Should have known better

[dumpsterDiver]

I have yet to see a dive flag used anywhere on any Caribbean island. The possible exception might be in boat channels or harbors, which are almost never dived - the Bonaire harbor comes to mind. Even divers at the salt pier and oil loading dock don't use a flag. Moreover, there was no chance that a boat was going to be present anywhere near where I surfaced. Even if there had been a boat present I would have seen it on my way up, and if it was running a motor, heard it. I either case I would have had my SMB ready and had my hand on the Dive Alert and stayed under till I hit the shore wall.

This is starting to fail the giggle test. The OP says he hates to do those, "crystal clear water, blue water ascents from 45 feet", but is fully confident he can deploy an SMB from a safety stop?

If that was so easy, why not ascend to 25 ft, deploy the SMB from depth and swim toward shore using the remaining 500 psi?

Also the asertion that the diver would necessarily SEE a boat in the area before ascending is beyond ridiculous. You can't see a boat coming at you at high speed, and if you do, it may be the last thing you see.

 

[Dhboner]

I am not sure about the logic in posting details of an "incident" on a public forum then getting defensive when experienced people chime in with their thoughts on what may have lead to the situation and suggestions for preventing a similar incident. I see this too often on Scubaboard (and other forums). If you are confident you did everything right then you shouldn't need suggestions so I guess the only purpose in posting would be to elicit affirmation. This forum can be tremendously helpful in breaking down a situation and helping divers avoid similar calamities in the future but only if the person posting is open to the critique.

 

[shoredivr]

I've experienced a buddy in a group of three just taking off in moderate viz on a shallow dive in the Caribbean, no amount of hand signals or tank banging changed his behaviour. The pre dive discussion plan had not included rapidly swimming off on the way back to shore. My other buddy and I tried to catch up but he was gone. Surfaced, looked, no third buddy. I spent the next few minutes on the surface swim back rehearsing what to tell his wife. When we were almost at the shore he popped up on the other side of the cove. Just decided to check out a coral pillar in the boca, he said. It was only 18 ft why did we care? My take home was not to dive with this guy again.

Just want to point out that people don't always stick to the agreed upon plan, nor respond to signals if they're a richard.