Scuba diver injured by powerboat off Boca Raton

[DandyDon]

Jets suck up lines horrible too, if the skiers know that.

 

[Midget]

Update

Jon Berger: Boater charged with negligence after propeller slices scuba diver near Boca Inlet - OrlandoSentinel.com

 

[RonFrank]

Why don't we hear of this happening elsewhere, such as Hawaii, Cozumel, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands? Are there just more careless boaters in Florida?

In the USA we LOVE DIRTY LAUNDRY! We seem to be one of the few countries that parades bad news like this.

No resort wants bad press, and when diving accidents occur, little or nothing is sometimes reported.

In Cozumel (example) the port authority runs ALL Coz based boats. A diver went missing at Devils throat a few years back, and the only place I could find any info was Scuba Board!

Think about it, why would a dive destination resort want to advertise dive accidents? That is certainly not going to attract more business....

 

[RonFrank]

This incident reinforces my clear preference for 6-pack charters only. Much better chance of the captain using the boat to alter another vessel's course...

Most dive boats do NOT engage the prop(s) if they have any question of divers being close to the surface. Some refuse to even start up the engines when they have divers down unless it is an emergency.

Dive boats have safety in mind and that would preclude using their boat/motor to alter another vessels course with divers near/at the surface.

I guess I'm not finding you logic.... logical.

 

[Scott L]

Most dive boats do NOT engage the prop(s) if they have any question of divers being close to the surface. Some refuse to even start up the engines when they have divers down unless it is an emergency.

Dive boats have safety in mind and that would preclude using their boat/motor to alter another vessels course with divers near/at the surface.

I guess I'm not finding you logic.... logical.

Nearly all charter diving in S. Florida is done on a drift-diving basis. The fewer the number of divers, the less time they spend being retrieved. It's not uncommon to wait 10-15 mins floating on the surface with larger boats (12-20 divers)...

 

[egibler]

Hmm. I would think that you and your buddy would stand a pretty good chance of being seen and not run over when floating on the surface, regardless of if you were there for 3 or 15 minutes. Just breaking the surface seems the most critical time for this sort of accident, and I guess for safety's sake, I'd be better off with a larger crowd, and hopefully a few who consume air just a bit faster than me.

 

[DandyDon]

Hmm. I would think that you and your buddy would stand a pretty good chance of being seen and not run over when floating on the surface, regardless of if you were there for 3 or 15 minutes. Just breaking the surface seems the most critical time for this sort of accident, and I guess for safety's sake, I'd be better off with a larger crowd, and hopefully a few who consume air just a bit faster than me.

Not sure what you mean there, but divers heads really blend in with the sea too easily. Wise to send up a red or yellow sausage first and keep it up by you. Look away from the sun for sure as a boater or jet ski approaching you with the sun behind you can very easily miss you in the glare.

 

[Scott L]

Hmm. I would think that you and your buddy would stand a pretty good chance of being seen and not run over when floating on the surface, regardless of if you were there for 3 or 15 minutes. Just breaking the surface seems the most critical time for this sort of accident, and I guess for safety's sake, I'd be better off with a larger crowd, and hopefully a few who consume air just a bit faster than me.

With the Gulf Stream's currents, sub-groups of divers can get quite scattered. Even tight buddy teams get separated for one reason or another, especially if they are hunting. Lot's of go fast boats with knuckle-heads at the controls who are not paying attention...

 

[deepstops]

Most dive boats do NOT engage the prop(s) if they have any question of divers being close to the surface. Some refuse to even start up the engines when they have divers down unless it is an emergency.

Dive boats have safety in mind and that would preclude using their boat/motor to alter another vessels course with divers near/at the surface.

I guess I'm not finding you logic.... logical.

Wrong
I wish I had a dollar for every time one of the captains had to run interference to keep another boat from driving over a flag I was pulling.

Hmm. I would think that you and your buddy would stand a pretty good chance of being seen and not run over when floating on the surface, regardless of if you were there for 3 or 15 minutes. Just breaking the surface seems the most critical time for this sort of accident, and I guess for safety's sake, I'd be better off with a larger crowd, and hopefully a few who consume air just a bit faster than me.

Another wrong assumption.
You'd be surprised at how hard it is to see a diver in any seas over 2'.

 

[RonFrank]

Nearly all charter diving in S. Florida is done on a drift-diving basis. The fewer the number of divers, the less time they spend being retrieved. It's not uncommon to wait 10-15 mins floating on the surface with larger boats (12-20 divers)...

I know that a lot of the points from WPB, and north are drift diving. I have done drift dives at Jupiter, Boynton, etc. In Lauderdale that is not the case (or not on the sites I have visited). In the Keys drift diving is also not generally done. I've done a couple drift dives on Conch Wall.

Regardless, I don't see how a six pack makes a difference for the divers safety vs. a larger vessel. I also have rarely waited even 5 minutes in the water waiting to be picked up regardless of the size of the boat. Boaters generally give a larger boat more room, not less.

Obviously I believe this is an issue as many have been killed over the years after getting hit by a boat. However there are rules of conduct that have been around for quite some time, and in all cases I am aware of, those rules were not followed. We need for boaters be aware of, and follow the rules. A divers down flag is NOT an invite to come closer.....