Almost died today--Any captains out there???

Today, I went diving on a charter dive boat with a group of six. We were dropped off when it started to rain, and as I got to the bottom I felt uncomfortable and came back up. When I did the boat was no where in sight, and I was caught in a thunderstorm for 45 minutes before I was rescued. What should I do to complain about the captain's negligence?

People, you don't understabd I wrote that post only hours after I was thinking my life would end and I would face my master. And today it hasn't been only twenty-four hours that I was about to get struck by lightning, eaten by a shark, or swalled by the ocean. My primary purpose in joining this forum/website is not to enjoy the educational value in it, but it is to ask of you all for help your opinion. I'm not on to share my life with you so you can make a judgement on my being through the babble on my profile.

Anyway, some of you want some more information and here it is. Before we got in the water we were given our profile and our dive plan. Yeah, we noticed there was a thunderstorm on the coast, but the captain said it was going north, and we were miles offshore. I was ready until I got down there and the visibilty was crappy, it was dark, and I felt sick. Can you blame me for doing what I was trained to do? I grabbed my diving buddy, and gave him the signal. He was reluctant to but did anyway. So, we went up to surface where a thunderstorm was passing through us, and the boat was atleast 500 yards from us and fading away. We were in a panic. I blew up my safety sausage and waved it like a madman. Nothing. I later found out that the four other divers were also stranded, scared of the storm they inflated there safety sausages and waited for twenty minutes after their dive down at their safety stop. Fourty minutes later, after I accepted the fact I would be in heaven that afternoon after being struck by lightning or the other many possible implications of being stranded in open water and not even able to see which way is land, I saw the boat again. He was far but I could see it. My partner couldn't his head remained in the water for the majority of our panic protecting us with his spear gun (poor guy). The boat was just then picking up the other divers who were now give or take five-hundred yards away. The boat saw us and picked us up. The captain was there to greet us make sure we were alright, but never told us his side of the story. All he ever said was "thanks for coming out today." All I knew was I was safe and I survived why complain? I never did, because I was alive. When we were done taking our gear off the boat I spoke with the crewgirl, and asked her what happened on the boat, she said, " Oh my God, I was so scared for you all We were completely pushed away bc of the storm, and could not find you. There was no visibilty and we could not see any of the sausages or anything, I was in tears the whole time." It wasn't until I got to my house that I realized what really almost happened and I had a nervous break down. I know there are worst near-death experiences we have all heard, but this one is mine

Buddies? Dive plan? Did you lost the boat or did the boat ran away? What happened to the others divers?

You might want to read this first...

well where was he? Where was everyone else? Your buddy? How about some more info...

Was the boat anchored?
Where was your buddy?
Was it a drift dive?
Did the charter you were on eventually rescue you?
Where did this take place?

That's squarely outside of safe practices. A dive boat (IMO) should only be moved if there's an emergency or with prior agreement. In the event of a surface emergency the divers would more normally have to be recalled and the dive cut short.

If you'd had a med emergency you'd have been allot worse without surface support for 45mins.
If you'd have been ascending as the screws fired up you could have ended up as puree!

I'd say give'em some grief. you might just save the next guy's neck!

Not nearly enough info to form an intelligent opinion.

Interesting first post.

In general you may want to fill out your profile a bit so folks can have an idea of who you are and your experience.

It tends to add a bit of credibility to your posts that way.

Welcome to :sblogo:

This couldn't have been a drift dive in Palm Beach County could it? You weren't diving with a divemaster who was pulling a float and you didn't get sepearted from the group and then come to the surface alone and have no surface marker device did you?

When thunderstorms occur visibility can be less than 100 feet and this makes it very difficult to safely move the boat when divers are in the water. Why would you go in the water when a thunderstorm was bearing down on you?

Where was your surface signal device? What about a visual distress aid like a bright rescue sausage? It sounds as if you were diving alone based on your initial posting being so vague. How deep was the water and what is your cert level?

It appears that you are opening up more questions for you to answer as well as answers you have given us to question. Since your logged dive count says 0-24, we shall assume for argument sake that you are a noob OW diver with little experience. it would be safe to assume that you dont have much experience with boat diving since you want to go after a Captain because YOU got into the water, YOU got in trouble, and YOU didnt have the means to help YOURSELF out since YOU didnt seem to have a buddy WITH YOU.

And as far as being "rescued" I would not call it that at all. Cubans floating in the Florida Straits are rescued. People who survive shipwrecks are rescued. You were merely PICKED UP at the conclusion of your alloted dive time, as the Captain in question said he or she would do in a pre-dive briefing that you probably didnt listen to in the first place.

And by the way, did you have a dive flag, and where were the other 5 people with you on this dive? Do you know the rule of buddy separation, which is to look for no more than a minute for your buddy, then make a safe and controlled ascent to the surface to meet up with them there? Why didnt you signal the buddy that was supposed to be with you that you were having some problems and needed to ascent?

I think you need to go back and review the common sense portion of the OW class again.......

Anyone... PLEASE let me know if you feel I was out of line on this one

WreckDivingFool:

Anyone... PLEASE let me know if you feel I was out of line on this one

Click to expand...

Yeah. You forgot to mention a Dive Alert.

WreckDivingFool-a little harsh, but spot on. It sounds like somebody is looking to place blame on someone else. Personally, I'd much rather watch a thunderstorm from underwater than on a boat.