sea nmf
Contributor
Gosh, this is terrible! Every diver's fear! God bless them. I hope the instructor can get back into it, as he plans.
Kauai Dive Instructor has leg cut off by boat propeller
- Thread starter chepar
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Iruka
Contributor
Almost had the same thing happen to my group while DESCENDING ON THE MOORING, with our boat moored there, as another boat, props spinning, backed right into us, hitting the boat we were on, and narrowly (maybe by a foot? maybe inches?) missing me & my divers. Whenever you surface during a dive, you have to be aware of boats, of course, but you don't expect to get buzzed by one while on a "taken" mooring! Pretty scary.
Gilligan
Contributor
Send that dive sausage up on a line while doing your safety stop. That gives boats in the area 3 minutes to see that dive sausage before you pop up. The DM did that in Cozumel on every dive. Fortunately, I have my kayak above me with a dive flag on it when I surface.
This incident was always my biggest fear when diving at Molokini from a commercial boat because of so many operators there.
This incident was always my biggest fear when diving at Molokini from a commercial boat because of so many operators there.
Yeah, and it gives the wave runners 3 minutes to use it as a slalom buoy before they hit you.Gilligan:
Not knocking the idea down, I think its good advice. Just saying what I experienced with my dive flag (I saw the wave runner before surfacing, Thank God)
Tragic incident, hope for the best
sea nmf
Contributor
Once again, not enough information from the media. I think all newspapers should contact an "expert" before reporting dive stories. Talk to someone at a dive shop who might know the kinds of questions to ask.
I wish we knew how this really happened. It was reported that the divers were hit by another dive boat. Dive boats know the rules. This accident as reported is a mystery to me.
I wish we knew how this really happened. It was reported that the divers were hit by another dive boat. Dive boats know the rules. This accident as reported is a mystery to me.
Ama4219
Registered
Charlie99
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Neither were really a "dive boat". The big snorkel and sunset cruise boats will sometimes do a discover scuba dive for uncertified divers.sea nmf:
While unfortunate, it doesn't sound like a mystery. An instructor takes 3 uncertified divers for a spin around the reef. One loses buoyancy control and pops up in front of another boat. Instructor gets clipped while trying to retrieve him.
Most big snorkel boats at Molokini routinely ask about divers in the water before entering or leaving the crater, but it would only take a moment of inattention coupled with an out-of-control diver for a similar incident to occur there.
sea nmf
Contributor
The mystery to me is why other boats were in the area where there were divers down. Was there a dive flag? Are the waters just too crowed in Maui?
The purpose of the diver down flag is to try to prevent these exact types of accidents. So a tourist boat must know what the flag means. I wonder if the divers strayed far away from the boat they were diving from? So far, no answers to these questions in the media coverage.
The purpose of the diver down flag is to try to prevent these exact types of accidents. So a tourist boat must know what the flag means. I wonder if the divers strayed far away from the boat they were diving from? So far, no answers to these questions in the media coverage.
Gilligan
Contributor
Dive Flag Laws
Federal Law
The Federal Law mandates use of only the Alpha Flag (blue & white) under Rule 27(e)
Hawaii's Dive Flag Laws
Apparently Hawaii Law allows a boat to approach a dive flag within the 100 or 50 foot restriction if they too are going to dive (paragraph f).
Section 13-245-9
f) All vessels shall be prohibited from approaching within one hundred feet of a displayed diver's flag or within fifty feet of a displayed diver's flag on navigable streams, except within marked navigation channels. Vessels approaching a displayed diver's flag to conduct SCUBA, snorkeling, or free diving activities within the one hundred foot or fifty foot restricted area shall be allowed to do so provided that the vessel approaches at a speed of slow-no-wake.
(h) The diver's flag shall be displayed only when free diving or SCUBA diving is in progress, and its display in a water area when no diving is in progress in that area shall constitute a violation of these rules.
(i) There shall be no subsurface distance restrictions from a dive flag, however, except in cases of emergencies, free divers or SCUBA divers shall be prohibited from surfacing more than one hundred feet away from the diver's flag in the ocean waters of the State and fifty feet in navigable streams.
Federal Law
The Federal Law mandates use of only the Alpha Flag (blue & white) under Rule 27(e)
Hawaii's Dive Flag Laws
Apparently Hawaii Law allows a boat to approach a dive flag within the 100 or 50 foot restriction if they too are going to dive (paragraph f).
Section 13-245-9
f) All vessels shall be prohibited from approaching within one hundred feet of a displayed diver's flag or within fifty feet of a displayed diver's flag on navigable streams, except within marked navigation channels. Vessels approaching a displayed diver's flag to conduct SCUBA, snorkeling, or free diving activities within the one hundred foot or fifty foot restricted area shall be allowed to do so provided that the vessel approaches at a speed of slow-no-wake.
(h) The diver's flag shall be displayed only when free diving or SCUBA diving is in progress, and its display in a water area when no diving is in progress in that area shall constitute a violation of these rules.
(i) There shall be no subsurface distance restrictions from a dive flag, however, except in cases of emergencies, free divers or SCUBA divers shall be prohibited from surfacing more than one hundred feet away from the diver's flag in the ocean waters of the State and fifty feet in navigable streams.
alemaozinho
Contributor
feel sorry for the two injured,but where was the dive flag??
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