Scuba diver injured by powerboat off Boca Raton

[DandyDon]

I was on a nice, large boat out of Avalon on Catalina Is, CA once and had to wave off a boat full of Boy Scouts out on sea training from Twin Harbors. I guess they teach them how to run a boat and wear PFDs but forget to teach them to avoid Diver Down flags.

 

[Ayisha]

Speaking of running interference, once in Cozumel our dive boat and the coastguard boat had to run interference between our divers and a cruise ship. My buddy was low on air very quickly into the dive, so we had already been on board for quite a while and several other buddy pairs were back on board as well. It was a night dive on Paradise Reef in Jan 2003. Our last group of divers were led under a cruise ship by the DM and surfaced under the hull of the cruise ship (probably unbeknownst to the cruise ship). The cruise ship was preparing to leave and our captain put our boat in front of it, preventing the cruise ship from leaving. The divers were surface swimming toward us. The cruise ship was blasting it's horn, we were honking, and the coast guard came right away, was blasting it's horn and the coast guard put itself between our divers and the cruise ship. Our crew put out a line and the divers all grabbed hold and we pulled them a safe distance from the cruise ship with the coast guard remaining in between them and the ship. We helped them onto our boat very quickly and efficiently, faster than I've ever seen before or since. Those divers were very thankful for the interference.

There was a boating accident in Ontario in 2004 in which a student diver was decapitated by a prop close to the shore of Lake Simcoe. Because of this horrific incident and some near misses, public meetings were held to do something for diver safety; events were created to support the cause of the Aviva Barth Foundation, in memorial to the young woman who was killed; signs were created and placed at marinas explaining the significance of the dive flag and any boating shop/show that would allow it; lobbying was done to enforce boating rules and require boaters to know the rules. A few years ago, it became mandatory in Ontario that all operators of pleasure craft fitted with any type of motor have to take a Safe Boating course and this course includes information on the alpha and diver down flags. There have been a few near misses since then, but it is still a step in the right direction.

Does Florida have any kind of mandatory Safe Boating course or licencing that is required for pleasure boats?

 

[DandyDon]

Uh, did the DM know that he led them under the ship? How did they surface under the hull of the cruise ship?

Rumor on one lake here is that a boat hit a scuba diver years ago so no diving is allowed in the lake. Action can go either way.

I think Florida requires credit card or cash deposit to rent a boat.

 

[Ayisha]

Uh, did the DM know that he led them under the ship? How did they surface under the hull of the cruise ship?

Rumor on one lake here is that a boat hit a scuba diver years ago so no diving is allowed in the lake. Action can go either way.

I think Florida requires credit card or cash deposit to rent a boat.

The DM knew once he surfaced under the hull. Before that, we don't know. I was safely on the boat beforehand and wasn't in a position to ask, but the dive shop did have some words with him. I was told a year later that one of the divers had led them that way, but the DM was right along with them. During the trip, there was no explanation given other than that the DM made a mistake. We figured out around that time that Paradise reef had very heavy boat traffic and maybe wasn't the safest place to dive.

Are you saying that no training is required to operate a boat in Florida?

 

[DandyDon]

I still confused by surfaced under the hull? On a night dive, one could try to surface, run into the hull, realize the overhead obstacle, then swim to the side to surface by the hull?

I've never rented a boat or jet ski in Florida but I I don't think training is required - a big issue with the dive flag problem there.

 

[Ayisha]

I guess I'm using the wrong word and should have said bow, sorry. But that's what they said from our dive boat, "They're all under the hull". I looked over and they were all coming up under the furthest back part of the bow, like the picture below. Not to the side of the hull; directly in front. The below is not the cruise ship they were under, though:

If Florida does not have safe boating requirements, perhaps that would help in reducing the number of these accidents. Is any group lobbying for new safety measures?

 

[DandyDon]

I guess I'm using the wrong word and should have said bow, sorry. But that's what they said from our dive boat, "They're all under the hull". I looked over and they were all coming up under the furthest back part of the bow, like the picture below.

If Florida does not have safe boating requirements, perhaps that would help in reducing the number of these accidents. Is any group lobbying for new safety measures?

Ok thanks. I guess the bow is part of the hull, but that helped me understand. Sure safe boating requirements would help but Florida's economy needs the business more than the safety to them.

 

[Ayisha]

The revenue from a whole lot of boating exams, resource info and operator cards would add to the economy too. It would not have to be a prohibitive fee, but it could generate some revenue.

I believe it may be the powerful boating lobbyists in Florida that would resist the restrictions... We have powerful boating associations here as well but they didn't win that battle...