Towing divers back to boat with prop-driven vessel???

[drbill]

Strong currents off Catalina this past weekend resulted in divers having to be assisted back to several dive boats. This included yours truly and all the other 22 divers on board our dive boat when a 2-3 knot current kicked up "unexpected" (current was expected, but not that strong).

Our boat uses current lines (sometimes several of them) and DM's in kayaks to return divers to the dive boat. In the interests of safety, our captain will not use a prop-driven vessel (chase boat, etc.) to effect such assists. Nor will he use a jet ski.

I read of another boat that faced these conditions and towed its divers back to the dive boat using a rescue vessel that was prop-driven. Reading the accounts from divers on board that vessel who were assisted, I thought it sounded terribly unsafe.

Some of these referred to being within 10 feet of the turning props and being whipped around by the prop wash. The tow speed was high enough to pull divers under (they had been instructed to keep their regs in their mouths). Some mentioned losing equipment due to the speed of the tow.

When I was being assisted some 400 yards past our boat, I managed to get the current line tangled in my pony bottle's tank valve (it is upside down). Due to the strong current, there was no way I could free it so a DM from one of the kayaks did it for me. Had I been towed like the other boat, I wonder what danger that might have introduced.

Thankfully the DM also took my video housing and placed it in the kayak, giving me two hands free to hand-over-hand to the boat (whew!). Good job ladies (both our DM's were females and regulars on our staff).

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS on towing divers back to a dive boat using prop driven vessels and tow ropes??? I'm curious (as many of you already know!). Is this a regular practice elsewhere?

 

[captain]

A jet ski is the way to go. A lot of rescue agencies use them.

 

[diversteve]

Reading the accounts from divers on board that vessel who were assisted, I thought it sounded terribly unsafe.

I'd agree. But otoh, I was on the Pilot(Nekton) last summer and several times they towed someone back who'd surfaced in a tidal exchange current. They use a dinghy with an outboard and have you hold onto ropes tied off while they bring you back since it's too high to climb into. They haven't had any accidents doing it - at least that they mentioned.

A jet ski seems like a good idea. Look at the lifeguards who use them to pull surfers out of the big waves in Hawaii. Some even have a little platform behind that you can crawl onto.

 

[Nemrod]

Many boats use inflatables for safety boats and they have propellers. I don't understand why they were being towed, why not just stop the motor and get them in the boat? In any case, water skiers are towed by boats with propellers, I don't see a problem if they towed slowly and allowed a safe distance behind the propeller. N

 

[pakman]

, I don't see a problem if they towed slowly and allowed a safe distance behind the propeller. N

we do this at our dive club once in awhile when some of our divers surface against a strong current away from the mothership... So we'll send out a motored skiff, the divers will hold onto a long line attached to the bow and the skiff will slowly reverse back to main dive boat. We will also do it on ascent if the boat is forced to anchor downwind of the site. more concerned with rope burn than the prop...

 

[matt_unique]

I have done it with my boat. Anchor was set and we proceeded down the line to discover it was tangled in lobster pot lines. We surfaced, had my topside buddy pull the anchor, then with stern lines tow us back into position to reset the anchor. There was decent current and it blew us away from the dive site. Rather than remove gear, climb back aboard, pull gear over the side, etc. we just had a tow. Hold on with hands in case you need to let go and keep reg in mouth. Considering the drag the boat needs to go quite slow for someone to hold on. Ha ha, in this case we were holding on with one hand because we were carrying our lobster gear with the other.

If divers are to be towed you need line of sufficient length to keep them away from the prop of course.

--Matt

 

[Darnold9999]

Got caught in a changing tide in Dodd Narrows last fall, we were about 30 feet from the corner and the tide changed. (If you make it around the corner the current is not an issue.) In 5 minutes a group of 6 divers was spread out all over the place in ripping current - easily 3 knots and getting faster. No rescue boat, the dive boat had to come and pick us all up.

To make matters really interesting there was a tug boat with a log boom coming through the Narrows against the rising tide. Which means he can't stop, slow down or anything without creating a huge mess as the current in the Narrows at full flood is faster than he can go. They had us grab a line on the side of the boat and towed us out of the way. Scared the **** out of me.

Did the tow in two stages - the first reg in one hand on the tow rope one hand holding the camera. Managed to hold on - barely, but lost the diffuser from the strobe. If you let go you are in the props in about two seconds - they were watching carefully, but I doubt that you could disengage the props quickly enough if somebody let go. Second phase, after a very short pause, I managed to rearrange things to get my elbow hooked around a line going up to the deck and do the second phase on my back face in the air.

Turns out this was really really lucky. I had surfaced with 500 PSI, I got back on the boat with 0 - did not quite drain the tank as I was still getting air from the reg when I went face up. Would not have had enough air to make the second phase if I had gone face down. Had a pony, but with one hand on the camera and one holding the rope would have been virtually impossible to switch regs. Camera was tied to my wrist so could not let go even if I wanted to and with current that strong I doubt that I could have gotten the reg out and up to my mouth with the camera acting as a sea anchor.

Anyway all's well that ends well, but not sure I ever want to be towed again. It was way better than being run over by a log boom however

 

[shoredivr]

That's quite the tow story, darnold999. Things that make you think "how would I deal with that?"