Lesson learned, potential mishap avoided? What's your opinion.

[TheAquaticApe]

Hypothetical situation with hypothetical dive outfit. Two students and two certified divers on a six pack boat. Headed to a 25' dive a few miles offshore.

Boat strikes unseen object, prop is lost. Captain drops anchor and it holds, calls for tow boat. Boat has no power at this point.

Instructor takes two OW candidates into the water, 20' viz, slight current. (maybe 1knot)

Would you have done this? I told my hypothetical friend that she should never dive from a boat with no means of propulsion. Your thoughts?

TIA.

The Aquatic Ape

 

[pnw_diver]

Never, especially with OW students. The hypothetical instructor who would do this is negligent, IMO.

 

[iztok]

Maybe instructor was anticipating OW divers diving fresh wreck?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

1 kt is not a slight current.

 

[tracydr]

Hypothetical situation with hypothetical dive outfit. Two students and two certified divers on a six pack boat. Headed to a 25" dive a few miles offshore.

Boat strikes unseen object, prop is lost. Captain drops anchor and it holds, calls for tow boat. Boat has no power at this point.

Instructor takes two OW candidates into the water, 20" viz, slight current. (maybe 1knot)

Would you have done this? I told my hypothetical friend that she should never dive from a boat with no means of propulsion. Your thoughts?

TIA.

The Aquatic Ape

Since it's a 25 inch dice, heck yeah! Sorry, had to rib ya! Boat probably hit the 25 inch bottom. Are you diving in a creek?

 

[TheAquaticApe]

My mistake.

I'm estimating the current. In my experience, which is admittedly not extensive, a 1kt current isn't that bad. It might have been less. My hypothetical friend said it was strong so I'm guessing it was weak as she's new and doesn't have much to compare it with.

 

[Jax]

Think the instructors' view would be helpful.

BTW, What was the vis? 20" or 20'.

 

[TheAquaticApe]

20 feet of visibility.

 

[Cave Diver]

I don't think OW candidates should be a few miles offshore, in those conditions diving from a boat that is disabled. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[Valwood1]

I told my hypothetical friend that she should never dive from a boat with no means of propulsion. Your thoughts?

+1

Well, a diver who makes an ocean dive from a disabled boat might not be a candidate for a Darwin Award, but he/she sure would be in the running. This diving stuff can get pretty tricky even when we do everything right. Why increase the risk by being overly...aggressive?