Missing Reel on Robert Gaskin

[FreeFloat]

Given the attitude shown by most "open water" divers, I would highly suspect that it's more sheer ignorance than intent to steal. They probably see a piece of gear lying apparently abandoned with no one in sight, and consider it "bonus! look what I found!"

This is compliacted somewhat by the fact that their own (and their buddies') gear management skills may not be that top-notch - how many of us ourselves, or someone we know, has accidentally dropped or lost gear?

Your typical vacation/recreational diver has probably lost so many pieces of gear that he would automatically assume that anything left "lying around" was dropped by someone just like him.

Notwithstanding that any idiot should be able to tell the difference between the mussel-encrusted weight belt or snorkel half buried in the silt (lost) and the clean, tidy deployed reel or stage bottle(s). But then we all know how many divers make it to the bottom with all brain cells firing (not as many as we'd like)

 

[The Chairman]

I like the "This gear is not abandoned" sign. I am going to make some.

 

[FreeFloat]

I like the "This gear is not abandoned" sign. I am going to make some.

Ditto. I'm thinking either vinyl stickers or tags printed on thin vinyl (kind of like Wetnotes pages) that can be attached at will.

 

[The Chairman]

I think that making them like a small name tag would work.

 

[vlada]

Well Pat and Kevin: I will admit to being out of the loop regarding the contents of most openwater currricula (?) as they stand today... as you say, times change and reels are far in more common usage today than when we learned to dive (had string been invented back then?). Given this, surely to god the community at large is aware to some extent that a piece of equipment left in place is not fair game.

Here's a scenerio... something that will happen this weekend since I am teaching a wreck penetration course... I'd like your comments. A team of three divers arrives at the engineering skylight and makes two primary ties on the exterior of the window fram and on the loop so formed stages their decompression gas. They enter and begin their overhead drills. While they are in there, a group of openwater divers swims by and see the threee 40 cubic foot bottles hanging there. What happens. And if they take anything, is that ignorance or are they simply theives?

I appreciate your point that better instruction is needed at the openwater stage, but maintain that people removing deployed gear are not ill-informed they are simply stealing.

Funny enough or not very funny, this scenario did happen. Not here, but in Straits where the wrecks are shared by both tech and rec divers alike. Captain told us the story of single tank rec divers coming out of the water with stages of those who were still inside the wreck. I believe they were sent right back down to put the "lost pony bottles" back where they "found" them

When i heard that story, i just decided to keep my stages/deco bottles on myself at all times in cases i am sharing the wreck with more than one group of divers who may or may not know what those "lost pony bottles" are for

 

[The Chairman]

Labels...

And if they take anything, is that ignorance or are they simply theives?

I am not sure that determining this will make diving any safer at all. Sure it gives you a chance to rail at "the stupidity" and "the slime balls" but it does little to prevent it from happening again.

However, tagging all of your gear with "This gear is not abandoned" is a good start. This will educate the "stupid divers" and might even give pause to the truly larcenous. I also feel that any and all instruction about diving near wrecks or caves, should include proper ettiquette of leaving life support equipment ALONE. I think this should be stressed by any and all captains and spring/cave operators before open water divers hit those sensitive areas.

 

[StingRob]

Funny enough or not very funny, this scenario did happen. Not here, but in Straits where the wrecks are shared by both tech and rec divers alike. Captain told us the story of single tank rec divers coming out of the water with stages of those who were still inside the wreck. I believe they were sent right back down to put the "lost pony bottles" back where they "found" them

When i heard that story, i just decided to keep my stages/deco bottles on myself at all times in cases i am sharing the wreck with more than one group of divers who may or may not know what those "lost pony bottles" are for

I just cannot believe when they had their C-cards nobody told them about "lost pony bottles"...

StingRob

 

[Marvintpa]

In the PADI OW course it would be uncommon (understatement) to mention what a pony bottle is, let alone what the protocol is if you found one underwater. At least that's the way it is around here.

 

[PatH]

And if they take anything, is that ignorance or are they simply theives?

I appreciate your point that better instruction is needed at the openwater stage, but maintain that people removing deployed gear are not ill-informed they are simply stealing.

Steve, I tend to agree with you that a deployed line or leashed off stage bottle rarely appears abandoned and it stretches the imagination to excuse their removal to simple ignorance. It would be interesting for someone to write a proposal to the various rec agencies to request they add this info to their curriculum... Steve, as an accomplished instructor you might be well placed to do this. I can pretty much guarantee you that it is not a normal teaching point at the OW level.

Bye the way... where are you diving this weekend?... I love engine room work!!

 

[NewbieDiver]

Labels...



However, tagging all of your gear with "This gear is not abandoned" is a good start. This will educate the "stupid divers" and might even give pause to the truly larcenous. .

How about "This gear is not abandoned....................AND I carry a large spear gun"