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Good idea, but you most likely have the wetsuit on--if not, would you attempt to put it on in the water if a long way from land?
What to do when your dive boat sinks?
- Thread starter Kimela
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It's no easy task to return home if it's stolen in Vegas and you must fly within the US to a border area, get someone that you know to drive over the border to get you, with the Canadian Consulate in L.A. being totally useless.
In my experience, one advantage to diving in the US is that the boat operator is required to give a Coast Guard mandated safety briefing before the boat leaves the dock. Most of my diving in Key Largo has been with Rainbow Reef and every time I've been on one of their boats, we get the full briefing: where the life jackets are located, how the life raft works, what the EPIRB does, where the O2 kit and fire extinguishers are, how to use the radio to call for help... and a request that if we see anything wrong, tell the crew and give them the chance to handle it.
I've dived regularly with Waterhorse Charters in San Diego... and we get exactly the same briefing (well, the key points are the same... the jokes are different.) Most of the boats I've dived with out of Long Beach do the same (but there are some that have been a bit lax.)
My point: I use that information as a standard for a safety briefing when I leave the US. It's also been my experience that most places in the Caribbean don't mention anything related to a safety briefing. So I take it upon myself: where are the life jackets, fire extinguisher, O2 kit, radio? Make a note of these, if they exist. And if something goes wrong, follow the instructions given on that safety briefing you had on your last US dive boat.
Worth also mentioning: obviously a wetsuit or a BCD can keep you buoyant, but it's very misleading to suggest that a BCD is a life preserver. A CG approved life preserver is designed to keep the person floating with their face out of the water and be immune to failure (which is why they're solid foam and not inflated.) A BCD, while nice, doesn't provide the same level of safety. (With that said...yeah, I'd grab my BCD also if I was jumping in the water.)
Agreed. So far we have established that diving on a sinking boat with a passport that gets lost is less than desirable. I was asking about attempts as solutions. Having someone else, who probably has other tasks at hand, be trusted to take a master dry box out of a cabinet in the pilot house seems like a less than optimal solution if one is trying to avoid said difficulties.
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Of course unless it's a liveaboard, you'd secure it somewhere on land, like hidden in your room or in a safe. The liveaboard situation is not a good one for passports.
T.C.
Contributor
Priorities:
1. Lifejacket/PFD. It's not going to go empty, will float you head up, and is orange with reflective stuff.
2. What's the crew telling you to do? If they have a raft or lifeboat/dingy, That's better than sitting in the water. Follow their orders to assist.
3. Exposure protection. I don't know anyone who can don a wetsuit in a minute, let alone a dry suit, but you can put it on in the water. Same with mask and fins.
4. Where are you? If you're halfway around the world and a hundred miles from land, might want to see if there's some bottled water/drinks (leave the beer), and some packaged food.
Last thing I'm worried about is the BCD. You'll float with the PFD, and the mask and fins will help you. If you must have it, inflate the BCD and unstrap it. It'll float clear.
And remember: find out who's carrying the EPIRB and stay next to them. ;-)
1. Lifejacket/PFD. It's not going to go empty, will float you head up, and is orange with reflective stuff.
2. What's the crew telling you to do? If they have a raft or lifeboat/dingy, That's better than sitting in the water. Follow their orders to assist.
3. Exposure protection. I don't know anyone who can don a wetsuit in a minute, let alone a dry suit, but you can put it on in the water. Same with mask and fins.
4. Where are you? If you're halfway around the world and a hundred miles from land, might want to see if there's some bottled water/drinks (leave the beer), and some packaged food.
Last thing I'm worried about is the BCD. You'll float with the PFD, and the mask and fins will help you. If you must have it, inflate the BCD and unstrap it. It'll float clear.
And remember: find out who's carrying the EPIRB and stay next to them. ;-)
gcarter
Contributor
When I am boat diving, warm water or cold, as soon as I board the boat I don my exposure protection at least to the waist. So that is with me.
My BP/W is immediately attached to the tank, as well as regs. Generally ready to go before we even leave the dock. Coming out of the water between dives, I change tanks so it is ready to go again before I even get a drink of water. So my rig is always ready. Computer is on my wrist or clipped to a d-ring. Light is on a d-ring. DSMB in a pocket.
Worst case, I jump in with my exposure gear only and finish "dressing" in the water. Provides some warmth and a bit of additional buoyancy - even while south I always use a 3/2 fullsuit.
