Miami Beach charter leaves divers in open waters off Key Biscayne

[deepstops]

I have dove and will continue to dive with this operation frequently.

They *always* perform a roll call. I repeat *always*.

My question is: who on the boat answered "here" when their names were called.

And on that topic.. Counting heads is a SERIOUSLY bad way of making sure you have everyone. Out of the possible scenarios doing that the best is two boats take wrong divers with them, worst case - well, this topic derived from that..

Don is implying knowing "which" divers (who), not "how many divers" (a head count).

As I stated, they perform a roll call, not a head count.

 

[deepstops]

For what it's worth, the article quotes that they paid for two one hour dives. They surfaced 55 minutes into the second dive to find that the boat was gone. What kind of blame can be put on the divers based on this information?

You're taking a newspaper article literally. I promise you they don't say "you're going to get two one hour dives" when you book a spot. They tell you you're getting a two-tank trip.

A head count would seem the preferred method. I would be interested in Wookie's input on this subject...

I disagree, a roll call with names would preferable. Liveaboards I've been on utilize a sign-in board with entry and exit times.

 

[Tigerman]

Deepstops where the hell did I imply that Don was talking about counting heads? I simply specified that doing so is seriously bad, and there IS dive ops out there who does..

 

[deepstops]

Deepstops where the hell did I imply that Don was talking about counting heads? I simply specified that doing so is seriously bad, and there IS dive ops out there who does..

My apologies, I misunderstood since you quoted him and then started with:

And on that topic.. Counting heads is a SERIOUSLY bad way of making sure you have everyone

 

[DandyDon]

A head count would seem the preferred method. I would be interested in Wookie's input on this subject...

I guess the head count got bashed enough already. While you are waiting on Wooki to post, I will comment that he is the best - the skipper who meets every diver coming out of the water for a chat, taking notes, etc.

 

[c0r3yz]

You're taking a newspaper article literally. I promise you they don't say "you're going to get two one hour dives" when you book a spot. They tell you you're getting a two-tank trip.

That's why I said, for what it's worth. The typical limit I've seen on dives in our area as required by the boat caption is 45 minutes, which would only put them 10 minutes over. Regardless, I think this is a moot point. The divers were in the water when the boat left. That is inexcusable. I see no point in trying to make any kind of justification for putting blame on the divers, whether they ignored the briefing or drifted off the site, the captain and his crew are responsible for them. These two are very fortunate they were only forgotten and that they were found.

 

[SandyRobinson]

There was a couple left overnight off of Key Largo years ago. They spent the night on a buoy I think, no one missing them. I think I heard the resort even called the guys office looking for him before they go word because he hadn't returned his rental gear. The resort became one of the safest to dive with after that but I heard that the skipper lost his license. Oh, I think both of the dives were lawyers. I don't remember the name of the place now. I think it was bulldozed to make room for hiway expansion.

The dive op was Aqua-Nuts; we dove with them 6 or 7? years ago. They were next door to Amy Slates Dive Resort. It was sold - I thought for development but nothing had been done as of last year.

Not knowing the story, I did ask the captain why they had the procedures they did(which seemed overkill to me). He told me it was the way a federal judge told them to do it and then told me the story. From what I remember, it was two lawyers from Texas(maybe Houston).

 

[boulderjohn]

The dive op was Aqua-Nuts; we dove with them 6 or 7? years ago. They were next door to Amy Slates Dive Resort. It was sold - I thought for development but nothing had been done as of last year.

Not knowing the story, I did ask the captain why they had the procedures they did(which seemed overkill to me).

I dived with them after the incident as well. They were indeed using a tag system when I was with them. You had to return your tag after the diving was over.

 

[DandyDon]

I dived with them after the incident as well. They were indeed using a tag system when I was with them. You had to return your tag after the diving was over.

Yep, the only time I saw the DAN tag used. I saw the boards on other boats, but not used. See http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-conch-divers/108466-aquanuts-largo-going-going-gone.html

 

[Wookie]

A head count would seem the preferred method. I would be interested in Wookie's input on this subject...

Wookie's input on the subject:

Head counts are completely inadequate and only a new captain would consider performing one. Roll calls are little better. When I do what we call a "welfare check", every diver meets the eye of the captain. If someone is in the head, in their bunk, making out on the bow, whatever, they will have to meet my eye and tell me that they are OK. This gives me an opportunity to look deeply into their eyes and see if they have a nervous twitch, like might result from a type II hit. It also gives me the opportunity to hear in their own words how they feel. Of course, it also means I have laid my eye on every stinky diver on the boat, and the boat may now move.

You'd be surprised at how many folks regard this as an invasion of their privacy. They get upset that I interrupted their nap, dinner, makeout session, etc. They are offended that I didn't take their word for it that their wife, brother, sister, whatever is OK, and that I want to see everyone's smiling (or other) butt on this boat before I let the deck crew off the deck.

I am one of the very few captains that has left someone at sea forever. We never found them, their body, or any evidence of their passing. I knew, however, before all the divers were up that he was missing. He should have been the first one on the boat as he had been every other dive. Before half of the divers were up from that dive I was calling the other boats, then the Coast Guard. My system works for me, not for everyone, but it works well here. I hate the shorter trips because the captain doesn't have time to learn the divers names. It is critical that the captain come down from the flybridge and conduct the roll call where he can see every diver, and not have to worry about missing one because 2 divers yell "here" when the name "Mark" is called.