What else could I have done?

[RAD Diver]

So, you're right, the OP didn't NEED wreck training...but he sure could have USED it.

I totally agree with this, I have NO formal wreck training, but dive off the East coast most of the time & would NEVER dive without a reel. Most of the time I have 3.

If it is an intact wreck like I believe the Yukon is then that is 1 thing, but come dive some debris fields with me without a reel & see if you can still find your ascent point.

Taking a compass heading off a steel wreck is not all that trustworthy either. I had a DM who is also an instrument rated Naval pilot who got lost off a local wreck 1 day so it happens.

 

[RJP]

.

Taking a compass heading off a steel wreck is not all that trustworthy either. I had a DM who is also an instrument rated Naval pilot who got lost off a local wreck 1 day so it happens.

Yup, a compass on a wreck dive is often as useful as t**s on a bull.

 

[idocsteve]

Someone WITH wreck training would have HAD a wreck reel with them

Not Necessarily

Not all wreck trained scuba divers carry a wreck reel with them on every wreck dive. And that doesn't make them "wrong" or "careless".

 

[idocsteve]

There was about 3’ of vis

3 foot of vis is about arms length.

Then you say this:

everyone gave their OK signals and poof took a couple kicks and were gone like ghosts. I was ready to trail and looked up the mooring line and there was still one person coming down.

Pretty good trick for an entire group of people to give ok signals, and for you to see them, as well as for you to look up the line and see a person coming down...all with about an arm's length of vis.

 

[RAD Diver]

Not Necessarily

Not all wreck trained scuba divers carry a wreck reel with them on every wreck dive. And that doesn't make them "wrong" or "careless".

I don't know about that, every dive briefing I have heard on board the commercial boats around here normally ends with "if you have a wreck reel, take it & if you don't, find someone that does to dive with"

The vis can go to crap very quick & it is normally not that great to start with.

But to each there own.

 

[idocsteve]

I don't know about that, every dive briefing I have heard on board the commercial boats around here normally ends with "if you have a wreck reel, take it & if you don't, find someone that does to dive with"

The vis can go to crap very quick & it is normally not that great to start with.

But to each there own.

I get that here in the Northeast, however I've dived lots of wrecks in the tropics and no mention is ever made of a wreck reel and I have yet to see a diver carrying one.

 

[RJP]

Not Necessarily

Not all wreck trained scuba divers carry a wreck reel with them on every wreck dive. And that doesn't make them "wrong" or "careless".

No, it simply makes them unprepared.

:shocked2:

 

[idocsteve]

No, it simply makes them unprepared.

:shocked2:

Using that way of thinking, any diver who enters the water with anything less than 2 sets of cutting instruments, redundant gas supplies, signal devices, and anything else you can think of that might be needed is "unprepared".

That's just about every diver I've ever seen in tropical dive locations.

 

[RJP]

I get that here in the Northeast, however I've dived lots of wrecks in the tropics and no mention is ever made of a wreck reel and I have yet to see a diver carrying one.

Maybe you're diving with the wrong people?



Obviously if you're diving on the Hilma Hooker in Bonaire with 100' of viz and no intention to penetrate you wouldn't carry a 400' Pathfinder reel. But you might have a spool in your pocket. (I would.)

Can't imagine any situation where you'd come up from a wreck dive saying "Whew, damn good thing I didn't have a reel with me on that dive!"

 

[idocsteve]

Maybe you're diving with the wrong people?

Well, I'm not really diving "with" them. Those people I'm diving "with" in the tropics, just happen to be sharing a dive boat with me, and they represent a reasonable cross section of the scuba diving population.

It's safe to say that if I got off of that boat and onto another one, or another ten boats, I wouldn't find too many divers carrying wreck reels.

Would YOU?

Can't imagine any situation where you'd come up from a wreck dive saying "Whew, damn good thing I didn't have a reel with me on that dive!"

No one's going to make such a ridiculous statement, but they might just say "I'm glad I didn't go to the trouble to carry my wreck reel, my redundant air source, and cutting implements, and signal devices with my on the airplane".