Opinions Please

[Richesb]

We are having a discussion amoungst a group of divers and would like some opinions.
What would you consider an average/reasonable distance to surface from the boat after a normal reef dive? 30ft viz.

 

[rahuck]

Not sure what you mean by 'normal' reef dive but I would think that you should be able to surface within 50 ft of the boat. Now I will wait for all those who think I am nuts...

 

[Steve50]

Where are you diving that the normal reef dive is 30' vis?

 

[TSandM]

We dive reefs in the PNW in 30' viz and call that good; coming up within a couple hundred feet of the boat is not unusual, but we live boat those dives.

 

[scubadobadoo]

Where are you diving that the normal reef dive is 30' vis?

Could be Cally on almost any reef, many dives in the keys on the shallower reefs average 30-50 ft, tons of places in the bahamas are the same, Cape Ann and other places in New England average 30ft just to name a few.

But seriously...to answer the question, why ask? Any dive that puts you back on the boat safely is a good one. Add issues like out of shape, sea sick, heavy seas, heavy current, new diver, cold, and other factors and closer to the boat without getting chopped up is best. SO, yes, thirty feet is good in my humble opinion if you can. However in that kind of viz with currents and seas often equals a hot drop and live pick up so ask your captain.

 

[Richesb]

Normal viz 30ft = Florida Keys
Normal dive = no problems, emergencies, diificulties, screaming currents.

 

[Steve50]

Normal viz 30ft = Florida Keys
Normal dive = no problems, emergencies, diificulties, screaming currents.

Thanks, I'm accumulating a list of places with vis as bad as at home ;-)

 

[dkktsunami]

Normal viz 30ft = Florida Keys
Normal dive = no problems, emergencies, diificulties, screaming currents.

In the keys most dive boats are anchored to a mooring line. Reefs generally run east to west. In the absence of a strong current there should be no difficulty in returning to the boat.

 

[Nemrod]

Generally most captains prefer you return up the anchor line, do your safety stop on the anchor line and then you may surface and swim around to the back of the boat or just stay submerged and swim around to the ladder and then come to the surface. It is often considered bad form to surface away from the boat but --but--on a drift that will differ and under various conditions and requirments of the skipper with whom you should discuss things like this question.

Surfacing away from the bloat without a flag could be dangerous to your health, you could get run over, the skipper and crew may not see you to pick you up, they may think your in trobule and mount a rescue, you could have a current sweep you quickly away and the boat would not be able to come after you until AFTER all of the other divers are recalled--then what are you going to do?

N

 

[RS]

I was doing my safety stop midwater, no line, in Cabo San Lucas about a month ago and kept hearing props very close over head! Maybe you all are used to it, but I was pretty un-nerved on surfacing, and kept turning around to see if I needed to duck out of the way of a nutty boat captain. I came up right beside the boat, to my surprise.

Turns out that that operation always follows your bubbles on the surface, and guard you from the maelstrom of boat traffic. They just don't bother to tell you about it. So I guess we were drift diving, in a way.