UaVaj
Contributor
moderator. hopefully this is the right place for this post for real life experience feedback.
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here is the question (real life experience only), if you do not want to read the reality check below.
if rougher diveable seas. honest 2'-3' and perhap 3'-4' pushing it.
(1) what size surface buoy is sufficent for such condition. (a) how tall? (b) how wide (diameter)? and (c) what color (yellow or red or orange)?
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just recently out of florida's east coast. me and a buddy were drift diving about 6 miles offshore. seas was honest 2'-3' (enough that I would lose sight of the boat ~1/4 miles away at the surface floating) and blowing 12-17kt se.
everything was going accordingly until the boat on top lost power while we were down. now boat is drifting and we are drifting. boat is drifting much faster due to wind.
good thing this was a short dive (~10min), and we were prepared. otherwise it could have gotten real ugly real fast.
being prepared: i always carry a whistle, a dive alert (1/2 miles whistle), a small surface buoy (6' tall x 3" diameter), a PLB w/ gps in a watertight canister.
before our first dive, my friend tell me my surface buoy is too small (I always thought it was sufficent), so he lends me his other huge surface buoy (7.5' and 5" diameter). he said "it will save your life someday" and had me strap this bulky buoy it to my bc next to my tank like a pony bottle.
as i surface (separately). I see the boat about ~1/8 miles away bobbing broadside.
i pull the dive alert out of the water and give it a blast. nothing. the boat is still broadside.
I presume they were picking up my friend and it will take a min before they beeline toward me. 5 min pass. boat still broadside.
give another blast of the dive alert and wait. another 5 min pass. boat still broadside.
next i pulled the massive surface buoy that my friend made me dive with and blow it up. boat is probably about ~1/4 miles away now. a miniute after I put this massive buoy up. I can see the boat waving it's dive flag then poping a flare. i knew i made contact. 5 min pass. boat still broadside.
now i knew they were not coming to get me. another 5 min pass. boat still broadside.
next I see another boat (very distinguish police rib) heading toward our boat. as soon as that boat touch our boat. it beeline directed toward me. I was and honest ~1/3+ miles away. as soon as I board. the leo ask me where my friend. we quickly scan the surface. boom we see his surface buoy (10' x 4" diameter). he was probably about ~1/4 behind me. we pick him up.
by this time sea tow has already made it to the broken down boat and has begun tow. we get a ride on the rib back to the inlet.
the captain made the right decision by calling for help the very moment the boat lost propulsion. instead of after many failed restart attempts. time is of the essence.
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during the ride with the leo back to the inlet. he said as soon as he made contact with our boat and was given my bearing and saw my buoy immediately. ~1/3 miles away.
at the ramp. our captain and mate said they were in constant visual of my float. ~1/3 miles away. but did not see my buddy's float. ~1/2 miles away.
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here is the question (real life experience only), if you do not want to read the reality check below.
if rougher diveable seas. honest 2'-3' and perhap 3'-4' pushing it.
(1) what size surface buoy is sufficent for such condition. (a) how tall? (b) how wide (diameter)? and (c) what color (yellow or red or orange)?
-----
just recently out of florida's east coast. me and a buddy were drift diving about 6 miles offshore. seas was honest 2'-3' (enough that I would lose sight of the boat ~1/4 miles away at the surface floating) and blowing 12-17kt se.
everything was going accordingly until the boat on top lost power while we were down. now boat is drifting and we are drifting. boat is drifting much faster due to wind.
good thing this was a short dive (~10min), and we were prepared. otherwise it could have gotten real ugly real fast.
being prepared: i always carry a whistle, a dive alert (1/2 miles whistle), a small surface buoy (6' tall x 3" diameter), a PLB w/ gps in a watertight canister.
before our first dive, my friend tell me my surface buoy is too small (I always thought it was sufficent), so he lends me his other huge surface buoy (7.5' and 5" diameter). he said "it will save your life someday" and had me strap this bulky buoy it to my bc next to my tank like a pony bottle.
as i surface (separately). I see the boat about ~1/8 miles away bobbing broadside.
i pull the dive alert out of the water and give it a blast. nothing. the boat is still broadside.
I presume they were picking up my friend and it will take a min before they beeline toward me. 5 min pass. boat still broadside.
give another blast of the dive alert and wait. another 5 min pass. boat still broadside.
next i pulled the massive surface buoy that my friend made me dive with and blow it up. boat is probably about ~1/4 miles away now. a miniute after I put this massive buoy up. I can see the boat waving it's dive flag then poping a flare. i knew i made contact. 5 min pass. boat still broadside.
now i knew they were not coming to get me. another 5 min pass. boat still broadside.
next I see another boat (very distinguish police rib) heading toward our boat. as soon as that boat touch our boat. it beeline directed toward me. I was and honest ~1/3+ miles away. as soon as I board. the leo ask me where my friend. we quickly scan the surface. boom we see his surface buoy (10' x 4" diameter). he was probably about ~1/4 behind me. we pick him up.
by this time sea tow has already made it to the broken down boat and has begun tow. we get a ride on the rib back to the inlet.
the captain made the right decision by calling for help the very moment the boat lost propulsion. instead of after many failed restart attempts. time is of the essence.
-----
during the ride with the leo back to the inlet. he said as soon as he made contact with our boat and was given my bearing and saw my buoy immediately. ~1/3 miles away.
at the ramp. our captain and mate said they were in constant visual of my float. ~1/3 miles away. but did not see my buddy's float. ~1/2 miles away.
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