Beachman
Guest
I just returned from diving the Flower Gardens on the Spree last Wednesday, the day before Rinn had a diving death which was posted previously. The follow-ups to that post seem to have focused on legal liability implications, which is fine, but I'm starting a new topic because I'm interested in focusing on diver responsibility as it relates to the shops and the boat operators....regardless of the legal implications. After all, aren't we all interested first in diver safety?...our own and that of our fellow divers?
The profiles on the FG reefs are square at 80' -100', and on the rigs are multi-level 80' - 90' then 40' - 50'. Our group had 28 divers, and all but 4 were on Nitrox.
In my opinion the diving is not difficult:
1. Average BOW skills are adequate for most dives, although all dives are over 60'.
2. Except for the oil rigs, the bottom is always there and there are typically many divers on the reef to assist in emergencies. On the rigs there is a lot of structure to prevent disorientation, although the bottom may be 300' or more.
3. Navigation is not a problem with 100'+ viz and all the diver activity in the area of the down line.
In my opinion, however, the diving is very, very demanding:
1. Up to 5 dives a day, i.e., 7:00 am, 10:30 am, 2:00 pm, 5:30 pm, and 9:00 pm.
2. Currents which can go from near zero to ripping in 30 minutes (read while you're down there).
3. Surface conditions that can go from 1' waves to 4' waves in a few hours (read last dive was OK, but next one may be rock and roll).
4. Depending on your "seamanship", loss of a lot of sleep on the 110 mile ride out the first night (read boat leaves the dock at 10:00 pm and your first dive is at 7:00 am the next morning...hope you took your dramamine), and maybe you don't sleep so good on a boat the 2nd or 3rd night either.
So what is a "qualified" diver for the Flower Gardens? Here's my humble opinion:
1. Someone in good physical condition...no couch potatoes please! FG diving can be relaxing, but when you need it you better have it. Currents, waves, repetitive dives, loss of sleep, assisting a buddy, helping someone reach the tag line....you name it, you better have it when it counts.
2. Someone with good self discipline. No one HAS to make 5 dives a day. No one HAS to make the oil rig dives if they are uncomfortable with bottomless blue water. No one HAS to do a night dive in strong current conditions. No one HAS to make an entry into 5' waves.
3. Someone who has open water ocean experience and is comfortable in that environment. If you haven't felt surface wind surge and bounce hanging on a line for your safety stop, or haven't navigated a reef within your abilities to return to the ascent line, or made an exit on a ladder bouncing 5' up and down after removing your fins on the line, then you're not ready.
4. Someone that has experience in currents and is comfortable in those conditions. If you don't know how to find the lee side of structure on the bottom, or swim 6" off the bottom directly into the current to reach the ascent line, or know the feeling of ascending on a line where your mask fills with water if you turn your head into the current wrong, or how to time that last move to the ladder with your fins off in 4' waves, then your not ready.
You will notice that I didn't comment on how many dives you should have or what level of certification should be required. I have known instructors, and darn good ones, that may not be good candidates for the Flower Gardens because they lack the experience in these conditions. I also know AOW divers with 25 dives, all in fundamentally similar conditions, that are more than qualified to dive the Flower Gardens.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Rinn explains what to expect in great detail before the boat leaves the dock, and offers a 100% refund to anyone who is uncomfortable or feels their experience is inadequate before the trip. They also give the most thorough dive briefings of conditions before each dive I have ever witnessed, and caution folks to stay out if they have any doubts. I never heard the word "safety" so many times in 3 days in my life. So where does responsibility lie for making any given dive? I say with the diver.
I don't see how the boat operator can, or should, screen divers in or out. What is the criteria?
I don't see how a dive shop can screen out a diver, UNLESS they know them well enough to evaluate their open ocean water experience and physical condition. I know many shops don't know the folks they are booking that well.
I say let's all dive together as safely as possible, and let the chips fall with the lawyers as they may. That part is secondary to us all evaluating our own abilities correctly and coming back happy campers.