Middle case I grab my rig and jump in the water. I can sort out everything there. My fins may or may not make it if I have to do a grab and jump, but other than that I am good.
Best case, it takes me < 5 minutes to go though my normal process of getting in the water fully kitted with all checks-- because my gear is ready to go, always. And in an emergency situation, I could do it quicker, again, finishing in the water if necessary.
Edit: have not yet done a LOB... I would not be sleeping in my wetsuit though...
My BP/W is immediately attached to the tank, as well as regs. Generally ready to go before we even leave the dock. Coming out of the water between dives, I change tanks so it is ready to go again before I even get a drink of water. So my rig is always ready. Computer is on my wrist or clipped to a d-ring. Light is on a d-ring. DSMB in a pocket.
Worst case, I jump in with my exposure gear only and finish "dressing" in the water. Provides some warmth and a bit of additional buoyancy - even while south I always use a 3/2 fullsuit.
Middle case I grab my rig and jump in the water. I can sort out everything there. My fins may or may not make it if I have to do a grab and jump, but other than that I am good.
Best case, it takes me < 5 minutes to go though my normal process of getting in the water fully kitted with all checks-- because my gear is ready to go, always. And in an emergency situation, I could do it quicker, again, finishing in the water if necessary.
Edit: have not yet done a LOB... I would not be sleeping in my wetsuit though...
Last edited:
Wingy
Contributor
@ T.C - Bravo!
Listen to the crew - most sensible response in this thread. The crew are trained for this, have procedures in place and the biggest way of helping them keeping you safe is listening to them.
Sure there have been a few crew and captains (Costa Brava anyone?) who have done the wrong thing but I do believe anyone who has crewed on an ocean going vessel has an instinctual response of "Get the passengers to safety first".
TBH if I crewed on a dive LOB and someone was fluffing around getting in the way putting their kit on or going back for their phone there's a fair chance I'd throw them overboard if they posed an unacceptable obstacle to the minutes Schedule our ship operates on if sinking.
You lose your passport and credit cards? Really big deal in this day and age - that's what embassies and consulates are for. No embassy from your home country? Also not that big a deal - I've taken two tourists who were robbed and assaulted in Cambodia to the Canadian embassy because that was the first one I could find - one was Irish, one was South African. The Canadian embassy took them both in and assured me they would liase with their respective embassies to get them home.
No phone? Chances are you may not have any signal if we're talking a sinking that's going to result in the Gillian's island scenario. No set of spare clothes? Turn the ones you have on inside out for a few days, repeat in reverse. Good for another few days.
No water, pick up one of those millions of plastic bags that end up on beaches do a McGyver or Bear Grills or whatever and make use of leaves and Mother Nature. No Fire? Well get up close and personal with your fellow castaways for body heat - you never know what the future holds
No food..well...there's always Paleo Veganism or...Cannibalism
People worry too much.
Listen to the crew - most sensible response in this thread. The crew are trained for this, have procedures in place and the biggest way of helping them keeping you safe is listening to them.
Sure there have been a few crew and captains (Costa Brava anyone?) who have done the wrong thing but I do believe anyone who has crewed on an ocean going vessel has an instinctual response of "Get the passengers to safety first".
TBH if I crewed on a dive LOB and someone was fluffing around getting in the way putting their kit on or going back for their phone there's a fair chance I'd throw them overboard if they posed an unacceptable obstacle to the minutes Schedule our ship operates on if sinking.
You lose your passport and credit cards? Really big deal in this day and age - that's what embassies and consulates are for. No embassy from your home country? Also not that big a deal - I've taken two tourists who were robbed and assaulted in Cambodia to the Canadian embassy because that was the first one I could find - one was Irish, one was South African. The Canadian embassy took them both in and assured me they would liase with their respective embassies to get them home.
No phone? Chances are you may not have any signal if we're talking a sinking that's going to result in the Gillian's island scenario. No set of spare clothes? Turn the ones you have on inside out for a few days, repeat in reverse. Good for another few days.
No water, pick up one of those millions of plastic bags that end up on beaches do a McGyver or Bear Grills or whatever and make use of leaves and Mother Nature. No Fire? Well get up close and personal with your fellow castaways for body heat - you never know what the future holds
No food..well...there's always Paleo Veganism or...Cannibalism
People worry too much.
T.C.
Contributor
Does anyone know the last time a dive boat actually sank, leaving people in the water?
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