attacks. You have to be very fit with a looooong breath. Another risk is a black-out.

 

[CraigAClark]

In South Florida, we are always getting calls 2 days or less before that 12:01 opening Wednesday morning about repairs to a line of hookah we represent. I think there is a combination of causes. The main one in my mind is what I refer to as "Last Minute Syndrome". Everyone waits till the last minute to get "ready" for the season. This can include, but is not limited to making sure all gear is in top operating condition and making sure the diver is in top operating condition. Try calling your LDS in this time frame to get something serviced and the answer usually leads to getting in the water with gear that might not be up to par. "Not going to let a little thing like a regulator that needs an overhaul stop me from lobstering", is an attitude that probably prevails more often than not. I would be curious to know when the last time a lot of Mini-Season divers hit the water before hand. Maybe, lobster Mini-Season should be featured on "Deadliest Catch".

Craig

 

[drbill]

Perceptual narrowing... the eyes and mind focus on catching the lobster and don't pay enough attention to things like their SPG and NDL. Of course that can also be true of us underwater imagers. Since most bug diving is done at night, surfacing into thick kelp can also be a factor.

 

[DanBMW]

We used to do a lot of snorkeling for lobster in the Keys and for the most part, it was simply "trolling" people behind the boat in 4-10 feet of water and then as soon as one was spotted, the frenzy began.

SCUBA diving is a lot different. My guess is that many divers are not in shape, 1/2 population is over weight, using out of date gear and with heart disease the leading killer of Americans, it adds up!

Heart attack on the surface might be survable, under water it is generally fatal!

 

[scubapolly]

You have to be very fit with a looooong breath. Another risk is a black-out.

These are an issue when free diving, but lots of the deaths are on SCUBA.

While some are heart attacks and just a factor of the large amount of the divers in the water in a short amount of time increasing the chances of that happening, 2 main reason: Greed and Complacency.

Greed: One more lobster syndrome, and leaving boats unattended.

Complacency- Untrained, gear that hasn't been maintained, skills that haven't been maintained, getting away from the flag (when there are lots of untrained boat operators out), forgetting to turn on air, failing to see the snowball plowing towards you due to perceptual narrowing or greed.

Lots of alcohol is usually involved: drunk divers, and drunk boat drivers. Even with the best of intentions- the sober people drive the boat and dive, while they leave their buddies who are drinking on the boat, divers come up away from the boat, and no one notices them until the beer runs out.

When I lived in the keys, I didn't dive at all during mini season. I'd go out each night (until I got sick of eating lobster) during regular season and catch a single lobster for the next nights dinner... more than enough for me.