It works for me 90% of the time, if conditions aren’t right or there’s fishing gear or fishing boats on the wreck I put on the tea and throw myself in the sun, the wreck will be there the next day.
Solo boating AND solo diving?
- Thread starter MB NZ
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Call me crazy, but I think it’s a horrible idea. Too many variables. Leave someone in the boat.
I can remember a guy in the keys years ago that did this on the gulf side. “Checked” his anchor and it was good, then proceeded to hunt bugs. Squall kicked up and pulled his “secure” anchor. He luckily found a crab trap bouy to hang on to for a day and a half till someone found him. Anyone else remember this? @Wookie
Edit: I am mistaken…it was the Atlantic side and only 18 hours. In my defense it was almost 20 years ago…my memory ain’t as good as it once was I guess.
www.nbcnews.com
There are other examples….easily googleable
I can remember a guy in the keys years ago that did this on the gulf side. “Checked” his anchor and it was good, then proceeded to hunt bugs. Squall kicked up and pulled his “secure” anchor. He luckily found a crab trap bouy to hang on to for a day and a half till someone found him. Anyone else remember this? @Wookie
Edit: I am mistaken…it was the Atlantic side and only 18 hours. In my defense it was almost 20 years ago…my memory ain’t as good as it once was I guess.
80-year-old rescued after 18 hours in sea
An 80-year-old diver spent 18 hours holding on to a buoy in the cold, rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida Keys before a relative found him Sunday.
There are other examples….easily googleable
OTF
Coney Island Whitefish Biologist
60% of the time it works every time.
I dive solo from my boat quite often. I've been doing it since the early 90s. Even when Merry and I dive together, there is nobody on the boat and we sometimes don't see each other during the dive. We have a great claw anchor and all chain. The boat doesn't move. We also don't dive in current.
100days-a-year
Contributor
Low vis, current or breeze would make it supremely stupid. In protected waters I would consider it.
What would low vis have to do with it? Most of my diving is in low vis.
Or in 2017 when the two Coast Guard members left their boat empty, surfaced to find it gone. They drifted for a quite some time before being found. IIRC, they set two anchors.
Just no.
100days-a-year
Contributor
Based on the amount of people I've rescued, fellow boaters have rescued, the USCG has rescued and the ones lost forever when they couldn't find the anchor rope again and conditions deteriorated.
Also the stories of friends who floated until rescued when it happened.
Florida is very tidal as well as gyres off the Gulf stream move over time. Add that to weather that changes rapidly in afternoon heat and it's pretty easy to see how it happens.
Reason #1258 Not To Live In Florida. In over 1500 dives from my own boats, I've only made one free ascent. That was the only time I let someone else lead the dive.
Free ascents are fun though.
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