any divers?

[gjgm]

So, the dive boat will be flying the flag, and sometimes even a rib "keeping guard", but how far from the dive boat might divers appear in normal circumsances? Right next to the boat, or 100 metres away..in the murky south coast waters, how does a diver find the diveboat again?

 

[wakeup]

any divers 2?

I've also wondered if I should fly a diver flag if I have people in the water snorkelling around the boat?

Would I be more in the right flying a dive flag when at anchor with a few snorkellers or would I be more in the wrong for flying one?

 

[tico]

Generally around up to 50 yds away from dive boat but will be more on 'drift dives' when taken along by the current.

Divers, when surfacing dont look to surface right next to the support boat, but nearby, then swim to the boat on the surface, so viz not so much an issue here.

With snorkellors, would probably be safer with 'A' flag than without , but not afaik any laws regarding. It might, just might, prevent some one in a RIB from blasting past too close.

Biggest rant I have is dive RIBs scooting along at 25-30 kts while still flying 'A' flag.... whats that supposed to mean.... diver paddling like mad!

 

[gjgm]

so, do you just go down, and then up, as it were.. not down a few hundered metres along.. and then try to find the boat ?!!

 

[mitchc]

So, the dive boat will be flying the flag, and sometimes even a rib "keeping guard", but how far from the dive boat might divers appear in normal circumsances? Right next to the boat, or 100 metres away..in the murky south coast waters, how does a diver find the diveboat again?

As a regular dive boat skipper I can add this into the mix:
The biggest indication that there are divers near the surface is a bright orange (sometimes yellow) inflatable sausage flopping (sometime sticking verticaly out of the surface) around in the waves. They are about 1.5 mtrs long and is call a surface marker bouy. They usually indicate the diver is on his way to the surface. If you add to this the RIB that is floating around in the area you've got a pretty good idea to keep clear (50mtrs min).
The dive boat will try to "cover and protect" the divers from other water users, but sometimes if there are currents running (quite often in the UK) the divers can go in totally opposite directions. The dive skipper will then try to move between the groups, usually on the seaward side of the divers.
Obviously there are divers that ignore all the advice and training that's given and pop up willy nilly! To be honest they are looking for problems! If divers do not have SMB's with them they do not dive from my boat!

The above is just a general overview of surface marker bouy and their use, but if you see a floppy orange sausage shape sticking out of the sea please try to avoid....there could be a diver attached.

Thanks for reading
.

 

[mitchc]

so, do you just go down, and then up, as it were.. not down a few hundered metres along.. and then try to find the boat ?!!

If the dive is a "drift dive", the divers will descend and then get carried by the current. The dive boat should follow along and then pick up the divers at the end of the dive.
I've covered 2nm along the coast during one of these dives....it can be quite entertaining diving in a 3kn current.

If for example the dive is on a wreck, the dive will take place at slack, and the divers will go down and then back up again, usually in the same area. Sometimes especially on the deeper wrecks we will de-compress under a DSMB (delayed surface marker bouy) and drift with the current. Again the dive boat will follow and recover the diver.

Keep the qeustions coming, the more knowledge that's out there the safer we'll all be!


Just better clarify, most of the above relates to UK diving. When the viz is only 2-3mtrs you wouldn't stand a hope of getting back to the anchor chain if there is a current! Obviously when you are diving in nice clear med water and you can see the surface from 50mtrs down it's all bit easier to get back to the boat

 

[Nick_H]

divers generally try to end up somewhere near the boat at the end of the dive, but not always to find the anchor chain underwater and follow it up. If there's a current running, they'll generally set off into the current for 2/3rds of the dive, then back with it for a third, depending of course on how strong the current is. You'd expect them to surface within 50 m of the dive boat, so leaving 100m sounds about right.

Not all divers use SMB's, maybe they should, but they don't, so don't rely on them

 

[mitchc]

I've also wondered if I should fly a diver flag if I have people in the water snorkelling around the boat?

Would I be more in the right flying a dive flag when at anchor with a few snorkellers or would I be more in the wrong for flying one?

If it was me I'd stick a flag up. All it would do is let other boats know you've got people in the water so they'd keep clear.
I think you'd be in more trouble if you had no flag and there was an accident, than if you put a flag up and a few boats had to make a small change in couse!

Remember though the blue/white Alpha flag is not used in some countires,they use a red with diagonal white strip instead (google images "dive flags")

 

[Pete7]

Hopefully there will be a reason for divers being there too, nothing worse than being dropped in to 20m of flat sand and nothing to see. A wreck symbol on a chart is a safe bet round the UK. Whilst some Ludites still don't carry either a surface marker bouy (SMB) or a delayed SMB, most now do and thats one each not one between a pair. Since the last thing you want swimming around a wreck is 30m of string in the water catching on everything a delayed SMB is often preferred. Inflated on the bottom at the end of the dive and helpful to judge the accent rate to the surface. Also helps the dive supervisor or dive boat skipper know when they are due up and avoids him driving over the top of them as they surface. A UK charter boat is often licenced for 12 so that could be 6 pairs of divers in the water at anyone time.

You can hear a motor boat or rib coming, indeed after a while you can even identify the sound of your own boat. However a yacht under sail is silent and a concern.

Do give them plenty of space, stops the dive marshall having kittens thinking you haven't seen the A flag. You never know you just might need thereservices if you hit a pot marker. Agreed forgetting to take the flag down afterwards a cardinal sin but does happen.

Pete

 

[Impaler]

As a diver and yachtsman I agree with everything said here. Keep as far away as you can. I was drifting off Skye and came up about 300 metres from the dive boat. The DSMBs are pretty clear to see, the boat saw mine at that range.

 

[Doghousekeeper]

divers generally try to end up somewhere near the boat at the end of the dive, but not always to find the anchor chain underwater and follow it up.

Very rare to see the dive boat anchored - in my experience they like to stay mobile (especially if drift diving, naturally). Of course, if it was anchored, you'd be able to tell because there would be an anchor ball displayed as well as the dive flag. (Just removing tongue from cheek now)

Incidentally, how many people realise that the colregs prescribe a rigid representation of code flag A with a drop of 1m ... not a fabric flag with a drop of 6". I think I've only ever seen one that complies, and that was a group of commercial divers working on a pier repair. Don't all get excited - I know that we see a tiny little flag A fluttering and we know what it means (thank goodness), just posting this as an observation