Scary boat experiences

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The first description sounds normal for UK diving. Most clubs own their own Rib(s) and as a result most diving (and most of mine) is off one.

Going out in force 5-6 winds and trying to go through seas that are up to 6ft and coming at you from all directions isnt that uncommon.

The journeys are long, wet, bumpy and spend most of the time out of the water. Any equipment not nailed down is quickly lost overboard.

One particular trip i remember from earlier this year was 6 of us on the rib in the typical irish sea conditions and the bloke opposite me removing his ankle weights stating "at least i KNOW i can swim without them on!". This happened after the boat had rolled near 45 degrees and i nearly landed on him (was sat opposite side).

Despite seeming scarey and dangerous you have to remember what Ribs are designed for - they can withstand a huge amount of punishment and its very hard to turn one over (assuming the driver is sensible). You soon get used to it.

Id much prefer a Rib in a rough sea to a hardboar which tends to wallow more and take longer to get there.

Our Rib although small and underpowered can maintain 25kts with 6 divers, kit and 12 cylinders for an all-day trip. Most hardboards do between 10 and 12kts maximum meaning it takes longer to get to or some sites are deemed too far away.

The only downside of Ribs in winter is the cold air temperature added to the cold wind chill meaning even dry suited drivers get chilly.

 

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ScubaJeep once bubbled...


Scary indeed. I was taught that the deepest dive of the day should be the first dive, with the rest being progressively shallower. So why was your second dive to deeper water?

Or am I mistaken, and it really doesn't matter what order your dives are in?

Not really scarey. Most modern theory doesnt really care if deep-first is done or not and now with the advent of dive computers able to dynamically track Nitrogen loading it becomes even less important.

If one dive is very deep and the second is only moderate say 40m and 15m then it makes sense to do deeper first to maximise your bottom time and reduce deco obligations.

15m and 20m dives are not very deep and depths similar to each other enough as to make no difference.

A 15m dive, short surface interval and a 20m dive are certainly not stupid.

 

[Ender]

Here in Wellington anything less than 20kts is considered nice settled weather (right now it's 20, gusting 30).
I used to sail a bit here, and I've seen a race called off once, but that was because of the heavy rain - not wind. I was out often with over 35kts, and a quite few times over 40. I think strongest wind I was out in was about 55kts.
Few times I run into conditions where visibility was few metres (above water), due to all the spray lifted by the wind. Blue skies otherwise.
2m swell is not unusual, and quite a few times a year we get 5-8m southerly swell (driven by some low next to Antartica).
So, it's all relative.
Regards,
Vlad

 

[Kettle]

Not really a scary boat experience, but my first dive out of a rubber duck. We went out and the water was perfect, flat like glass and no wind. On the way home the waves got up a bit and we were crashing aroun alot. This wouldn't have worried me except I needed to pee and each wave made the problem worse, I felt like my bladder was going to explode. Managed to make it back and luckily there was a public toilet at the boat ramp. That was a damn long ride!

 

[cornfed]

String once bubbled...


Not really scarey. Most modern theory doesnt really care if deep-first is done or not and now with the advent of dive computers able to dynamically track Nitrogen loading it becomes even less important.

If one dive is very deep and the second is only moderate say 40m and 15m then it makes sense to do deeper first to maximise your bottom time and reduce deco obligations.

15m and 20m dives are not very deep and depths similar to each other enough as to make no difference.

A 15m dive, short surface interval and a 20m dive are certainly not stupid.

You missed a good discussion...

