While no one owns the Gulf of Mexico or
any body of open water, there has always been convention of common
courtesy. On Sunday 06/10/12 I was running one of our usual fossil
dives off Manasota Key with 10 divers aboard. As I was positioning my
vessel to drop anchor on a dive site a I noticed a private boat
approaching at considerable speed with its dive flag flying. This
vessel came within 100 feet of me and dropped a diver into the water.
After I anchored the Hammerhead, the operator of this 25 foot Proline
(FL 7091 HA) pulled his vessel in front of mine and dropped anchor so
that he was less than 150 feet off our bow. During the course of this
dive, my divers had to pass under this vessel to stay on the fossil
bed I was positioned on. While there was nothing illegal about the
behavior of the operator, who I later learned is a fellow by the name
of Gary Nodler, it was certainly discourteous and potentially
dangerous. As a matter of fact when pulled up on my anchor to leave
the area, the Hammerhead was directly abeam of the Proline 50 feet on
the Port side, and one of Mr. Nodler's divers surfaced within feet of
me while I idled out of the area. I have to add that this same
vessel pulled up very close astern earlier in the day on another
site, I suspect to capture the position of that dive site. As a
commercial dive boat it is not unusual for this kind of thing to
happen to us, but this incident was unusual due to the obvious
discourtesy and disregard for potential safety issues. We often just
let this things go, but this activity required this call out. The
Venice dive community is quite small and is usually very friendly,
but this is the kind of thing that causes problems for us all.
any body of open water, there has always been convention of common
courtesy. On Sunday 06/10/12 I was running one of our usual fossil
dives off Manasota Key with 10 divers aboard. As I was positioning my
vessel to drop anchor on a dive site a I noticed a private boat
approaching at considerable speed with its dive flag flying. This
vessel came within 100 feet of me and dropped a diver into the water.
After I anchored the Hammerhead, the operator of this 25 foot Proline
(FL 7091 HA) pulled his vessel in front of mine and dropped anchor so
that he was less than 150 feet off our bow. During the course of this
dive, my divers had to pass under this vessel to stay on the fossil
bed I was positioned on. While there was nothing illegal about the
behavior of the operator, who I later learned is a fellow by the name
of Gary Nodler, it was certainly discourteous and potentially
dangerous. As a matter of fact when pulled up on my anchor to leave
the area, the Hammerhead was directly abeam of the Proline 50 feet on
the Port side, and one of Mr. Nodler's divers surfaced within feet of
me while I idled out of the area. I have to add that this same
vessel pulled up very close astern earlier in the day on another
site, I suspect to capture the position of that dive site. As a
commercial dive boat it is not unusual for this kind of thing to
happen to us, but this incident was unusual due to the obvious
discourtesy and disregard for potential safety issues. We often just
let this things go, but this activity required this call out. The
Venice dive community is quite small and is usually very friendly,
but this is the kind of thing that causes problems for us all.
