South florida boat traffic, points of view, dive flags and people

[scubadada]

At the risk of sounding negative, you're just dreaming.

I was floored when I learned than for more than half of the vessels, the people on board do not go in the water. Never mind diving, they don't touch the water unless they get splashed while on board. So their perspective is skewed in relation to us and what we do, things that seem obvious to you is crazy talk for them. That segment of boaters don't know when they are going over reefs or sand, if they run over a diver they may thing they just hit a coconut, there's dozens of them floating around these days.

They thought I was a turtle...

 

[Ana]

Hi Guy,

I remember when I used to have my 34 foot Regal...a Booze Cruiser I had modded into something good for 4 or 5 of us to dive from....I could be running along a reef line, going 25 or 30mph, headed for our dive site.....and if the seas were anything over like a foot or so high, the typical dive flags with the white foam, would be practically invisible until I was close to 3 seconds away at this cruising speed...and for me, sure I was looking carefully, and fine with making a sudden turn to keep max distance for divers in the water....However....how many sport fish or fast private boats are cruising along at over 25, some sipping beers and chatting....and NOT keeping their eyes peeled--not looking for dive flags...And even when they do see a flag, will they crank on the wheel and make a heroic 90 degree turn--obviously spilling everyone's beer? They usually don't even know what a DIVE FLAG is, or means....Some think it is a place you can drop a hook on, and are more likely to find fish

There are so many of these boaters, that I could not even imagine wanting to dive from anything but a charter boat I trust.
Back when I had my boat, no one wanted to be captain--everyone wanted to dive. So when I was diving from my boat, who would be the ever vigilant captain, protecting us, was always a crap shoot

...and that is why I am as aggressive as I am, also why my husband and I mostly dive solo. I follow his flag while he's down, he follows mine, and we take turns to follow my son and his buddies while they free-dive

 

[Randy g]

Great read everyone. Scubadada's story hits close to home me.

hit by a speeding fishing boat

July 2014, A little rain squall kicked up on the surface while 3 of us were scooter diving the second reef on a northbound trajectory, south of The Windjammer but inside the LBTS coral project.

My dive float is a Banks Board which is a 4 ft long x 24" wide bright red mini kayak with a 36" flag pole and a big dive flag on top. Very unusual for the area and pretty big compared to other dive floats and according to life guards on the beach, easy to see!

I had a boat run within 15-20 ft of us to our left or beach side, hitting/ramming my dive float/flag and spun and yanked me 30 ft backwards before the prop cut the line. Knocking the Banks Board 75-100 ft from me when I surfaced.

We all heard the boat approaching quickly and sunk into the reef to await its passing. Twin screws were way to close to us and we could VERY clearly see them passing!!! We all see it come in and pass quickly. Honestly, it scared the crap out of us. Next thing I know is I am yanked off the reef, spun around and pulled backwards before the line was cut by the props. All in 10-12 ft of water.

Stupidity is born and breed, not learned. I can only hope these A holes get cought for something and spend time in jail. Karma is a beotch. Had the DH boater stopped to check on us, I would have surely pulled him overboard and drowned him!

 

[Ana]

.... Next thing I know is I am yanked off the reef, spun around and pulled backwards before the line was cut by the props. All in 10-12 ft of water.

You brought up an extremely important point.

When scuba diving we don't tie the line spool to us in any way. May be a PITA to carry the thing but is always better than the alternative of being dragged like you described. We loosely hold it in a way that if anything tugs the line half-hard we can let go, we keep a rolled small lift bag just in case we find a treasure (or abandoned anchor) that can be used as a marker to surface if that was to happened.

Haven't figured a good technique for free-diving, my son actually threads the line over his body like one wears a messenger bag. If his line gets caught is not going to be pretty.

 

[danvolker]

When my buddies and I plan on towing a torpedo float ( as opposed to someone else carrying we use a reel with cave line. If a boat hits the torpedo, the line, while strong for towing a float, can't handle a boat towing a diver--and the line will break...Good reason NOT to use the thick yellow poly lines !

Also, the thick lines exert significant drag when you let some scope out for deeper dives....100 foot and deeper can have a yellow poly line really pulling on you, in addition to the float....

 

[Randy g]

You brought up an extremely important point.

When scuba diving we don't tie the line spool to us in any way.

Not always!

No disrespect Ana but you obviously have never used a fast scooter, for any length of time. It is all but impossible to hold a tow line for very long while being towed underwater at 200-300 ft min. We do 60-180 min dives shore dives with the scooter and travel a long, long ways underwater and have contingency plans for pretty much all failures.

When free swimming, I hold the reel with the line or set it wth a reef hook and swim about.

 

[Ana]

Not always!

No disrespect Ana but you obviously have never used a fast scooter, for any length of time. It is all but impossible to hold a tow line for very long while being towed underwater at 200-300 ft min. We do 60-180 min dives shore dives with the scooter and travel a long, long ways underwater and have contingency plans for pretty much all failures.

When free swimming, I hold the reel with the line or set it wth a reef hook and swim about.

You are correct, then again is rare to have procedures that are applicable always.

Also I haven't use a scooter either, fast or slow; actually always wanted to.

Having a boat catch my line and being dragged about is something I keep in mind as something probable, as opposed to other risks that may be possible but the odds are low. So I tow the flag line in a way that will escape my hand easily if caught by a boat. Never had to put that to a test, my trust is mostly on the boat escorting me topside but never 100%.

 

[gr8jab]

Not always!

No disrespect Ana but you obviously have never used a fast scooter, for any length of time. It is all but impossible to hold a tow line for very long while being towed underwater at 200-300 ft min. We do 60-180 min dives shore dives with the scooter and travel a long, long ways underwater and have contingency plans for pretty much all failures.

When free swimming, I hold the reel with the line or set it wth a reef hook and swim about.

Gliders roped to a tow plane use a 'weak link' with a predetermined breaking strength. Is there a similar concept that could improve safety here?

 

[Randy g]

Not that I have ever seen.

 

[Ana]

Gliders roped to a tow plane use a 'weak link' with a predetermined breaking strength. Is there a similar concept that could improve safety here?

What Dan V described with the cave line may qualify as "weak link".

I'm going to experiment with a quick release shackle, the type I used when diving tethered to surface supply. It isn't an automatic thing, you need to have enough presence of mind to pull a whip attached to the ring in order to release, but for my free-divers may just be perfect.