Diver drifts 3 miles

[parzdiver]

Do you think the dive ops decision to anchor and allow people to dive on a wreck in 5' seas and a 3.5 knot surface current was a wise decision?

Considering they were on the Bibb, which IMHO is an advanced dive***, I would expect all the divers had some level of experience for the captain to tie up there. I've been on two attempts to dive the Bibb and both were called because of the current at the surface. In one case the buoy was dipping under water without us tied to it.

*** Wreck is on its side, 130 feet to the sand, top of wreck at 95 feet. With decent currents in the area, divers would be in the 100-120 foot range to keep out of the current.

 

[Cave Diver]

Considering they were on the Bibb, which IMHO is an advanced dive***, I would expect all the divers had some level of experience for the captain to tie up there. I've been on two attempts to dive the Bibb and both were called because of the current at the surface. In one case the buoy was dipping under water without us tied to it.

*** Wreck is on its side, 130 feet to the sand, top of wreck at 95 feet. With decent currents in the area, divers would be in the 100-120 foot range to keep out of the current.

Having AOW (deep) experience does not necessarily mean they have the experience to dive in a 3.5 knot surface current.

 

[parzdiver]

Having AOW (deep) experience does not necessarily mean they have the experience to dive in a 3.5 knot surface current.

Very true.

Seems the other divers did make it okay to the wreck. I do wonder what happened with this guy's buddy.... when did he become aware he was diving solo?

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

"Do you think the dive ops decision to anchor and allow people to dive on a wreck in 5' seas and a 3.5 knot surface current was a wise decision?"


I don't think that is a fair question to ask.

The dive operator just drives the boat, it is the divers who make the decision to dive or not. Whether conditions are "safe" or not depends on a lot of factors, and not just a yardstick measurement of wave height or a guestimate of the current.

 

[Walter]

Do you think the dive ops decision to anchor and allow people to dive on a wreck in 5' seas and a 3.5 knot surface current was a wise decision?

I wasn't there, so I can't say for sure. You are assuming it was a 3.5 knot current based on the newspaper report of 3 miles and 45 minutes later. Either of those could be off by quite a bit. There's no doubt the current was strong. Was it so strong they shouldn't have made the dive? Maybe, but not likely or more divers would have been blown off the wreck.

The report is of a wave height of 5 ft. We haven't heard about the wave length. I would have no problem diving in 5 ft rollers. Also wave height is usually overestimated.

Was the decision to dive the Bibb a wise one? Maybe, maybe not. I do know the decision to not pull himself hand over hand along the tag line was an extremely poor one and is a good example of screwing up.

 

[Cave Diver]

I don't think that is a fair question to ask.

The dive operator just drives the boat, it is the divers who make the decision to dive or not. Whether conditions are "safe" or not depends on a lot of factors, and not just a yardstick measurement of wave height or a guestimate of the current.

So you feel that a boat captain, whom I would assume has local knowledge of conditions and factors should just take a group of divers wherever they want to go and let them dive regardless of conditions?

I think there should be a meeting of the minds between the captain and the customers. Ultimately its his boat and he's responsible for the people on it and at some point he needs to protect them from their own ignorance.

 

[Cave Diver]

I wasn't there, so I can't say for sure. You are assuming it was a 3.5 knot current based on the newspaper report of 3 miles and 45 minutes later. Either of those could be off by quite a bit.

Agreed. The diver could actually have been drifting for quite a while longer than 45 minutes.

The report is of a wave height of 5 ft. We haven't heard about the wave length. I would have no problem diving in 5 ft rollers. Also wave height is usually overestimated.

Agreed.

Was the decision to dive the Bibb a wise one? Maybe, maybe not. I do know the decision to not pull himself hand over hand along the tag line was an extremely poor one and is a good example of screwing up.

The report said he missed the line, not that he decided not to use it. This could be because the current was strong or it could also be mis-reported. It would be nice to hear some first hand reports on conditions that day.

 

[DennisW]

I have dived in conditions like these (from what I can tell from the report) and although they are challenging, not too difficult for a diver that has adequate training. I dived the conditions while an Open Water Diver. AOW is no indication that you have the ability to make a dive like the Bibb on a day like the one described.

The following is pure speculation and not an indication that it really happened:
Using the Tag line should not be too hard, however, if the diver thought he could let go of the down line and go around someone (or something similar) in order to get to the Tag line, I can see even an experienced diver making a mistake that could cause him/her to miss the line in a strong current. He/She probably won't do that again if it was the case.

 

[Walter]

The report said he missed the line, not that he decided not to use it.

Good point. He screwed up by missing the line, not by deciding not to use it. Either way, he screwed up.

Another question is was there a current line behind the boat? Having dived with Slate in strong current, my guess is there was. Assuming the current line was rigged (as was Slate's practice when I last dived with them), the diver could have caught the current line and pulled himself to the tag line or to the boat if he decided the current was too strong.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

So you feel that a boat captain, whom I would assume has local knowledge of conditions and factors should just take a group of divers wherever they want to go and let them dive regardless of conditions?

I think there should be a meeting of the minds between the captain and the customers. Ultimately its his boat and he's responsible for the people on it and at some point he needs to protect them from their own ignorance.

Don't blow this out of proportion there my friend. We dive the Keys every month, including the Bibb, and sometimes the current will darn near rip your mask off on the way down, but once on the wreck the dives are great. Proper briefings, divers with adequate skills, and other factors come into play.

Just rolling over and letting the captain, who may or may not have more experieince diving in that locale than your group leader, or who may or may not be aware of the level of experience and training that your group of divers may possess, decide for you is not always the nest option.