Would you dive alone in a recovery situation? (not for you solo divers)

[tpolson88]

If someone called and said they dropped a wallet or keys or someting of that sort(small and light) would you go out alone to go out and get it for a few hundred bucks? Or to hook achain on a car that drove off in the water? I think I personally would if it was less than say 40 ft of water especially if had dove it before? How do yall fell on this????

 

[msg]

I dove a lake to fix spill way by myself, in the water, there were people on the surface. In retrospect it probably wasn't the smartest thing to have done, but I felt ok. It usually isn't prudent to dive alone, because anything can happen and it doesn't have to be in deep water. Would I do it again, maybe, probably. It will depend on what the circumstances are at the time.

 

[Saltair]

I do this quite a bit. Searching with two people just stirs up more silt anyway. My wife, a certified diver, is always in the boat, and the water depth I work in are rarely more than 15' and never more than 20'. I do mooring inspections and recover lost moorings. I know a lot can happen at those depths, but at least I would have time to deal with it. I would not even begin to try and defend it to those who say its foolhardy. It is a choice I make for myself and you will have to make for yourself. I will say that messing about with lines and chains can get you in a mess pretty quick.

 

[Bratface]

It depends on the situation. I would pass on hooking up any car. If I get stuck on something or it falls over on me, what next? Who would help me?

 

[tpolson88]

The reason I said the car is because someones truck rolled down the boat ramp and was still on the concrete but it was stuck good. (very little chance of movement) I didnt hook the tow truck cable up but a guy I know did and got paid 350 and it took him literally 10 minutes to do it. They threw the hook all the way out all he did was swim out on the surface drop down about 20 feet and find the hook(on concrete bottom) and put it on the tow hook on the trucks bumper. IMHO it was not dangerous and I would do it for alot less money than that but to each his own

 

[ScubaTexan]

I would (within reason)....and I have.

 

[Tigerman]

The reason I said the car is because someones truck rolled down the boat ramp and was still on the concrete but it was stuck good. (very little chance of movement) I didnt hook the tow truck cable up but a guy I know did and got paid 350 and it took him literally 10 minutes to do it. They threw the hook all the way out all he did was swim out on the surface drop down about 20 feet and find the hook(on concrete bottom) and put it on the tow hook on the trucks bumper. IMHO it was not dangerous and I would do it for alot less money than that but to each his own

I would do it for a lot MORE too

 

[tschmitt]

In the situation you described, I would do it. 20' of water, no overhangs - throw a chain around a truck - surface - watch them drag it up - $350. No worries.

Past 20-25' of water, not without surface communication equipment and other trainned divers on standby. Even if it was to rescue another diver, you need to ensure you don't become a victim as well.

 

[Spimon]

Well... funny you should mention this.

Today I went for a dive. My silly old father dropped his outboard off the boat, when taking it off the tender.
And lucky me gets the call to come fish it out. I tried on Wednesday but didn't have enough air and it was detting dark, etc..
So back in today with a fully tank. Still couldn't see anything. He put down an anchor where it fell in, so I could follow that down, then with another rope around the anchor could do 'laps' of it, gradually moving out. Eventually found it, but was not a fun dive at all. It was in 28 ft of water, with a very very fine silt bottom.

 

[Nemrod]

You don't want solo diver imput, even though you contemplate solo diving, hmm.

When I was in college and already long solo diving I worked off and on at a dive shop. People were constantly calling and wanting to hire a diver to find:

cars that rolled down the launch ramp
boats that rolled down the launch ramp still attached to the car that rolled down the launch ramp
outboard motors
fishing gear--grandpas favorite reel and pole
wallets
shotguns
"unknown" items--just go down there and see if you find "something"

Ninety percent of the time they had only a vague idea of where the item was even if they thought they knew exactly. During the wonderful polyester 70s divers were still not completely common in many areas. I took many of these jobs and the deal was money up front and if I found the "wallet" great and if not, too bad. I was a poor college student and the money came in handy for books, gasoline and a Texas Instrumennts SR51A scientific calulator that I recall cost 250 dollars and took a month to get just in time for the most horrid ever chemistry test. I passed.

I got run over by a tug boat pushing a barge while on one S&R, it sucked me off the bottom despite my Sea Hawk stabbed in like an anchor and then spit me out behind the tug. The captain of the tug had eyes the size of a saucer and they rescued me. That caused me to be late for palentology, I walked into class, late, wet, bleeding. My prof asked what happened, I told him "nothing" in the same kid attitide that only sub 21 yos can get away with. Something about walking into class, wet, bleeding, missing a flip flop and a big dive watch, worked out good.

Diver for hire, money up front.

N