Scuba Shack's Boat Get Wet Sinks in Key Largo
- Thread starter The Chairman
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Heart wrenching blog. Unbelievable tragic turn of events.
So does anyone know if the results WILL be released? I can understand it taking awhile, though.
Tricia
Contributor
Thanks to Don, I'm getting a CO analyzer before my next trip. But I have to admit I have chuckled a little at his posts in other forums where he talks about getting back in the boat, going to the bench, off-loading his gear & then donning a snorkel vest. "How silly", I thought, "We all know how to swim."
But having read this entire post (and thanks particularly to Blue Sparkle for her description of how quickly a boat can sink), I have to say my takeaway on this one is to check over the boat carefully in terms of maintenance, etc. before you board and do wear a vest when you're not in your gear.
I mean, if you think about it, if you were just a passenger on a regular boat and not diving, wouldn't you wear a vest? So why do we think it's different when we're on a boat scuba diving?
Don - what kind of vest do you wear? Just a standard snorkelling vest that you can buy at the dive shop? Or something fancier?
Thanks again to all for their contributions. Once again, I've learned something new on this board and I am very grateful.
Lastly, my condolences to Aimee's family. I am so sad to think this happened to someone who was just learning to dive.
Trish
But having read this entire post (and thanks particularly to Blue Sparkle for her description of how quickly a boat can sink), I have to say my takeaway on this one is to check over the boat carefully in terms of maintenance, etc. before you board and do wear a vest when you're not in your gear.
I mean, if you think about it, if you were just a passenger on a regular boat and not diving, wouldn't you wear a vest? So why do we think it's different when we're on a boat scuba diving?
Don - what kind of vest do you wear? Just a standard snorkelling vest that you can buy at the dive shop? Or something fancier?
Thanks again to all for their contributions. Once again, I've learned something new on this board and I am very grateful.
Lastly, my condolences to Aimee's family. I am so sad to think this happened to someone who was just learning to dive.
Trish
OP
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Trish, seriously, no one is going to wear a vest on a diveboat ride, unless the seas are well over 12 feet and everyone is expecting the boat to sink......Diveboats are normally extremely safe, they don't typically go out in bad conditions----puke-fest negatives occur long before the danger of sinking, and that is bad for business.
And if I really thought the boat was going to sink, I'd be wearing my mask, fins and snorkel, wearing my wetsuit, and would have a signalling device or at minimum a safety sausage. I think this is one of those things like -- you have a greater chance of being hit in the head by a meteorite. Really!
Hell. I even wear a snorkle vest while driving. You never know when you might drive into a lake...
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:laughing: Generally, divers can learn more from my mistakes than what I do right or adopt without first screwing up.
Nope, not over here anyway. On the average, 2 US boaters drown A DAY - 90% not wearing vests. Back in my ski boat days, no one taught us anything, they just sold us a boat and we figured things out, and always had some onboard - but only wore them skiing. :silly: I am so much luckier than I deserve. Most of my years of diving, I didn't bother wearing one on moving boats - but I do now. I'm not going to advise others to do so, at least not more than once, as it's generally hopeless - and I know others laugh, but I just do not care.
I wear a simple snorkeling vest and I admit that I figure I am as likely to end up overboard from my own missteps as a boat mishap, but either way...
See. And I am not about to tell him he should, nor am I going to wear one on a ferry or similar - I don't guess. We didn't take the ferry to & from Holbox, maybe we would have been wise to wear them and ride outside on that one - but the boat we did take to the island & back was just a boat, and we went over in the dark. I don't know why I felt it was safer; bad, old habit.
Now of those 700+ Americans who die a year boating, I guess almost all were on private boats and professionally operated boats are much safer - but where do you call the line?
It probably wouldn't have mattered in this accident as they had quick pickup but two were trapped when it capsized. My takeaway here to to keep my exits in mind even in case of turnover, and not inflate the vest until I swim out, but there are other risks. I wouldn't wear one indoors on a liveaboard, and it wouldn't help if we capsized while I was asleep below like those lost in the Sea of Cortez last year. But for those rough riding, small, fast boats in Coz sure I will, and many others. I would have this one yeah, but that's me.I'd be more likely to wear my vest outside of US waters for a variety of reasons. Some of the liveaboards I read about overseas, I'd wear it to chow and use it for a pillow at night.
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Blue Sparkle
Contributor
I'd just like to add a note to this:
Whether or not to wear a PFD ("life jacket") on a boat is a personal decision, and there are people who decide both ways. (I'm a sailor and there we even have the additional debate on "tying in" to the boat.) Personally, I do not wear a PFD on a power boat in normal circumstances. I do check that they are readily available. But that's just my choice.
What really moved me to post here is because I wanted to point out that if you really do want to choose to wear a PFD on board (which, again, may be a minority choice but is valid), please be aware that a snorkel vest is not an "official" PFD. I worry that it might be a bit like saying "I see that seat belts are important, so I'm going to tie myself into the seat with this bit of rope, in case of an accident."
I don't mean that analogy to sound too negative (but I couldn't think of a better one off-hand); just that I wanted to make sure you knew that a snorkel vest is not really intended to be a PFD/life vest. So be aware that your choice may turn out to be a half measure (which may still be better than no measure, but it's good to know).
One more point is that if you do choose to wear a PFD, be aware that in a sinking you may have to dive down in order to extricate yourself from the vessel, and it's possible that a PFD/vest could hold you "up" and keep you from doing so. There are inflatable PFD's that you "jerk to inflate" by pulling a small tab (there are also self-inflating ones that are water-activated, so be aware of the difference). Some are worn around the waist like a "ski belt," although they are not as protective as one that can support your head if you are not conscious (of course then you would want the self-inflate, so you see it is all trade-offs and probabilities and some luck thrown in).
Again, not to say a snorkel vest is not better than nothing, for flotation; but just to point out that it is not a "real" PFD, just so you know what you are choosing.
Blue Sparkle
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