Is there a deal to stop divers?

[Nemrod]

agulfdiver, again, I am not going to name any operator. If you read the post you quoted you will see that I specifically stated there were some exceptions. I would agree with you and that is why I said there were some exceptions. (read between the lines)

My original post was concerned in part with had there been some sort of issue between commercial fishing operations (sport fishing) and commercial diving operations. As I stated it was a weird question.

I am not interested on bashing particular operators but just trying to understand WHY? Hope that this explains my thoughts.

N

 

[Zieg]

Another thing, the Florida Charters are a heck of a lot more nannyish than the North Carolina Charters. NC diving is also more dangerous. i don't get that correlation either?

AL

Perhaps my question could become another thread altogether and just a little off the subject. But, how is NC diving more dangerous? For years now I've heard from various divers about how dangerous it is to dive 'The Graveyard'. I don't see it.

 

[Ana]

This may seem weird but it has often come up that none of the panhandle dive shops will go to any of the off shore dive sites other than bridge rubble or jetties which are the worst of a huge array of dive sites in the area. The question is why? I have recieved several PMs that spur this question, one I had never thought of and like I said --weird.

Has there beeen some sort of deal, threat, incident, agreement, handshake etc between dive ops and fishing ops that the divers will stay off the offshore reefs (or else) and in return the fishing ops will let the dive shops have the crappy jetties and bridge rubbles?

Is this what is going on there? This is not really my question but the synthesis of several such questions not as directly put.

Just curious because something has changed and I cannot put my finger on it.

Related question, for those who have their own boats, what do you do when aproaching a dive site which is being fished--do you wait--do you go ahead and anchor if it is a large area--do you go somewhere else--do you call them on the radio and discuss it?

N

To comment on your last paragraph. I find that one of the great things of owning a boat is that you don't need to deal with other people. If the site is taken, then we move on to the next, makes no difference if the boat is private or commercial, fishing or diving. When we are there first we expect to be alone, if approach by other boat we'll not agree to share, if they ignore the response like I've seen it happen I'm not sure yet what we'll do, hopefully my husband and I will think of something that send the message without ruining the day for ourselves.

Maybe this nonsense also happended in South Florida and I didn't noticed, but some of the operators up here in PCB trully have brass spheres. Once on a boat patronized (not owned) by Dive Locker, the so called capt. asked one of his divers while approaching a fishing boat to holler and ask if they mind us tying on that spot. Just like I would've, they say no, please find another place. Well, this capt ignore the no and send his mate to tie to the wreck anyway. Is it a mystery there is ill will around?

I don't care if the site can be considered large, there is no Oriskanies in PCB, so even the large sites are not that big. On the same note, there are kazillion sites, it doesn't take that much effort to go somewhere else. However, if the vessel is a complete POS with faulty electronics and the operator incapable of finding the sites, then he has to go where other boats are in order to find the spots.

 

[Nemrod]

Ana, some good points. Let me ask you this for your view on it. What amount of distance would you feel good about being from a fishing or dive boat and anchoring yourself?

Of course some areas, not so much in the panahandle will have multiple anchor bouys.

IMO one boat cannot take more than several hundred square yards, if I am beyond that then I can claim that space, this is more a question than a statement, Ana? Your thoughts?

N

 

[Ana]

Ana, some good points. Let me ask you this for your view on it. What amount of distance would you feel good about being from a fishing or dive boat and anchoring yourself?

Of course some areas, not so much in the panahandle will have multiple anchor bouys.

IMO one boat cannot take more than several hundred square yards, if I am beyond that then I can claim that space, this is more a question than a statement, Ana? Your thoughts?

N

With multiple bouys, I'd say a boat per bouy should allow enough breathing room.

When you say several hundred square yards also sounds enough, but I suppose it is very dependent on the actual site.
If the area in question is live bottom that extends that many square yards without drift or bouy diving, then more than one boat could share the site without having to step on eachother's fins.

A wreck on the other hand is not very conducive to sharing, I definetly do not want to have divers coming up my line. Then if you go X00 yards away from that wreck you'll be on sand, so that isn't a reasonable option.

I'm not sure we could define a rule that fits all situations also, depending on common sense is an exercise on futility. You should be able to claim your space when your activities in the water don't "reach out and touch" the boat closest to you.

Now the good question would be: How do you keep others away when you anchored first?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Stand tall and carry a large harpoon

 

[GulfDiver77]

Now the good question would be: How do you keep others away when you anchored first?[/quote]


If it's a fishing charter cut their lines Or cut their anchor loose

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Now the good question would be: How do you keep others away when you anchored first?

If it's a fishing charter cut their lines Or cut their anchor loose[/QUOTE]


I would NEVER cut a fishing boats' anchor line that had dropped near a previously occupied dive site! However, I might suggest that you give the chain a few wraps, tell them that there are no fish down there and wave when you leave.

 

[GulfDiver77]

I wouldn't either it was a J/K

 

[OPIE1979]

Me and my diver friends are sick and tired of diving the rubble also...i swear to god if we go again after requesting not too...that i'm going to scuttle the boat with my dive knife and swim home.