Reset anchor with diver in water?

[CHUD]

I want to get some opinions on what I think was probably an unsafe situation on a Ventura dive boat I was on last week.

We had set the anchor just offshore at Anacapa and the DM had opened the dive gates. We're all lined up to go in, my buddy and I are first in line. He goes in, signals OK and moves off to make room for me. I don my fins and mask, give my number to the DM, step up to the edge and ... he tells me hang on, wait, don't go in yet. Gates are suddenly closed again.

It seems the anchor is dragging and they have to reset it. So they pull up the swimstep -- with my buddy STILL IN THE WATER -- confirm that divers (my buddy) are clear of the boat, and proceed to leave my buddy floating all by himself with just the sea lions for company while we spend the next five minutes circling around and maneuvering to set the anchor again.

We were probably 100 yards away from my buddy at one point, and while he was only about 50 yards offshore and not out in the middle of a channel or something, he WAS in the water alone. When they reopened the dive gate I had about a nice long surface swim to get to my buddy when I got in the water.

I thought leaving him like that was slightly unsafe, and as this was my first trip on this boat I don't know if this is standard practice for them but if it is I don't know if I want to use them again.

My question to you all is: Am I making a mountain out of a molehill here?

 

[ShakaZulu]

Would you rather the boat end up on the rocks, or your buddy have a surface swim? Sometimes that anker doesn't hook, and then it's go time. Had that happen to me before. It's ok if I'm in the water, I still want to get back to port, move the boat. Now, if there was a strong current, that will be a different story, better throw me that current line fast.......

 

[miketsp]

Sh*t happens.

Seriously, I've seen this quite a few times.
With only one diver in the water and probably quite a few eyes on him it doesn't sound too serious. Probably a less complicated situation than picking up a spread out group at the end of a drift dive.

You say there was a swimstep. So probably a largish boat.
Was the boat carrying/towing an inflatable auxiliary with outboard?
Many do as a basic safety measure for picking up divers drifting away.

 

[Don Burke]

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill here?

I think so.

I am pretty sure I would not have done that, but I was not there, so there may be some considerations I am not aware of. Fifty yards from shore with a dragging anchor does not sound like fun.

As has been noted, it sounds no more dangerous than a drift dive.

 

[padiscubapro]

I want to get some opinions on what I think was probably an unsafe situation on a Ventura dive boat I was on last week.

We had set the anchor just offshore at Anacapa and the DM had opened the dive gates. We're all lined up to go in, my buddy and I are first in line. He goes in, signals OK and moves off to make room for me. I don my fins and mask, give my number to the DM, step up to the edge and ... he tells me hang on, wait, don't go in yet. Gates are suddenly closed again.

It seems the anchor is dragging and they have to reset it. So they pull up the swimstep -- with my buddy STILL IN THE WATER -- confirm that divers (my buddy) are clear of the boat, and proceed to leave my buddy floating all by himself with just the sea lions for company while we spend the next five minutes circling around and maneuvering to set the anchor again.

We were probably 100 yards away from my buddy at one point, and while he was only about 50 yards offshore and not out in the middle of a channel or something, he WAS in the water alone. When they reopened the dive gate I had about a nice long surface swim to get to my buddy when I got in the water.

I thought leaving him like that was slightly unsafe, and as this was my first trip on this boat I don't know if this is standard practice for them but if it is I don't know if I want to use them again.

My question to you all is: Am I making a mountain out of a molehill here?

I dont have a problem with them resetting the acchor with divers in.. The boat has to be safe.. I have seen boats reset the anchor with divers down, again the boat has to be safe..

In this case there was only ONE diver in the water.. My personal opinion before the anchor was reset, one of 2 things should have been done a) get the person on the surface back on the boat, or b) put a safety diver in with him.. Crew member..

 

[CHUD]

Okay, so the consensus seems to be that it's not that big a deal. I can live with that. Being relatively new to this whole diving thing I wasn't sure, which is why I asked all y'all.

My concern wasn't that they had done this with divers in the water because I know that is sometimes necessary, I was wondering about them having done it with just ONE diver in the water, especially when he could have been back on board in a minute and a half. There was no chase boat, btw.

Anyway, so I guess maybe I'll dive with this outfit again after all. :11: Thanks for the comments, everyone.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

It's going to depend on the diver.

A rank newbie waiting
for their instructor? Put someone else (prob. the instructor)
in. But the instructor should let the crew know.

A really steady diver with 1000 dives known to the crew.
Reset the hook.

Somewhere in between? Judgement call.

I have a 17' Boston Whaler. Occasionally the anchor
drags, but I can catch it before anyone is in because in order
to gear up, you sit on the anchor locker. VERY
occasionally, I'll reset it (maybe once or twice in 300
days), usually I'll tell the first diver to the bottom to
untangle the chain from it (the invariable cause) and set
it. Then follow the tracks in the sand to the dive site.

 

[pipedope]

I would say it is not a real big deal but I think they should have either recovered him back on board or let you go in the water with him before moving the boat.

You might want to have a private talk with the captain and ask why he did it the way he did, he may have a very good reason. You could also tell him that as you were ready to splash it might have been better for you to have been in the water during the move.

 

[CAPT HOOK]

I disagree; if the boat had power, and evidentily it did, then leaving the diver in the water alone was wrong. Get the diver out of the water or put someone in the water with him and let them descend 15 or so feet and wait. If you have power then resetting the anchor shouldn't be an emergency.
I've been sailing for 25 years or more and been a USCG Capt for 12, this goes against all my training.
But, that's just my opinion.

 

[deadend]

I don't see what the big deal is. Was the diver drowning? No BC? Need a hand to hold? Where is the inherent danger in floating on the surface for a few (with a ton of people watching you) while the boat re-hooks? In a ripping current there is concern. If not though, what's up? What if you come up from a dive 50 yards from the boat? Are you in danger or do you just swim to the boat or let it pick you up?