Miami Beach charter leaves divers in open waters off Key Biscayne

[DandyDon]

Surprise, the media reports are wrong.

Thanks you for answering. Sorry we had to ask.

 

[samcraig]

This is another reason I don't care for cattle boats. I prefer going out with small groups.

 

[boulderjohn]

I can’t tell you the number of times I have seen divers show up late to a busy dive boat getting loaded up, crew running around taking care of last minute diver problems... "I can’t find my fins!" or whatever… 2 divers get on board and chat through the dive brief and the first role call and no one notices that they never even got on the list.

Interesting.

So in the operations you frequent, divers just walk onto a boat and put their names on a list? And if they don't bring up those names, they aren't on the list?

I don't think I have ever seen it done that way. I am searching my memory, but I believe that in every dive of this sort I have done, the master list comes from the dive operator. It is based on who signed up for (and paid for) the dives and delivered to the boat. The divers would have been on the list before anyone got on the boat.

I am surprised to see your operations do it differently.

 

[Okie Mike]

This story made the Drudge Report linking to the UK Mail "Left them to Die" story.

I was on a live aboard in Grand Bahama in 1992 early in my diving career and I do not recall any system to make sure we were all back on the boat. We all knew each other and would have noticed a missing person quickly, but I recall no roll call or sign in sheet. One guy was left behind though and got very mad--he was sleeping in his room and missed a dive!

 

[=C=]

It seems like USCG is all over dive boats and protective of the tourist trade in so Fla and it suprises me to read about this.

When I was last diving in the keys the captain was pretty angry when two divers surfaced nearly 10 min late from a scheduled 1hr dive. He said that the USCG has requested of Dive boat Captains in Miami and the Keys to call in at 15 over so they can dispatch ASAP and that he had to make the call. Was this just a lobster season request?

 

[Thalassamania]

If they were only 2,000 yards off of the shore, that's a swim that should take them well less than an hour. I've had study sites that required a longer swim that that, in each direction. Still, tat's no excuse for leaving them there, but it really should not be an insolvable problem.

 

[freewillie]

There is a guy who dives on Jim Abernethy's boat, and on Narcosis I think, that likes to spearfish solo, and does not like to pay any attention whatsoever, to where he is going --relating to the current and where all the other divers have gone....to simplify his getting picked up by the boat, he bought a water proof radio/gps combo that is in a pressure safe container in his bc at depth, and on surfacing, he can pull it out ( still 100% waterproof) and call ditrectly to the radio of the boat he is on ( and 2 other boats he frquents) and also provide his exact gps location.... I believe his investment was about $500 for this.... His name is Mark, and he is an electronics guy for boats in Palm Beach ( he fixes electronics problems on boats).

I believe the unit is the Nautilus. It is a marine VHF radio with GPS unit. is waterproof with the cover open to 15 feet. With the cover closed is waterproof to 300 feet. As a marine radio will reach any boat within 8 mile radius on VHF. As gps transponder will send SOS signal to Coast Guard with location. I believe the unit is $300.

Come to think of it, I just may have to pick one up before I go on my next dive boat. It's a little pricey, but what is the cost of your life? We spend that much money or more on lots of other scuba gear.

 

[Wookie]

We are drift diving here. The 45 minute limit on bottom time equals about 53 minutes of in water time. And for our depths with single tanks, most are pushing NDL 's, turn pressure anyway. Yes there are variables. But the crews know to start searching for a missing diver after that. And since they are experts in the local conditions, they can pretty much get a good idea as to where the drifting diver is heading. (The Narcosis incident aside where the diver swam West, across the Northerly current and off the reef line)

I think we're talking apples and oranges here. I don't get profiles until after the dive, for short term record keeping. Those profiles get erased right after the boat returns to the dock, and I don't need to write a report for anyone like the USCG or DAN or my insurance company. I only collect dive plans from tech divers, who may have wildly varying run times, and we are basically open deck. I need to know whether to expect them back in 90 minutes or 180 minutes.

Interesting.

So in the operations you frequent, divers just walk onto a boat and put their names on a list? And if they don't bring up those names, they aren't on the list?

I don't think I have ever seen it done that way. I am searching my memory, but I believe that in every dive of this sort I have done, the master list comes from the dive operator. It is based on who signed up for (and paid for) the dives and delivered to the boat. The divers would have been on the list before anyone got on the boat.

I am surprised to see your operations do it differently.

This is exactly my experience diving out of Jupiter inlet. I drove directly to the boat, gave my name to the skipper, and lugged my stuff onboard. I paid the dive shop after we returned to the dock. I was, however, known to the divemasters on the boat. I never went on the roster, signed a release, or had my name called. If you saw me, you'd know that I'm somewhat visible.

 

[Hatul]

$85 seems unusually cheap for a 4 hour boat trip with two separate dive sites. Is this an example of you get what you pay for?

What do they expect, concierge service?

 

[hogpark7430]

$85 seems unusually cheap for a 4 hour boat trip with two separate dive sites. Is this an example of you get what you pay for?

What do they expect, concierge service?

85 must be for a 1 way trip.