dumpsterDiver
Banned
- Messages
- 9,003
- Reaction score
- 4,652
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
Sunday July 8, 2007 I was operating a private recreational boat from which scuba diving was being done off Boynton Beach. We had a very scary situation arise due to the manner in which captain Lynn Simmons of Splashdown Divers operated her commercial dive boat. We were preparing to drop two divers along a reef line in 60 feet. Apparently this captain felt that it was inappropriate for us to dive within about 100 yards of another dive flag which was apparently being pulled by some of here customers.
When she observed that we were preparing to drop divers she came flying up in her Delta Dive boat and began screaming that no diver was going to enter the water along this reef with a speargun, since she had divers in the water in this area. We were drifting in neutral and she approached within 20 feet of our boat (While we had the diver down flag displayed).
We did not engage her in a discussion and essentially ignored her and put two divers in the water. The full extent of my conversation with her was Have a Nice Day (I was uncharacteristically subdued). This apparently further aggravated her and she then put the boat in gear a took off at a very past pace, driving over a bunch of reef that presumably had divers down on it and passed within 50 feet of other dive flags at a speed of probably 12 kts. As she drove off, we could hear the turbo(s) whining for quite a way.
I was a little upset about her arrogance and how close she drove her boat to ours, but what really upset me was the apparent total disregard for the safety of her own customers as she drove the boat over the reef and in close proximity to submerged divers. I worked as a divemaster on a similar dive boat in the local area for a number of years, I can honestly say that Ive never seen a commercial charter boat capt, operate a vessel in such a reckless manner. In my opinion, she was clearly a threat to her own customers on Sunday morning July 8, 2007.
I did note that her divers were in small groups and each group was carrying a surface dive float and flag and that each float was attached to some light poly line, which was wound up on a line holder as the divers ascended. If everything works out perfectly, all divers will be ascending within just a few feet of the float, since they are winding line up as they ascend which means that they will normally ascend within 10 feet of the flag. Apparently, this Capt. Is willing to bet the lives of her customers on the assumption that no diver could have a problem, become separated from the individual carrying the float and be required to make an emergency ascent at a location somewhat distant from the flaot/flag.
When she observed that we were preparing to drop divers she came flying up in her Delta Dive boat and began screaming that no diver was going to enter the water along this reef with a speargun, since she had divers in the water in this area. We were drifting in neutral and she approached within 20 feet of our boat (While we had the diver down flag displayed).
We did not engage her in a discussion and essentially ignored her and put two divers in the water. The full extent of my conversation with her was Have a Nice Day (I was uncharacteristically subdued). This apparently further aggravated her and she then put the boat in gear a took off at a very past pace, driving over a bunch of reef that presumably had divers down on it and passed within 50 feet of other dive flags at a speed of probably 12 kts. As she drove off, we could hear the turbo(s) whining for quite a way.
I was a little upset about her arrogance and how close she drove her boat to ours, but what really upset me was the apparent total disregard for the safety of her own customers as she drove the boat over the reef and in close proximity to submerged divers. I worked as a divemaster on a similar dive boat in the local area for a number of years, I can honestly say that Ive never seen a commercial charter boat capt, operate a vessel in such a reckless manner. In my opinion, she was clearly a threat to her own customers on Sunday morning July 8, 2007.
I did note that her divers were in small groups and each group was carrying a surface dive float and flag and that each float was attached to some light poly line, which was wound up on a line holder as the divers ascended. If everything works out perfectly, all divers will be ascending within just a few feet of the float, since they are winding line up as they ascend which means that they will normally ascend within 10 feet of the flag. Apparently, this Capt. Is willing to bet the lives of her customers on the assumption that no diver could have a problem, become separated from the individual carrying the float and be required to make an emergency ascent at a location somewhat distant from the flaot/flag.