Emergency evacuation from liveaboard

[chillyinCanada]

Wingy, your story made me shudder. This makes it 3 people that I'm acquainted with that have had such a horrid experience. Here's hoping that's all there will ever be.

 

[FishCity]

Any suggestions for bags big enough for wallet, passport, medicines? Sadly I travel with a lot of medicine...
I have Aquapac for keys, phones, etc. but they seem smallish, not gor thick items like pillbottles.
Thanks!

 

[billt4sf]

I'm thinking "turn on all the tanks and inflate all the BCDs".

- Bill

 

[chillyinCanada]

That works if everyone is awake!

 

[billt4sf]

And grab your fins and mask and SMBs. Maybe even don the wetsuit if there's time?

Beyond (or before) all that, my thought is: choose a reliable operator. One that has a shore business, not a one-off boat guy. One that has a long-established business, and a reputation to go with it. One that has radios on the boat, not just cell phones. One where the safety equipment is (a) present, and (b) working, and (c) the crew knows how to use it. One where the crew smokes only in established (and safe) locations.

All that is especially important for those of us diving in developing countries, which Emily and I are doing.

- Bill

 

[Wingy]

Chilly - you know posting it has made me realise how I have been very complacent and dont follow my own advice. The last three LOBS ive done have been in Indo where Ive been in "Calm Seas" so I have been doing exactly the opposite of what I should be doing. Calm seas does not guarantee safe passage.

 

[TMHeimer]

The passport thing could be important. Perhaps a "dry" bag could be something that's truly water proof. My wife had her passport stolen from her room when she was in several years back. It was replaced, but if it is lost/stolen again they won't replace it a second time for 5 years. So you can't really leave the country. That's Canada's deal anyway. Incidentally, the Canadian Consulate in L.A. was not helpful at all with her situation. Basically "you're on your own".

 

[shoredivr]

I put important things in a dry bag on any day charter I go on also.

 

[gcarter]

The passport thing could be important. Perhaps a "dry" bag could be something that's truly water proof. My wife had her passport stolen from her room when she was in several years back. It was replaced, but if it is lost/stolen again they won't replace it a second time for 5 years. So you can't really leave the country. That's Canada's deal anyway. Incidentally, the Canadian Consulate in L.A. was not helpful at all with her situation. Basically "you're on your own".

FWIW, I had an employee lose her passport a second time. She was able to get short term passports issued with 6 month validity on proof of booked travel for a few years before they would issue a full passport again. In both cases she lost her passports in Vegas LOL.

 

[chillyinCanada]

How do you lose a passport?! When I'm away, mine is stuck somewhere safe or actually in a safe. I don't carry it around with me and it doesn't matter what country I'm in either. Stolen is different but losing it is baffling to me.