Opinions please!

[miketsp]

Captains don't make nearly enough money to be saddled with decisions like this IMO but that is their job.

It applies just as much to amateur captains who don't get paid anything. At many clubs the boat handler/skipper is a volunteer but once he volunteers the responsibility is his.

What you can't have is a 2 hour debate while someone is agonising. There is no room for democracy on a boat.

 

[IndigoBlue]

I don't know about west coast states but in Michigan i believe boating rules are within the states jurisdiction not the Feds. In our area it is the county Sheriffs dept that generally enforces inland maritime law.

The Coast Guard supports that effort with vessel inspection authority and search & recovery for situations beyond the sheriff depts ability.

I'm not a licensed Captain but i'm not aware of any law governing the leaving or picking up divers in this situation. I think each situation must stand on its own due to variablity of possible circumstances. I'm not sure how you would write a law to adequately cover this topic.

I am not aware of any law either, telling the boat captain what to do. And I agree with the notion that it should be up to the captain, as to whether he leaves the remaining divers behind or not.

I was just wondering if the USCG had weighed in on the issue.

 

[TCDiver1]

I was just wondering if the USCG had weighed in on the issue.

Not that i'm aware of. I know a couple of Coasty helo pilots stationed in my town. I'll ask the question.

 

[clearwaterdivers]

Never heard of that option. (even if it exists I wouldn't use it)

As a dive master I would never leave the site with divers still in the water. The Captain of the boat is responsible for all the people the he/she has taken out there with them. To leave people behind would be irresponsible. There is defintely a need to get an injured person into care as soon as possible but not at others expense. I don't believe leaving them a float is adequate. I will double check that with the coastguard bubbas, they are more up on all those boater safety laws then us open ocean navy types.
Every large boat I have ever been on (in the states) has had a diver recall system of some sort and briefed it....cycling the engines, a bell, U/W Horn...one guy in NJ had U/W he had modified from a set of home pool speaker that he hooked into the VHF radio and used it as an U/W loud hailer to recall divers.

It is the law that the captain is in charge and what he decides is what happens. Different scenarios will take place in differrent waters with different captains, Dms and Instrs. I have personally seen some vessels with recalls and most of the smaller vessels, without, other than some that use the, we'll beat on something method, which does work!!. Some brief the recall and most have not. Depends on where you are and what kind of operation you are dealing with. This scenario may be in Florida, but keep in mind that the air Vac may not always be an option. There are many dive areas that do not have that luxury.

 

[Scubaguy62]

i guess this is not a florida thing... anyone in florida been
on a boat that had this type of system? i haven't.

Me neither

 

[TCDiver1]

It is the law that the captain is in charge and what he decides is what happens.

I talked to a Coasty pilot and the Deputy who is charge of the marine patrol for our county and both agreed its the Captains decision only. Neither was aware of any law related to this.

It makes sense. How would you legislate something so potentially variable.

By the way, they both felt for our area, unless you got a very reliable method of pickup for divers still in the water, the right decision would be to recover everyone before you left.

 

[Afraid_of_Fish]

Third, I dive with several family members and good friends on most trips. I would rather spend an hour or two bobbing in the waves then have someone I care about not get help because I didn't hear the clang of a ladder.

I comepletly agree. When the boat leaves they should get on the radio and tell another boat to come to the site to get the remaining divers immediately, though. Even if I did not know the person, before you complain you have to think: If that was your brother that was hurt would you want him to not get help because some adsent minded diver was not paying attention and missed the engines rev? Perspective people.

 

[clearwaterdivers]

I talked to a Coasty pilot and the Deputy who is charge of the marine patrol for our county and both agreed its the Captains decision only. Neither was aware of any law related to this.

So, If its not law, who created the Captain to be in charge. I believe that somewhere it is written that the Captain is in charge and has the last say. If it is not known as law, or the term is wrong, beg my pardon. I would swear that there is such a thing as Maritime Law, I could be mistaken. At least it is known that the Captain is over everyone on the boat, no matter what the boat is doing. george

 

[FredT]

The best recall system I've ever used is a cherry bomb or M-80 over the side, after checking for close shallow bubbles. Repeat at specified intervals until all divers are recovered. They floated and had a waterproof fuse system once it was lit. It's unmistakeable and audible U/W for over a mile even in relatively noisy near harbor areas. For beach dives the addition of a wrist rocket slingshot to the kit allowed planting them outside the surf zone from the beach.

The down side is the PTBs representing the least and left coasts in the US government decided the peons could not be trusted with them and pulled them off the market in about '69 "for our own good". May those PTB's hemorroids develop hemorroids!

I suppose a commercial milidet blasting cap would have the same effect. However they are a LOT more dangerous to deal with and carry around than a cherry bomb and the paper work to get "legal" to buy and maintain an inventory of them is a real PITA now.

FT

 

[miketsp]

The best recall system I've ever used is a cherry bomb or M-80 over the side, after checking for close shallow bubbles. FT

A man after my own heart...

Did you ever stun any fish or is it not powerful enough?