Two divers struck, killed - Isla Mujeres, Mexico

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Here's a spool that you CAN'T jam yer fingers into, but works great.
halcyon-defender-pro-spool.jpg
 
I have watched too many near misses in dive areas with high density, primarily in Cozumel. Typically the captains of commercial dive boats are experienced and very good at avoiding SMB's, private boat captains may not be as experienced. I am paranoid and avoid using too large a buoy that I can not fully inflate and typically launch it from 30 -50' so that on the surface, with myself a little negative it is fully erect and sticking out of the water as opposed to limply laying on the surface.
 
C55 can have relatively strong current. The divers were doing their safety stop on the rope that attaches the bouy for c55 to the ship, NOT AN SMB. Mr Tom hit the bouy, dragging the divers up into the prop. I've done that dive enough times to know that the current can be strong enough to make you hang onto the rope with one hand and your mask with the other.
 
Kimela:
I look at these reports as a learning opportunity for me. I'm not blaming anyone for how they handled themselves in an extreme situation. Just trying to help myself learn how to survive in tragic circumstances, while also trying to be respectful of the deceased.

My husband pointed out something else. The reels are called 'finger spools' because we generally hook a finger through one of the holes. If you try to hold onto the reel withOUT hooking a finger you're likely to drop it and have the string unspooling. What if your finger gets stuck in the spool when a boat hits your SMB? How do most of you hold your spools? Will you try to do it differently after this incident?
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I have used a lot of cheap finger spools and have occasionally had them catch on my finger while deploying, nothing major and it stings a little. Normally it frees by adjusting the angle of my hand a little or arresting it with my other hand. I recently bought a 'catch free' one that is manufactured with a larger diameter and tapered hole that is much safer and easier to use. I was on Aliexpress getting some backplate screws earlier this week and noticed that most of the spools offered were now using this improved design.
As for being dragged into a prop by a SMB buoy line, I AM speculating here, but I doubt it, long shot maybe in a freak condition one person but not two. I think a more likely scenario is both divers were close together and just below the surface when they were run over.
 
It is a good idea to have enough lead to be able to exhale and easily sink, even with an empty tank and at/or near the surface.

I always seem to hear people talk about being neutral at 15 feet, but that might make you buoyant at 5 ft. Not the best situation when live boats are potentially operating over your head. I little "extra" lead might actually be safer in those situations.

Edit: after reading recent post... However, if they were on a mooring line, I'm not sure this is relevant in this case. Boats are super dangerous.
 
Dan:
As I mentioned in my previous post, I hold (sandwich?) the spool with my thumb and index finger. I don’t stick my finger into the hole.
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I use a primitive technique: I place a very thick and wide elastic band around the line so that it has to be tugged slightly for the line to be released.

As a rule I like to dive in places, perhaps less fabulous, that do not have lots of boats whizzing around. Some sites that are heavily used by boatloads of divers, like some places in the Keys and in Mexico that are closer to industrial than commercial, I simply avoid.
 
Look up and Listen!
 
gopbroek:
I have watched too many near misses in dive areas with high density, primarily in Cozumel. Typically the captains of commercial dive boats are experienced and very good at avoiding SMB's, private boat captains may not be as experienced. I am paranoid and avoid using too large a buoy that I can not fully inflate and typically launch it from 30 -50' so that on the surface, with myself a little negative it is fully erect and sticking out of the water as opposed to limply laying on the surface.
Click to expand...
Quite possibly regarding private boats. James from Divers Ready told a story of tec divers in Florida on a deco stop. A boat (not the one they were diving from) saw their SMB, cut the line and took it. The divers deployed another SMB and same boat took it also. Boat captain thought these were "floaty things" that were lost. Boat they were diving from wasn't that experienced with tec divers and didn't stop the other boat from taking the SMBs. Nobody was hurt but clearly FUBAR.
 
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