Question for DM's & anyone who works on a boat....

[Scubakevdm]

He was close to being totally hypothermic. Could barely move his limbs. It was an interesting exercise getting him back up.

I bet. Scary. Did the DM end up getting in the water, or did they manage to fish him out from the deck?

 

[Warren_L]

Warren, your desccription is most accurate. I've been on dive boats in many places and the dive crew does not know jack about a boat or boat handling. I have grown tired trying to explain to boat crews (after having had to wrestle myself up a bucking ladder) how much simpler it would be if they understood the use of of a poly (floating) line for the diver to pull themself to the ladder. Now, you can tell right away the dive boats with rodeo experience, because they will have the ladder(s) also secured from the bottom to the vessel so it does not ride up when the stern goes down. They know when you're a hundred miles off shore it's a long helicopter ride for a diver with a cracked noggin. Time to go to bed......gotta dream about going to the big island Friday with LaCuda.

Regards,

For whatever reason, this issue seems to be quite contentious. I do not regularly dive in conditions with swells more than 6 feet, but when I have, I've always been hesitant to approach the ladder head first.

I think the crux of the issue really is having a technique that you're comfortable with and works for you. Some people are just not comfortable floating around in the water with fins off, while some people are. Whatever. I fall more into the first category as, while I can handle fins off floating in the water, I would generally prefer to keep them on in rough waters.

 

[fl_coastie]

The boat is supposed to come to you, so fins are not a must for me. I know in the Coast Guard we train not to approach a boat let the boat approach us.

 

[diver 85]

For whatever reason, this issue seems to be quite contentious. I do not regularly dive in conditions with swells more than 6 feet, but when I have, I've always been hesitant to approach the ladder head first.

I think the crux of the issue really is having a technique that you're comfortable with and works for you. Some people are just not comfortable floating around in the water with fins off, while some people are. Whatever. I fall more into the first category as, while I can handle fins off floating in the water, I would generally prefer to keep them on in rough waters.

So @ what point do you take your fins off(ie using a standard no-christmas tree dive ladder)...just curious.......TIA.......

 

[highlandfarmwv]

When the boat is tied to a wreck, it does not "come to you". And in a jumping sea, the DM cannot hand you a tag line with a boat hook! I'm a realtively new diver, but I've seen some wild Cape Hatteras seas, and you are ON YOUR OWN until you're at the top step of a t-ladder.

 

[tridacna]

The boat is supposed to come to you, so fins are not a must for me. I know in the Coast Guard we train not to approach a boat let the boat approach us.

That's hilarious. In the NE, I never had the boat come to me...would be nice.

Most boats I've dived have a descent line, a granny line, a tag line and the anchor line. Just how do you suppose the boat is going to move around picking up divers?

Maybe in Florida. :blinking:

 

[Warren_L]

So @ what point do you take your fins off(ie using a standard no-christmas tree dive ladder)...just curious.......TIA.......

Usually within say 10 feet or so of the ladder, once I have a firm grip on the tagline.

 

[RJP]

...using a standard no-christmas tree dive ladder...

...it's just called "a ladder" then...

 

[fl_coastie]

I am not getting in this argument, just thought I would put my $ .02 in, hey whatever way you can do things without people getting hurt or dieing sounds good to me, Good luck everyone, fl_coastie out!

 

[Scubakevdm]

That's hilarious. In the NE, I never had the boat come to me...would be nice.

Most boats I've dived have a descent line, a granny line, a tag line and the anchor line. Just how do you suppose the boat is going to move around picking up divers?

Maybe in Florida. :blinking:

Thank you.

And this is the reason why they want you to have fins on, which is great. I'm not arguing that it's lunacy to keep them on, I'm just saying that the way we operate, it's not lunacy to take them off.