Vessel UK Issues Safety Warning After Three Fatal Dive Boat Accidents in Red Sea

[rmorgan]

Does built in XXXX mean it was new construction and was launched then or does it mean that an older boat was refurbished/rebuilt and put into service that year? If the latter, I would wonder how the changes affected the stability characteristics

It’s my understanding that some of the boats billed as “new in ——“ are ferries which have been reconfigured with the upper deck/s added, which of course affects center of gravity. I believe that Sea Story was such a vessel.

 

[ReadyDiverOne]

It’s my understanding that some of the boats billed as “new in ——“ are ferries which have been reconfigured with the upper deck/s added, which of course affects center of gravity. I believe that Sea Story was such a vessel.

Not doubting this, but I would be VERY interested to know--if this is true--how often it occurs, i.e., how many of the boats. Pretty scary.

 

[rmorgan]

Not doubting this, but I would be VERY interested to know--if this is true--how often it occurs, i.e., how many of the boats. Pretty scary.

First, I need to add that I have no insider, or insider-adjacent, knowledge whether this is true of this vessel, and the mere fact of rebuilding an existing boat for a new purpose is not controversial. But on the four-deck Red Sea boats (and I may be wrong, but I don't think they are configured like that anywhere else), the top decks, especially with one of them being all cabins, would keep me off of them. I have been aboard several monohull liveaboards which have living quarters on (or mostly below) the main decks, and it seems obvious to me that adding decks (especially cabins) above the main deck creates a risk of instability.

 

[tiacalypso]

Does built in XXXX mean it was new construction and was launched then or does it mean that an older boat was refurbished/rebuilt and put into service that year? If the latter, I would wonder how the changes affected the stability characteristics

When I looked it up, the sources online said that the ships were built in these years, not refurbished or repaired.

 

[Anish]

Not unusual for EU divers to dive without a guide, we’re trained to be autonomous buddy pairs.

It's one thing to be autonomous but how about single travelers? Also while you maybe experienced enough to take care of yourself, you may have never dived those sites. So still need some kind of guide to navigate and point out things they know, manage the currents etc is still needed. I guess Im just not used to being part of a group of 10 divers and one guide. Maybe it's a Red Sea thing but in Asia that just doesn't happen.

 

[Searcaigh]

Maybe it's a Red Sea thing but in Asia that just doesn't happen.

Very normal in Thailand from my experience albeit from the 90s

 

[Edward3c]

It's one thing to be autonomous but how about single travelers? Also while you maybe experienced enough to take care of yourself, you may have never dived those sites. So still need some kind of guide to navigate and point out things they know, manage the currents etc is still needed. I guess Im just not used to being part of a group of 10 divers and one guide. Maybe it's a Red Sea thing but in Asia that just doesn't happen.

As part of my Advanced Diver (BSAC) training I had to plan and lead a dive group (minimum 6, but normally around 12 divers) to unknown dive sites including travel and accommodation - that's what I mean about being an autonomous diver. Today the criteria includes the management of a minimum of a 2 day diving expedition to unknown sites.

 

[Centrals]

It's one thing to be autonomous but how about single travelers? Also while you maybe experienced enough to take care of yourself, you may have never dived those sites. So still need some kind of guide to navigate and point out things they know, manage the currents etc is still needed. I guess Im just not used to being part of a group of 10 divers and one guide. Maybe it's a Red Sea thing but in Asia that just doesn't happen.

Guided or unguided has nothing to do with 'single traveller'! I(single traveller) have been diving in many places in SE Asia for well over 25yrs but yet to come across any operator that would let anyone dived unguided. The only exception was tec wreck.
10 divers with only one guide? Depend on the operator but is pretty rare.

 

[Mod63]

It's one thing to be autonomous but how about single travelers? Also while you maybe experienced enough to take care of yourself, you may have never dived those sites. So still need some kind of guide to navigate and point out things they know, manage the currents etc is still needed. I guess Im just not used to being part of a group of 10 divers and one guide. Maybe it's a Red Sea thing but in Asia that just doesn't happen.

Most of us that dive unguided are used to dive sites that we never dove before from what we are doing at home. And why would I need a guide if it is either "take the reef on the left shoulder, turn around at half air/30min and come back to the boat" or "when ever you are done with your dive, shoot the SMB and we pick you up"? As for currents, on a boat-to-boat you go against the current on your first leg, on a drift you go with the current. If there is anything special that is hard to find/easy to miss the guides will point that out during the briefing and invite you to tag along (if you usually do your own thing), or give you good enough information to find it on your own.