Safety Gear

[Colliam7]

This thread is inspired by the movie Open Water which my wife rented over the weekend. It is actually based on true events where a couple went on a dive boat, were left behind, and were never seen or heard from again. My wife was freaked out about the couple floating in the ocean waiting to be rescued with sharks all around them. She kept waiting for someone to realize they were missing and to start a search and rescue operation. No one notified the authorties the couple was missing and by then it was too late.

Perhaps, a useful piece of dive equipment would be a save-a-dive 'land bag', that would include a hammer to smash DVDs like Open Water, in the unlikely event that they are rented by a diver's family member. While the film was loosely based on the three actual events you mentioned - two divers apparently boarded a dive boat, were apparently left behind, and were never seen or heard from again - according to a number of comments in various places (including SB), any further relationship between reality and the film would best be characterized as accidental.

What safety gear do you dive with and are you always good about taking it with you on a dive? Your SMB won't do you any good if it is in your dive bag when you are trying to signal the boat.

Summaries have been provided in other posts. And, just as a reminder, there have been several very good threads on SB about what gear is most useful for divers who may be the focus of a search at sea: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/con...-point-of-view

 

[BDSC]

In places like Bonaire, Little Cayman, and Roatan I just have a whistle that is attached to my BC. Off the coast of NC or other places where current can be an issue I add a SMB. For me the other stuff is clutter.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I carry what you carry. As an added safety precaution, I make sure to introduce myself personally to each crew member, and at least a couple of divers near me on the boat. People will know if Debbie and I are missing. I also avoid dive boats with more than 12 or 14 aboard when I can, but that is not always possible. Also, carrying a compass and knowing how to use it is also a big safety enhancer. Know where you are, where you've been, and how to get back to where you were.
DivemasterDennis

 

[BDSC]

I also avoid dive boats with more than 12 or 14 aboard when I can, but that is not always possible.

I like the way Reef Divers do it at Little Cayman and really can't see why all boats don't do this. They have a clipboard with a roster and before the boat leaves the dock they do a roll call and then before it is moved from a dive site they do a roll call. It takes about a minute.

 

[tdtaylor]

I would guess about a third of the boats I've been on do roll call or something similar. Quite easy and efficient, and a practice I strongly prefer. On those that don't, I have noticed this immediately and do a quiet run-through of those that I noted before the dive- just another reason to introduce yourself.

Terry

 

[fnfalman]

I've never boat dived outside of California, but don't they also do roll calls and head counts at all those fancy warm water tropical charters?

 

[Bratface]

Surface marker and spool, whistle, cutting shears always. dive light. When diving deep wrecks and off shore, add Dive Alert, and signal mirror.

 

[Nemrod]

I've never boat dived outside of California, but don't they also do roll calls and head counts at all those fancy warm water tropical charters?

No they do not, some do, some sorta do, some take it serious and some plain do not do it at all. That does not mean they are not doing a head count but they are not calling names and checking a list. They may simply count heads.

Buddy up, if not physically, at least as a "leave the site check buddy" with another person or couple. That way when the boat pulls anchor, they check for you, you check for them even if you were not actual buddies and in fact, you do not want them to have been your dive buddy. You want them to miss you, not be lost with you. But no, not every place in the world does a formal respond to your name only roll call. They damn sure do in the Keys and Florida and everyplace I have been in the USA. Otherwise, stay close to the DM.

N

 

[Akimbo]

DAN’s DIDS is free and reassuring for captains, divers, and staff.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/404220-charter-boat-diver-roll-call.html

The “roll-call” or equal ritual is important in many ways, especially when you are too far offshore to swim to the beach. Leaving divers behind is deadly for customers and business.

 

[Randy g]

I have almost the exact kit.:cool2:

But add in a 100 lb lift bag and strobe tucked into my butt plate and 2-3 reels hanging off my side D rings. 98% of the time, all we dive is NC and Virginia wrecks . So it is all 100+ ft deep with slight to moderate current and 25+ miles off shore.

Every dive (even the "easy" DM accompanied tropical dives):

Three cutting devices (knife, hook cutter, trauma shears)

Three lights (one can and two backups)

Two Storm whistles

Signal mirror

Strap to keep buddies together at the surface

Compass

SMB, pre rigged with 100' spool

Spare mask

Nautilus Lifeline

Training and a cool head




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