Missing diver found dead during Florida lobster mini season

[Marie13]

My technique (bad knees/sciatica) -

First of all, we have fin ON ladders for the most part on the Great Lakes. I’ve not yet been on a boat that didn’t have one.

Unclip butt end of pony at safety stop. Get high enough on ladder for crew to easily reach pony, unclip top, and pull it up. Have crew pull my weights at waist. Go up ladder with a couple pulls on tank valve.

Captain in Toby 2 weeks ago said he was delighted I knew exactly the help I needed and told him specifics. Said he sees too many people who want/need help, but are pissy when they don’t get it and didn’t ask for it.

And yes, I tip well (min $20 for 2 tank dive).

 

[tarponchik]

To quote Mike Tyson: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth"

This one goes back 150 years to von Moltke the Elder, "No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy".

 

[Manatee Diver]

But open water training might not involve a boat and details on how you get on board.

Unfortunately around here, that happens a bit too often. Lots of divers do all their cert dives in the freshwater springs, despite the Gulf or the Atlantic being not too far away and often warmer.

 

[peeweediver]

We stress mask on correctly and reg in mouth until clear of the water during confined and open water dives. However, I just re-checked my slates and it's not on them as a teaching item. We have stairs at the pool so we practice in confined water and stairs at the quarry so practice during open water dives. After reading Manatee Diver's post, I realize one may never use stairs during confined or open water and, hence, never be told, mask on, reg in until completely out of the water. Not sure what happened here, but sad for the outcome.

 

[Manatee Diver]

We stress mask on correctly and reg in mouth until clear of the water during confined and open water dives. However, I just re-checked my slates and it's not on them as a teaching item. We have stairs at the pool so we practice in confined water and stairs at the quarry so practice during open water dives. After reading Manatee Diver's post, I realize one may never use stairs during confined or open water and, hence, never be told, mask on, reg in until completely out of the water. Not sure what happened here, but sad for the outcome.

The freshwater springs that are used for training almost always have stairs, the state and the private owners often build them to preserve the banks. What they don't have are ladders like you see on most boats, which are much harder to climb up on particularly when you are carrying 26lbs of lead, with a tank that means over an extra 50lbs for a 70 year old man.

 

[SoFlaDiver954]

Lots of good discussion, but a few clarifications:
1. It is not known how or when the BCD was torn. Could have happened when the diver entered the water, during the recovery, or even when drifting (he was underwater for ~3 hours or so before being pulled onto a boat).
2. Lots of people here get OW certified without ever doing any boat dives. Plenty of shore diving with easy access.
3. Most boats here use fins-off ladders. I know at least 1 (Scubatyme) that has a fins-off and a fins-on ladder.
4. The deceased was diving off a private boat that likely did not have as robust a ladder (fins on or off) as the Newton/Burpee/etc commercial dive boats.

 

[AfterDark]

Lots of good discussion, but a few clarifications:
1. It is not known how or when the BCD was torn. Could have happened when the diver entered the water, during the recovery, or even when drifting (he was underwater for ~3 hours or so before being pulled onto a boat).
2. Lots of people here get OW certified without ever doing any boat dives. Plenty of shore diving with easy access.
3. Most boats here use fins-off ladders. I know at least 1 (Scubatyme) that has a fins-off and a fins-on ladder.
4. The deceased was diving off a private boat that likely did not have as robust a ladder (fins on or off) as the Newton/Burpee/etc commercial dive boats.

He was dead underwater for 3hours!!???!! WTHeck!!! He surely could not have been u/w for 3 hours and surface with 2400PSI.

 

[seeker242]

Lots of good discussion, but a few clarifications:
1. It is not known how or when the BCD was torn. Could have happened when the diver entered the water, during the recovery, or even when drifting (he was underwater for ~3 hours or so before being pulled onto a boat).
2. Lots of people here get OW certified without ever doing any boat dives. Plenty of shore diving with easy access.
3. Most boats here use fins-off ladders. I know at least 1 (Scubatyme) that has a fins-off and a fins-on ladder.
4. The deceased was diving off a private boat that likely did not have as robust a ladder (fins on or off) as the Newton/Burpee/etc commercial dive boats.

There are also reports that the guy had 20+ years of experience.

 

[Dan]

Sounds more & more like a medical issue.

 

[SoFlaDiver954]

He was dead underwater for 3hours!!???!! WTHeck!!! He surely could not have been u/w for 3 hours and surface with 2400PSI.

Yes the first group that found him did not surface him.