yeah just heard this on the news this morning before I got up. African reef is not a place Id like to be in the water overnight and this bloke is EXTREMELY lucky!
Dont know what actually happened but maybe its a timely reminder for all divers.
This is just my view but if you are a boat diver and leave your boat unattended while diving (personal choice, and I do it)
Dont use a reef pick-they are designed to straighten, and by design are for use on rock and reef which can chafe and tangle your rope leaving zero hope of it setting again
Swim down the anchor line and check it is set ok
anchor in sand next to your lump using a sand anchor, if it drags it has a good chance of hooking up again
Text your position and a "expected" and "call for help" time clearly to your missus/mate/mum just before you enter the water. Make SURE they understand its purpose.
Use a long float line with floats on-I know its a hassle if other boats are around, but if there is that many so close you probably will get rescued quickly anyhow.
Hookah-big advantage is you are never going to get lost or lose the boat
Use a flag on the boat
All the above goes as well if you leave someone aboard who isnt a competent boaty
Carry a sausage, strobe, torch or whatever to get attention
Several run separate logs with exact position, entry and estimated exit times and will be calling if you don't call back in within 10 minutes of the estimated return time. Crucially they then have a precise position to start a search if needed.
True Sunshine, but one reason why I say send it to someone you know and trust rather than VMR, is you can just take a pic of your plotter and send it to someone with yur times. Completely eliminates getting a digit wrong over a scratchy radio to a well meaning old bloke who may be hard of hearing etc and a search 60 miles from where you were...
Thats not any sort of criticism at all before anyone jumps up and down but I have seen this sort of mistake twice over the years of my island trips. Discussed it with the Commander who looked into it and sorted it without fuss and reported back, but I reckon in our smaller country bases it could still happen.
not sure what you mean there, but if you are talking in case the internet crashes I think you will find that VMR also uses the internet for their radios, at least in country areas.
So the radio can be monitored from any location. Geraldton certainly installed the system about a year ago.
I always drop 2 anchors when diving with no one on the boat after a close call a few years ago. I Also log in for each dive with my GPS co-ords with sea rescue. First thing I do every dive is check the anchors are well set then off hunting we go with a little more piece of mind.
a.thumbnail.JPG "Clare 9")
uncle
Posts: 9353
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Very lucky
plucky as well
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8050
Date Joined: 07/05/12
That's a fair old swim
That's a fair old swim
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
VERY lucky...
yeah just heard this on the news this morning before I got up.
African reef is not a place Id like to be in the water overnight and this bloke is EXTREMELY lucky!
Dont know what actually happened but maybe its a timely reminder for all divers.
This is just my view but if you are a boat diver and leave your boat unattended while diving (personal choice, and I do it)
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Starbug
Posts: 563
Date Joined: 27/08/09
All good points
All good points
little johnny
Posts: 5330
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Missing
Safety sausage. I have one in bc pocket.
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
.
true, edited
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
sunshine
Posts: 2555
Date Joined: 03/03/09
And radio your position to the local VMR
Several run separate logs with exact position, entry and estimated exit times and will be calling if you don't call back in within 10 minutes of the estimated return time. Crucially they then have a precise position to start a search if needed.
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
True Sunshine, but one
True Sunshine, but one reason why I say send it to someone you know and trust rather than VMR, is you can just take a pic of your plotter and send it to someone with yur times.
Completely eliminates getting a digit wrong over a scratchy radio to a well meaning old bloke who may be hard of hearing etc and a search 60 miles from where you were...
Thats not any sort of criticism at all before anyone jumps up and down but I have seen this sort of mistake twice over the years of my island trips.
Discussed it with the Commander who looked into it and sorted it without fuss and reported back, but I reckon in our smaller country bases it could still happen.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
uncle
Posts: 9353
Date Joined: 10/02/07
All good if the net doesn't
All good if the net doesn't crash.maybe do both
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
not sure what you mean
not sure what you mean there, but if you are talking in case the internet crashes I think you will find that VMR also uses the internet for their radios, at least in country areas.
So the radio can be monitored from any location.
Geraldton certainly installed the system about a year ago.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
uncle
Posts: 9353
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Sorry Rob,
meant to say telstra or similar
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Swompa
Posts: 3786
Date Joined: 14/10/12
I had a chuckle when they
I had a chuckle when they reported that he still had his catch bag with 8 crays in it.
tiimmbo
Posts: 694
Date Joined: 16/08/09
I always drop 2 anchors when
I always drop 2 anchors when diving with no one on the boat after a close call a few years ago. I Also log in for each dive with my GPS co-ords with sea rescue. First thing I do every dive is check the anchors are well set then off hunting we go with a little more piece of mind.