Please

[lulubelle]

take your safety equipment into the water with you when diving, especially here and other areas of the North Atlantic or other similar waters. At the very minimum, have an SMB, a light, and a whistle. I'm adding some things to this such as a small mirror, better noise beacon, larger SMB, etc. I've been reading threads on this forum and other to see what else I might be able and willing to carry. I have also heard that they make personal EPIRBS for divers which can be used at the surface and if they are affordable, I may get one. Not only for diving here, but for a planned trip to the Galapagos.

A week or so ago, a diver and his buddy were separated. I'm not sure what happened underwater, but the separated diver could not find the anchor line and began a free ascent, in current. He also did his safety stop, in current. When he surfaced, he was no where near the boat. The boat started a search pattern, along with some other boats, and the diver was found a couple of miles from the boat.

Why am I posting then? Because the diver did not have his SMB with him, so really, he is darn lucky that he was found so quickly, an kudos to the crew of his boat for finding him so quickly. He got lucky. The diver's SMB was ON THE BOAT, IN HIS DIVE BAG. Not a very helpful place for it and certainly no help to the boat trying to find him.

The diver is fine. The story could have ended very differently.

 

[robint]

yeah, this happened while we were there. Most boats didn't go out that day as seas were reported to be 4-6'. He is very lucky he was found at all.

robin

 

[Akyla]

This is a very good point and something that all ocean divers need to take to heart. I believe in the SMB so much that nobody gets off my boat without one and keep a bunch on hand to issue to those who are not prepared. Looking for a diver is very difficult but with a SMB deployed they are almost easy to spot.

I have some information about the safety equipment you should have on my site here.

Right now the personal locator beacons (PLB/EPIRBs) available small enough for diving are not waterproof enough without a secondary pressure case. The exception is the seamarshall which broadcasts on 121.5 and does not notify SAR when activated. However, it will allow anyone with a DF unit to find you.

 

[lulubelle]

This is a very good point and something that all ocean divers need to take to heart. I believe in the SMB so much that nobody gets off my boat without one and keep a bunch on hand to issue to those who are not prepared. Looking for a diver is very difficult but with a SMB deployed they are almost easy to spot.

I have some information about the safety equipment you should have on my site here.

Right now the personal locator beacons (PLB/EPIRBs) available small enough for diving are not waterproof enough without a secondary pressure case. The exception is the seamarshall which broadcasts on 121.5 and does not notify SAR when activated. However, it will allow anyone with a DF unit to find you.

Wow, what a GREAT summary, thanks for sharing it. Other ops should have something similar for their divers as I think many just don't get it until they have or see a problem. I know who I will be diving with if I am up your way.

One comment I saw elsewhere made the point that the diver probably should have skipped the safety stop which was done with a line and in current as he would have surfaced closer to the boat.

 

[lulubelle]

yeah, this happened while we were there. Most boats didn't go out that day as seas were reported to be 4-6'. He is very lucky he was found at all.

robin

He is lucky. Most boats DID go out that day Robin, although I know of one which turned around before it got anywhere. Those are marginal conditions here. There were three ops in the same vicinity when the diver was lost and I give kudos to the op and the other boats in the area which helped to locate him so quickly. He can't have been terrible easy to spot with no marker.

 

[Randy g]

He is lucky. There were three ops in the same vicinity when the diver was lost and I give kudos to the op and the other boats in the area which helped to locate him so quickly. He can't have been terrible easy to spot with no marker.

We were out on one of the boats that day as well and as
choppy as the seas were, he was a very lucky to be found at all, especially without an smb.

Open water especially in our area is no place to mess around without the proper safety gear.

Neptune was handing out luck by the bucket fulls that day!