Have I missed the point by focusing on the divers?....or should I be more worried about legal liability issues? I believe the latest Flower Gardens incident should be a gut check for us all.
The profiles on the FG reefs are square at 80' -100', and on the rigs are multi-level 80' - 90' then 40' - 50'. Our group had 28 divers, and all but 4 were on Nitrox.
In my opinion the diving is not difficult:
1. Average BOW skills are adequate for most dives, although all dives are over 60'.
2. Except for the oil rigs, the bottom is always there and there are typically many divers on the reef to assist in emergencies. On the rigs there is a lot of structure to prevent disorientation, although the bottom may be 300' or more.
3. Navigation is not a problem with 100'+ viz and all the diver activity in the area of the down line.
In my opinion, however, the diving is very, very demanding:
1. Up to 5 dives a day, i.e., 7:00 am, 10:30 am, 2:00 pm, 5:30 pm, and 9:00 pm.
2. Currents which can go from near zero to ripping in 30 minutes (read while you're down there).
3. Surface conditions that can go from 1' waves to 4' waves in a few hours (read last dive was OK, but next one may be rock and roll).
4. Depending on your "seamanship", loss of a lot of sleep on the 110 mile ride out the first night (read boat leaves the dock at 10:00 pm and your first dive is at 7:00 am the next morning...hope you took your dramamine), and maybe you don't sleep so good on a boat the 2nd or 3rd night either.
So what is a "qualified" diver for the Flower Gardens? Here's my humble opinion:
1. Someone in good physical condition...no couch potatoes please! FG diving can be relaxing, but when you need it you better have it. Currents, waves, repetitive dives, loss of sleep, assisting a buddy, helping someone reach the tag line....you name it, you better have it when it counts.
2. Someone with good self discipline. No one HAS to make 5 dives a day. No one HAS to make the oil rig dives if they are uncomfortable with bottomless blue water. No one HAS to do a night dive in strong current conditions. No one HAS to make an entry into 5' waves.
3. Someone who has open water ocean experience and is comfortable in that environment. If you haven't felt surface wind surge and bounce hanging on a line for your safety stop, or haven't navigated a reef within your abilities to return to the ascent line, or made an exit on a ladder bouncing 5' up and down after removing your fins on the line, then you're not ready.
4. Someone that has experience in currents and is comfortable in those conditions. If you don't know how to find the lee side of structure on the bottom, or swim 6" off the bottom directly into the current to reach the ascent line, or know the feeling of ascending on a line where your mask fills with water if you turn your head into the current wrong, or how to time that last move to the ladder with your fins off in 4' waves, then your not ready.
You will notice that I didn't comment on how many dives you should have or what level of certification should be required. I have known instructors, and darn good ones, that may not be good candidates for the Flower Gardens because they lack the experience in these conditions. I also know AOW divers with 25 dives, all in fundamentally similar conditions, that are more than qualified to dive the Flower Gardens.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Rinn explains what to expect in great detail before the boat leaves the dock, and offers a 100% refund to anyone who is uncomfortable or feels their experience is inadequate before the trip. They also give the most thorough dive briefings of conditions before each dive I have ever witnessed, and caution folks to stay out if they have any doubts. I never heard the word "safety" so many times in 3 days in my life. So where does responsibility lie for making any given dive? I say with the diver.
I don't see how the boat operator can, or should, screen divers in or out. What is the criteria?
I don't see how a dive shop can screen out a diver, UNLESS they know them well enough to evaluate their open ocean water experience and physical condition. I know many shops don't know the folks they are booking that well.
I say let's all dive together as safely as possible, and let the chips fall with the lawyers as they may. That part is secondary to us all evaluating our own abilities correctly and coming back happy campers.
Have I missed the point by focusing on the divers?....or should I be more worried about legal liability issues? I believe the latest Flower Gardens incident should be a gut check for us all.