Boat capsized in pompano beach?

[deeper thoughts]

very sad

 

[seadawg]

Very sad. My thoughts are with everyone involved.


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[bilsant]

Deepest condolences for the injured and deceased divers, and a thought for everyone who even though they came out ok, were certainly traumatized by the experience. Also sorry for the owners and employees of SFDH....I've been on that boat a number of times and always had a positive experience with their operation.

Rough holiday....

 

[joh]

Deepest condolences for the injured and deceased divers, and thought for everyone who even though they came out ok, were certainly traumatized by the experience. Also sorry for the owners and employees of SFDH....I've been on that boat a number of times and always had a positive experience with their operation.

Rough holiday....

I have dived off that boat, and the identical catamaran boat SFDH operates, as well as the smaller Safari Diver sixpack boat, numerous times. Perhaps there was a mechanical issue. I remember my trips with SFDH and Capt. Dennis as professionally run, with personable and friendly treatment from the staff, and never any indication of any maintenance problems or issues (unlike certain other local dive operations). I will wait for the USCG findings to understand what happened. Right now, all affected individuals and their families, including the Captain and the SFDF staff, are in my prayers and thoughts this Thanksgiving evening. What a tragedy for all involved.

 

[Hetland]

A bit of Monday morning quarterbacking, but if that's the boat I think it is, I sure wouldn't be running trips in 5-7ft seas....

 

[Fishpie]

It's a very nasty inlet especially coming in on an outgoing tide even with just a small to moderate swell.
As Nemrod correctly pointed out standing waves compounded by a swell makes entering very tricky and boats need to time their runs between the waves.
Very easy to get broached which likely caused this capsize.

 

[bilsant]

I've been on that boat in over 7' seas and was quite comfortable...but remember holding my breath for a moment when we came out of the inlet...my reaction to how the ocean looked. The boat and Captain Dennis handled it beautifully that day and had us through the channel in no time.

I don't know what happened yesterday. I dove the beach in Hollywood a bit further south that morning and the surf wasn't more than 3', and was starting to flatten out as we were leaving.

 

[Chad Carney]

It's a very nasty inlet especially coming in on an outgoing tide even with just a small to moderate swell.
As Nemrod correctly pointed out standing waves compounded by a swell makes entering very tricky and boats need to time their runs between the waves.
Very easy to get broached which likely caused this capsize.

There are worse inlets in FL. Hillsboro Inlet slants SE to NW, so swells out of the NE are perpendicular to it.

It was a strong incoming near high tide as I paddled out to the Hillsboro Inlet, even a few hours later it was just barely incoming, when I took this last photo of SFDH and the sistership of the Coral Princess. Note the height of the deck above the seawall. You can see the high tide on the sea walls in some of my other pics too. Wind has been consistent NW to NNW.

Hurricane Sandy caused a lot of beach errosion which has changed the surf conditions as well. Surfers have been loving it.

Chad

 

[deepstops]

It was a strong incoming near high tide as I paddled out to the Hillsboro Inlet, even a few hours later it was just barely incoming, when I took this last photo of SFDH and the sistership of the Coral Princess. Note the height of the deck above the seawall. You can see the high tide on the sea walls in some of my other pics too. Wind has been consistent NW to NNW.

Chad

Chad's account is correct, it was an incoming tide with virtually glassy conditions near shore with about a 4' swell rolling in from the NE. This event just seems freakish to me. I've been out on a different Corinthian Cat in 5-8' conditions (Biscayne National Park many years ago) and it handled it quite well.

 

[Fishpie]

I have to agree, freakish.
Cats are very stable craft...up to the point that they aren't....
I'd rather be on a cat than some of the other dive boats that use that inlet.

The point made by Chad about Sandy moving things about may well have some relevance.