Post-Conception Disaster: what you learned & will change

[scubadada]

...What follows will sound like a total change of topic, but it isn't. A number of years ago, there was a fatality in Cozumel when a diver ascended apart from the rest of the group and was never seen again. The diver was apparently not noticed by the group's boat and then drifted away somewhere, never to be found. There had been a number of similar fatalities there over the years, with divers drifting away unseen in the strong currents of Cozumel. I suggested that at the very least, dive operations should require that all divers carry a SMB. If the divers did not have one of their own, the operator could provide one, even charging a modest rent for it or selling it outright. My suggestion was not popular. It was challenged by those who said that such a rule would put an unreasonable financial burden on a dive operation--it could force them to go out of business because of that added cost. I pointed out that a dive operation should be able to purchase cheap ones at their costs for $20 or less, so outfitting a 6-pack boat would cost at most $120, and they could easily make a profit by charging a minimal rent or selling them at a small profit. Nope, that was not feasible. Posters insisted that divers who travel there for a week of diving would absolutely be unwilling to fork over another $5 for an SMB rental or $25 for a purchase that might save their lives...

Jupiter Dive Center in Jupiter, and Narcosis in West Palm require that each diver have a SMB. If a diver does not have one, they give them a loaner.

JDC has this prominently displayed on their reservations page

Narcosis also has this information posted on the website

 

[drrich2]

Voting occurs Tuesday December 8. It’s likely to get passed, but it has been threatened to get vetoed.

The families request that those who support the Small Passenger Vessel Safety Act which is included in the NDAA to please call your local representatives and let them know a fellow diver would like updated safety measures. It currently has short on both sides of the aisle, but every voice helps. Staffers love to hear from their constituents and can answer any questions you may have. The more input received across the country, the better.

State leaders announce Conception Boat Safety Bill included in Defense Bill

Took a look at your link. From that, " Mandates safety standards for the handling and storage of phones, cameras and other electronic devices with lithium ion batteries."

It often pays to read the fine print when the legislature has been in session. What are the specifics? If they start treating everyone's smart phones like they're time bombs... Are they regulating how phones and cameras are kept on the boat? Even when not on chargers?

 

[lermontov]

You mean like since most liveaboards with private rooms have an outlet in the room for shavers, hair dryers, TVs, etc., so when you ban charging in the controlled area they take their charger back to their room?

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why would they ban charging in a controlled area ?

 

[kelemvor]

Took a look at your link. From that, " Mandates safety standards for the handling and storage of phones, cameras and other electronic devices with lithium ion batteries."

It often pays to read the fine print when the legislature has been in session. What are the specifics? If they start treating everyone's smart phones like they're time bombs... Are they regulating how phones and cameras are kept on the boat? Even when not on chargers?

It looks to me like the law just mandates that the secretary must create those standards. It doesn't define what the standards are. Seems like a no-brainier to me other than the un-necessarily cryptic nature of our laws. What those standards will be seems as if it's a big TBD.

You mean like since most liveaboards with private rooms have an outlet in the room for shavers, hair dryers, TVs, etc., so when you ban charging in the controlled area they take their charger back to their room?

Any policy needs to be thought out and workable, and above all provide a safe and convenient solution or people will find other ways.

There will always be people who believe they are special, that somehow the rules do not apply to you them. The first step is to create the rules, code them into the matrix, then deal with enforcement. I would imagine as the boss of the boat, it would fall on the captain to ensure his passengers weren't breaking the law. Just as it's illegal for a passenger to snort a line of cocaine in their cabin and it's up to the captain to make sure they don't do it. If he fails to do it, he's going to have a very bad day when caught.

 

[Swedinsidemount]

Having just returned from a trip to Socorro on the Nautilus Explorer, I have re-evaluated my choice of cabin for the next trip. My room was below deck and the escape hatch was just outside my door. The stairwell down the hall was an open exit to the dive deck. There is no door to go through. I don't know how much strength is required to lift the hatch or if you press a button and it opens automatically. We were told there was a 24-hr roving watchman/woman, but unless I roamed the ship during the night, I wouldn't know to what extent roving would be. I will pay the extra fee to have a room on the upper deck for a better chance of survival should I need to make a quick exit. In the grand scheme of risk/benefit analysis, I'm probably more likely to have an in-water or onboard injury or accident than having to bail from the ship, so this is not a big concern for me.

I am now making it a conscious practice to not leave my devices charging in my cabin when I'm not there and completely unplug my surge protection plug extender when I'm sleeping. I always travel with a portable flashlight for the bedside, whether I'm in a hotel or on a boat, in case of emergency.

Having said all that, live-aboard diving is not my favorite, but I use it as a means to get to a destination otherwise unreachable by day boat, such as Socorro or Guadalupe. As a single traveler, I pay a ridiculous single penalty for my own room. For the high cost per day to live in cramped quarters, even in my own room, it's not a great option for a vacation experience. On a one to five star rating, my last live-aboard experience was a two out of five stars, but the dive experience on that same live-aboard was five stars. Before I go veer off on another tangent, I'll leave it at that.

Wise words, very wise words... Spend more time on Sport fishers and catamarans than "true" liveaboards, i have a feeling that those, particularly catamarans are safer than the average v-hull superstructure...
<TG>

 

[drrich2]

why would they ban charging in a controlled area ?

Earlier there was mention of possibly cutting the power to the charging station in the evening, rather than risk people having lithium batteries charging through the night. I think the poster is saying some people would then charge their device in their rooms instead.

 

[lermontov]

I'm on vacation, I'm paying often $5k plus (per person) to dive on a liveboard and it is part of the crew's job to make it easy for me to enjoy my vacation. If the owner of the boat doesn't want to ensure that, then I will spend my money elsewhere.

Its also part of the crews job to ensure the safety of all their passengers thats why that have rules like no smoking areas, medical clearances and not exceeding your NDL and coming up with a certain amount of reserve gas etc etc. there are restrictions in life that protect yourself and others -get used to it, making sure you enjoy your holiday doesnt supersede everyone else's safety, or do you think because you spent 5k entitles you to do what you want?

 

[kelemvor]

We're talking about US regulations here anyway. No reason a Mexican LOB would have to change unless Mexico also created a similar regulation. That said, one would hope that eventually passengers would come to demand safer charging systems and so boats from other countries might do something to improve safety.

 

[Manatee Diver]

do you think because you spent 5k entitles you to do what you want?

What makes you think that the liveaboard is entitled to my money? And that I should just shut up and take whatever rules they impose because they are too cheap to figure out a safe way for photographers to charge their lights?

No, I think that most liveaboards will figure out how to safely provide the ability to charge. They know that their audience are the whales that will spend $10-20k on a quality camera setup. And that if they don't accommodate them, they dive with operators that do. That is why most high end liveaboards boast about their camera tables, and alcoves to do editing in away from distractions, and a crew willing to help them with their cameras.

 

[NorCalDM]

Earlier there was mention of possibly cutting the power to the charging station in the evening, rather than risk people having lithium batteries charging through the night. I think the poster is saying some people would then charge their device in their rooms instead.

I've been to a few dive resorts that cut the power to the entire resort at a certain time and it does not come back on until the morning. This is usually done because they are conserving fuel for the generators the power the resort. There are always plenty of batteries to be charged but we figure it out and it's a non issue.