Reef hooking is a normal part of the diving in Palau. It's not some crazy dive plan that somebody straps you to the reef. Actually, it can be the most relaxing way to dive because you just hook in and float and watch. You get to see a lot of amazing action and sharks are floating right next to you. Huge schools of fish going by, sharks everywhere.
I had more problem with keeping hook in in between "gusts" of current, because the lull would tend to flow the opposite way like surge. You just need a lot of air to float off the reef and you're good. As long as you hover over the reef and then inflate, you don't harm the reef. But my experience showed not everyone was concerned about that. Which is unfortunate because as I said it was one of the easiest dives to do once you're hooked. You don't feel the current really until you get close to the reef, then you get swept across it so you have to have your altitude and heading right to be low enough to hook in but high enough to not hurt the reef critters.
I attached it to my BCD cumberbund area and it was only a rope. A T handle would not be good in my opinion because you would need to balance it by holding with both hands.
I don't understand. Doesn't everyone dive with knife or better, shears? And a backup. You're highly suspectible to tangling underwater, in vegetation or even fishing line or fishing net. You don't have the luxury of time to get out of it. I wouldn't consider diving without them in Monterey.
I'd have to think that she knocked herself unconscious and then drowned.
Main problem is here is too many people for the dive guide and breakdown of the buddy system. On the BBE, we were split into two dive boats of 8 people each at the beginning, and it was always 2 guides for 6 or more people, maybe one for 5 people or less. The biggest thing being we watched out for each other. Don't go diving with your California attitude of not talking to anyone. Though that's not my attitude, I live in California so I know how you don't know your neighbor. That goes out the window when you're diving. Whether you're speaking different languages or what, you're a team underwater to look out for each other. Once a minute, you look around at how people are doing. Make sure everyone is there and what's the leader doing. And you have to stay close enough to do that, not scattered about.
You stay together and you hook in, with guides on the outside or toward the exit direction. You look around enjoy the view, then look at your buddy, then look at the other team members. Everyone look OK? Do the same thing again. You have to do this because they could save your life and you could save theirs.
Having guides whose sole interest is in watching you rather than diving is the first thing. Having the right ratio of divers to guides is the next essential thing. Being prepared yourself with your gear is the next. You're underwater, be prepared and leave the skin diving to snorkeling. Next is physical condition to dive. You have to be strong enough to handle conditions. And communicate up front with other divers. What hand signals do they use: what's out of air, etc. Diving in foreign lands means they do things diffferently. Figure it out topside. Who cares if they don't like you talking to them. You could be saving their life in 15 minutes. Be a team, not a group of individuals.
It's too late for this poor person.
Where do you go when you die in diving heaven?
