Drifted for 8 hours - Pensacola Pass, Florida

[caruso]

I'm not so sure I would deploy my SMB from the bottom in all cases

^This. It's going to be a judgement call depending on depth and conditions. If you're on the bottom (or near enough to drop to the bottom) and can maintain your position either by grabbing onto something (other than coral) in a stiff current, or at least maintain your position using visual reference then it makes sense to deploy a marker because you won't be drifting while you're getting it set up.

 

[DandyDon]

searched for 10 mins

I have to wonder how accurate the news reporting is here? Weren't we all taught to search for one minute?

 

[Lorenzoid]

I have to wonder how accurate the news reporting is here? Weren't we all taught to search for one minute?

You could be right, and he might have done exactly what he was taught, but then again, it says he did a 3-minute safety stop, which if I recall correctly, we were also taught is okay to omit in exigent circumstances. Reporting can't be assumed accurate, and we really don't know exactly what he did.

 

[Johnoly]

And just a shout out to Capt Andy on Niuhi dive charters who found him.
They are one bad-azz boat and crew that know the drift lines, wind push and waters better than most and talk to all the other captains off-line to get the best conditions and underwater reports. They've done rescue's before and will go out when others are just tied to the dock. If you want the best, they are right there.

Niuhi Dive Charters - Pensacola Scuba Diving Adventures

 

[Dan]

@Greenjuice alerted me about this thread in here: Best signaling devices from the searcher’s point of view - update

We discussed about having Marine VHF radio in waterproof case would be good to have in addition to PLB & PAB.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I'm not so sure I would deploy my SMB from the bottom in all cases. If I couldn't find my buddy at the beginning of the dive, and if I estimated my ascent time would be short enough--say, my depth is 60 feet--I think I might search for one minute and then waste no time beginning my ascent and focus on maintaining a steady ascent rate of 30-60 fpm until I reached the surface--omitting the safety stop. I'm well practiced at deploying an SMB, and yet it still takes me a good 15 seconds or so. While I'm fiddling with the SMB, are the boat and I getting farther apart?

It's a valid point, however I disagree.

MY experience, which may differ from your, is in diving in what would be considered a the very least "challenging" currents, some might say extreme.

I use a pre rigged crack bottle dsmb, probably the fastest deployment you can get - I think your 15 seconds is "ambitious". Nevertheless. Whether you deploy at the bottom, or near the surface, the deployment time is the same.

The sooner you get your marker to the surface the sooner the boat not only has a chance of seeing you, but also can establish your drift. One your marker is at the surface, then you can easily make your ascent - perhaps at a slightly slower and "more relaxed" pace, and make a stop if you wish (our views on this again may differ due to differing experiences).

If your making your ascent without your dsmb, what's to say you and the boat still aren't getting further apart? They have no way of knowing you're on the way up?

For a practical experience standpoint (as opposed to hypotheticals) the last time I departed a reef in current, (about 4 months ago) it took around 10 - 13 minm to get to the surface from 25m - we were hindered on the way up with an annoying down current, and we all (3 of us) took our precautionary SS* of 5mins. By the time we surfaced we were nearly 1 mile off teh reef - with our chase boat waiting for us, having followed our drift.

* We always make stops (unless it's a really shallow bounce, which this dive hadn't been), because we dive in an extremely remote location and the nearest chamber is 8 - 12 hrs away PLB's are no use (if you could register them anyway) in my area - you rely upon making yourself seen by the pick up boat

 

[caruso]

It's a valid point, however I disagree.

Wouldn't that make you wrong by default?

 

[caruso]

From another article- "Ozburn credits his dive instructor for giving him the skills to survive "

Wonder if it was the same dive instructor who failed to tell him that in an emergency it might be a good idea to skip the optional safety stop and to carry an smb and reel (and know how to use it).

 

[rjack321]

He drifted 9 miles in 8 hours. Assuming a similar current at his safety stop depth, his 3 minute safety stop cost him an additional 300 feet of distance from the boat.

As @caruso said, lesson to be learned... In recreational no stop diving, "safety stops" are optional and their benefit should be weighed against their cost.

I agree

On the other hand for a 35-dive diver 1) someone should have been watching and staying with him more closely 2) he did pretty damn good

 

[chillyinCanada]

I agree

On the other hand for a 35-dive diver 1) someone should have been watching and staying with him more closely 2) he did pretty damn good

Completely agree with you here. I wonder what I would have done. I'm trying to think back that far and see if I can recall my dives from that point in time. Log books packed somewhere.

Regardless, very nice to see a happy ending.