Fitness, Flag, and Snorkel, check!

[Jolly Roger]

Absolutely.

On the BSAC website there is a proforma to use when planning a dive, and this actually includes spaces to record the tidal direction before, during and after a dive. There is a space to jot down the weather forecast, along with a lot of other helpful information, including a checklist to make sure you have all the basic safety equipment required.

Having this information to hand would mean you could instantly check which direction to begin the search, rather than wasting valuable time faffing around with tide tables and almanacs.

AFAIK the proforma can be downloaded even if you are not a BSAC member

Completing the proforma also ensures you have complied with SOLAS V. Had the coastguard been called, or god forbid, there had been a fatality having a documented passage plan would protect the skipper from prosecution by the MCA (potentially for manslaughter, and this has actually happened to one or two skippers).

I don't want to teach any skipper who take divers to sea to suck eggs, but if you haven't heard of SOLAS V then you *really* need to find out.

I also think that this incident highlights the need for specific diver coxswain training and such as the Diver Coxswain Assessment.

Information on both of the above is available on the BSAC website, even to non-members.

CC

In defence of our skipper, not only is he a very experienced diver, a trained diver cox'n, an advanced instructor and a well respected member of a local dive organisation with knowlegde of the tide. The entire group did examine weather forecasts, tide tables, wind direction and the prevailing sea conditions prior to the dive, this was instrumental in our choice of dive site, being stennis ledges in the lee of the island and not other sites that were visited by friends on different boats that were much more challenging that day. The decisions taken were not documented, but the process had been followed. Had things taken a turn for the worse then I guess our skipper could have been open to such allegations as he couldn't *prove* they had been taken.

However, this did not mean that we were any more visible to him once he had lost track of our marker buoy. On his part I think a closer monitoring of the buoy was warranted, and as I indicate above I think an earlier call to alert the CG to a possible need for assistance. I guess well send him back to skipper school, with a request for an eye test. .

[TerryH]

Think most people have covered all the points raised and i'm sure that
some may decline to do this, but on the RIB we always call it into the
CG BEFORE we go diving.

They get location, number of divers in the water and planned dive time.
Soon as all are back on board they get another call saying all is well.

When you think that there is often just the boat handler onboard, having a
third party expecting a call makes damn sure the alarm bells ring exactly
where it matters if it isnt made.

[Treerat]

Think most people have covered all the points raised and i'm sure that
some may decline to do this, but on the RIB we always call it into the
CG BEFORE we go diving.

They get location, number of divers in the water and planned dive time.
Soon as all are back on board they get another call saying all is well.

When you think that there is often just the boat handler onboard, having a
third party expecting a call makes damn sure the alarm bells ring exactly
where it matters if it isnt made.

As do we; I seem to remember CG have a very short (5 minute) over time reccomendation before calling.

[Kev]

Think most people have covered all the points raised and i'm sure that
some may decline to do this, but on the RIB we always call it into the
CG BEFORE we go diving.

They get location, number of divers in the water and planned dive time.
Soon as all are back on board they get another call saying all is well.

When you think that there is often just the boat handler onboard, having a
third party expecting a call makes damn sure the alarm bells ring exactly
where it matters if it isnt made.

Sounds like a good idea to me. I have no insight into these things, is this a fairly standard procedure or relatively rare?

[Brumbie59]

'scuse me if said elsewhere;

'educate skipper' and satisfy yourself that he understands the brief too, + carry whistles?.

[TerryH]

Sounds like a good idea to me. I have no insight into these things, is this a fairly standard procedure or relatively rare?

Its all over the shop.

I know that there is a reluctance from some skippers due to commercial
concerns. One being keeping itinaries/marks away from rival skippers and
two the CG will ask if all is ok post-dive and maybe a minor turns into a
major, cause the CG now has to cover themselves.

So some pro-outfits do, some dont, but they own the boat.

On the club RIB though, its the club in charge, so IMO its a no-brainer,
call it in

[Janos]

We were out yesterday on the club rib out of Poole, and decided to bin yesterdays diving as the waves were pretty big and we wanted a nice relaxed day of diving. Much better today.

I guess in 1.5m swells it's very hard to see a lying down SMB of you lose sight of it. I'm sure the skipper has learnt his lesson.

As an aside, did you have a whistle? I'm curious as to whether it worked or not.

Janos

[bythesea]

the CG will ask if all is ok post-dive and maybe a minor turns into a
major, cause the CG now has to cover themselves.

Will they? and the 5 mins over is a bit optimistic,we have been over half an hour late calling in the past and the CG didn't call us to check.

The conversation I have with them every weekend is the same

Us calling them with routine info
Go to 67
We have x persons on board are diving y ETR z
Ok have a good dive...out


On the way back

Us calling them with routine info
go to 67
we have all divers on board and are returning to Torquay
Thanks for letting us know...out

They have never asked if all is OK as they know we will tell them if it is not


That said though, I would never go out without calling them and we run a routine where all new members get to have a go on the VHF under supervision just in case they ever have to use it in anger. Mainly to get them comfortable with speaking on it.... people get strangely nervous of it first time yet will use a phone happily..... weird?!?!

[TerryH]

Will they? and the 5 mins over is a bit optimistic,we have been over half an hour late calling in the past and the CG didn't call us to check.

Out of context.

I was reffering to one of the genuine reasons cited by some skippers
not wanting to call, regardless of whether it was actually true or not.

[bythesea]

Out of context.

I was reffering to one of the genuine reasons cited by some skippers
not wanting to call, regardless of whether it was actually true or not.

All I was saying Terry is I have never been asked if all is OK by the CG