 

[clive francis]

i've had a few scary moments on or with boats:

the most memorable was on a cruise ship in the med, i was installing some new sat tv equipment and they said we were heading into a force 8 strom. i spent the night rolling and sliding in my bed and the next day got up to finish my work.

i went to the top deck and looked out to see huge waves, all of a suden a big one came from no where side on, there was a really loud gong as it hit and then all hell let loose.

the ship rolled 25 deg in one direction and then back the other way as we went sideways through the wave. we had actually sailed through a force 9 - 10 storm in 60 to 70 foot waves (the proper way of measuring a wave from the front not the US way of doing it from behind).

after 3 days in these waves, we finally put in at Barcelona (they closed the port as waves were breaking over the port wall), i couldn't walk properly and was all over the place, even sat on the floor leaning against a wall i felt like i was swaying around, at least i wasn't sick though!

 

[tstiemerling]

My scary boat experience was in Thailand, coming back to the mainland from the island of Koh Tai after a weeks diving. A taifun had just passed by a couple of days before (ruining the diving) and the waves were still high. The boat was a fast passenger motor boat, normally designed to carry about 15 people (I think).

Since there had not been many boats because of the bad weather, this one was loaded with about 30 locals and about 10 tourists. We were jammed in there! After we got on, we saw all the locals putting on life jackets, but being cool divers we decided that was not necessary. But, after getting out into the waves we all put them on pretty quick I can tell you!

The captain was really gunning the boat fast, and because of the size of the waves the boat was lifting off and then landing hard and tipping crazily, and seemed about to capsize. To try and counter balance this one of the boat crew was hanging off the side of the boat. After a particularly hard landing he was thrown off and described an nice 50ft arc before hitting the water. Luckily he seemed to be OK after we picked him up again. By this time we were pleading with the captain to slow down, but to no avail. In the end we made it OK, but in the during the trip I was sure I was going to die on that boat!

Cheers, Tom=-)

 

[Matthew]

We were once caught in a squall on the way to a dive site. Several big waves landed right on our small boat and it filled with water. The DM shouted for everybody to jump off as the boat seemed about to capsize and sink. We inflated our scuba units, and heaved them overboard, then jumped after them. At that point I knew I would survive, but it was still quite scary because the big waves allowed you only a second for each inhale before you get buried again in water for what seemed a very long time. Luckily we were not very far from shore, and a second boat behind us was able to turn back, unload its passengers and come back to pick us all up. We were in the water for only about 30 minutes but it seemed like hours. Two of the divers just held on to the side of the boat until they were picked up. I now wonder if it was the better thing to do. The boat did not completely sink, and was washed back to shore at flood tide.

Here is a picture of the boat and one of my buddies , after the incident.

 

[metaldector]

It was late August and we boarded the live-aboard 65' sail boat in Miami and headed for Bimini. The BBQ of hambergers and hot dogs was finished on the dock just as the sun was setting. We headed East. About 40 minutes into the trip the sea became rough, and lighting was all around but the rumble of thunder was off in the distance and we were headed directly into the storm.

Night had enveloped the boat and the crew lowered the main sail. Now on diesel only we plunged into each wave. The boat healed hard to starboard with the freeboard rail dipping into and out of the water. The boat had about 25 guest on it. No one could stay below, even the cook (her first trip) came up on deck. The rain was pounding us, the lighting was booming all around, the night was totally black unless a bolt of lighting lite up the deck. I was in my rainsuit, back against the outside cabin wall, and feet placed against the freeboard rail. Tiny green phospheresent bugs washed up over the deck and into the sea. Because of the bashing we took no one was walking around the deck. Everyone hunkered down in some spot and stayed there. I had a long conversation with a guy from California between waves, lighting, and rain (I only saw him the next day and learned his name). The storm abated after we sailed through it and on the eastern side it was once again calm. We came into Bimini tired, wet, sore, and very gratefull. The End of the World bar was waiting for us with ice cold beer.
Almost everyone said that next time (as if there would be a next time) they'd fly to Bimini and meet the boat!

 

[tstiemerling]

Yup, crossing that gulf stream can be rough. When I did my Blackbeards trip it was December and blowing hard. I stayed on deck all night, and watched as one by one the other came on deck and pucked up their hamburgers and hotdogs!

Tom