Rock center (tv Show)

[highflier]

Last night there was a story about lobster harvesting. The divers were going down up to 140 feet with no SPG, Also looked like the did not have octo. Many of the divers would run out of air at depth and shoot to surface from a great depth. While they were doing tons of stuff wrong (and paying the price for it) it seems just crazy that they did not even have SPG or Depth gauge on their rigs. Its not that expensive of a item and I am sure that it would solve many of the injuries. I found it sad that PPL were in that situation.

Highflier

 

[RonFrank]

Where was this taking place?

 

[RTee]

msnbc.com Video Player

Honduras.

 

[highflier]

It was very 3rd world like. Diving was more cost effective for lobstering then traps, Many are exported to the US. I know that $$ was a issue, but when a high percentage of the population is handicaped and or dieing because of the dcs, you would think if you can afford the Reg, tank etc.. that a SPG and or a depth would not be that much to ask for. I'll bet the regs do not get serviced until they stop breathing either.

Highflier

 

[RonFrank]

They dive in very dangerous conditions, no spg, no depth gauge, no backup reg, no computer, and no buddy. I would imagine traps would be poached. Heck these guys don't even put the lobsters in bags, the go up after each catch. That is part of the issue, constant bounce diving. This is too bad.

I guess I will have to limit my lobsters to Maine only. Unfortunately stories like this are common. We here in the USA are not getting these lobsters at rock bottom prices so someone is making a killing on these poor folk, literally.

 

[highflier]

The show also stated, Do not avoid their=e lobsters. As if you boycot them you are taking away their only legal way to put food on the table at home. The other option is drug trafficing.

I imagine that the divers there do not know anything about DCS, more of a mysterious event to them. Thus a little training a knowledge could go along way. A dive table card and some basic knowledge may go a long way. I wonder what the impact would be if.......

They had a 1 hour training concerning DCS and how to avoid.
PPL were told about bounce diving and maybe got more efficent just by using a lobster bag.
A SPG so they where not doing a Emergency accent as a daily practice.
A depth gauge so they could use dive tables...etc..

I doubt a dive computer would help as they would be so conservative that the divers would just ignor them. Also with no SPG they would have no choice but to surface.

It would be a great place for a dive club to go, Do some diving and also so local teaching. I'll bet there are more SPG's in the US, in closet, attics etc.. then divers catching lobsters in the honduras

Highflier

 

[RonFrank]

It would be interesting to know how widespread of a problem this is. I saw one boat and two dozen divers. Is there 1 boat, 10, or 50? Are there twenty five divers or hundreds? I saw 5 cripples, are there a lot more?

Maybe the only export business is drugs and lobster, but there has to be other thing these folk can do. Farming, fishing, etc. Heck the video showed the village and there was a marketplace with cloths and food, so let's not pretend that Lobster diving or drugs are the only things available to people. Sometimes providing export options to these folks is not helping them. I know parts of Honduras are very poor.

Its a shame that the boat owners can not teach the divers safe practices. I wonder if the divers have their own equipment? Doubtful. There is little I can do, but perhaps I will dive there one day and check it out. Threads and news stories raise awareness so that is some help....maybe.

Just found this which answers many of my questions. Yes someone needs to help these folk. Just knowledge would go a long ways.

http://ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=22229

 

[Johnmpcny]

I would think some dive shops or MFG would have some old used pressure and depth gauges around. Maybe a donation shipment could be set up to get them there.

Looked like many issues with a culture of running out of air and bouncing was the common practice daily.

I would think just a simple air/depth gauge would be big first step.

Got rid of my old rig from the 70's when I got my first computer, wish I could have sent it down.

 

[Griff..]

Just watched the Video, A simple SPG would go so far in helping these people, and as people have rightly said, im sure there are more sitting around doing nothing than people diving.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

they don't need SPG gauges. They will know when they are running very low on air since it will become harder and harder to suck at the regulator. The issue is getting that last lobster, and without knowledge of DCS, why not hold shoot up on the last breath.

Farming is becoming more and more limited in Hondouras with the campesino's land being stolen away ever since the newly 'elected' prez came into power.

Their livelyhood seems to be similar to that in the movie Alamar, except they freedove for lobsters there and these guys use scuba gears..potentially much more dangerous.