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Onelastcast
New member
Username: Onelastcast
Post Number: 13
Registered: 06-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 10:38 am: | 
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This past Sunday we were down on Fenwick Shoals fishing the wrecks. We anchored up and started drifting back on the wreck when a charter boat with a scuba diving party comes from the Southeast and starts circling my boat looking for a place to anchor up. It’s bad enough they dropped anchor about 60 feet off our starboard quarter, but then the dive party spent the next hour and half swimming around AND under our boat. Maybe it was coincidence but the bite stopped as soon as they dropped in the water. None the less, I feel I was pigeon-holed into that spot. I couldn't drift back without risk of drifting into the other boat and with half a dozen divers spread in a 150’ radius around my boat I didn’t feel I could start my engine and pull anchor safely. It would be just my luck that one of them would get hurt and I would be held responsible. What is the proper protocol in these situations? I can find plenty of regulation references to what we are suppose to do when we approach a dive boat, but nothing to define their their responsibility when approaching an area where others are already engaged in activities that could make the dive unsafe. Are we then suppose to cease our activities?
God forbid we approach within 300 feet of a dive boat, but for these guys to come up on us like this is simply inconsiderate. For the charter captain to do this is just common. Though I feel like dropping percussion bombs the next time they do this, what it the appropriate course of action? |
Monkeysea
Founding member
Username: Monkeysea
Post Number: 1622
Registered: 12-2003
Mom's best advice..."Go outside and play!"...she knew what was really important in life.
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 10:52 am: |
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What you describe is absolutely rude and inappropriate behavior on the part of the dive boat captain. There's wreck structure on both the inner and outer lumps at Fenwick, and when the one he was heading for was already "in use" he should have changed his planned dive site.
As for the idea of percussion bombs....I assume you are venting and would not actually consider damaging a diver eardrums when the captain is the one who's an arse.
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Five4fighting
Senior member
Username: Five4fighting
Post Number: 1246
Registered: 08-2004
Fish hard or go home
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 10:58 am: |
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Happened to me down on Fenwick Shoals too a couple years ago. We were anchored up and along comes the dive boat and drops anchor right beside us. The wind was blowing a bit and both boats were swinging a bit. I could reach out and touch the dive boat a couple of times. I pulled the anchor, drifted away and then started the motor when I was well clear of them.
I then went else where to fish knowing I was not the Jack***.
RIP SOME LIPS
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Nick
Senior member
Username: Nick
Post Number: 1346
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 03:18 pm: |
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I found this in the CFR's:
29 CFR 1910.421
(d) Planning and assessment. Planning
of a diving operation shall include an
assessment of the safety and health aspects
of the following:
(1) Diving mode;
(2) Surface and underwater conditions
and hazards;
I didn't find anything specifically stating how far away they have to be to set up a dive site. I'm sure its out there somewhere, but I did not find it in 29 CFR 1910 or 46 CFR 197. There's some guys on here who run dive charters, hopefully they can answer the question. |
Dckhd247
Senior member
Username: Dckhd247
Post Number: 2328
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 04:14 pm: |
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We've had it happen to us before and all you can do is chalk it up to S happens...On the other hand, had a dive boat out of OC circling a wreck that we were anchored on and we weren't particularly setting the world on fire, so we called him on the radio and told him that we were pulling up and he could jump on... He was pretty happy and gave us a quite a few number of small inshore snags that we still use and aren't well known... |
Rugman
Advanced member
Username: Rugman
Post Number: 489
Registered: 04-2004
being too busy to fish truly sucks
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 05:01 pm: |
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i hear they taste like chicken |
Steve
Senior member
Username: Steve
Post Number: 1393
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 05:46 pm: |
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If the divers had any sense, they should have told the captain they didn't want to dive there...it obviously was not as safe an environment as they would have had elsewhere. I have done a lot of diving and I certainly would not have wanted to get in the water at that spot, having a fishing boat anchored up there already, and knowing that the guys on that boat would be rightfully ticked off. You could be doing that boat's future diving customers a favor if you take the time to shoot off a letter or make a phone call to the CG about that operation. |
Esquired
Senior member
Username: Esquired
Post Number: 1554
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 08:28 pm: |
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Steve wrote on Wednesday July 14 2010 - 05:46 pm:If the divers had any sense, they should have told the captain they didn't want to dive there...it obviously was not as safe an environment as they would have had elsewhere. I have done a lot of diving and I certainly would not have wanted to get in the water at that spot, having a fishing boat anchored up there already, and knowing that the guys on that boat would be rightfully ticked off. You could be doing that boat's future diving customers a favor if you take the time to shoot off a letter or make a phone call to the CG about that operation.
Exactly what I was thinking - also, how about the weighted hooks in the water - It would suck to get tangled in some fishing line while diving! What a dumb move
www.ucHelpCenter.com
Dogfish - the other white meat
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Jim_w
New member
Username: Jim_w
Post Number: 14
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 15, 2010 - 07:05 pm: |
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I like to yell over to them that i have chum in the water and just released a 300# sandtiger |
Bigmike
New member
Username: Bigmike
Post Number: 11
Registered: 09-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2010 - 07:56 am: |
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These guys really make it hard for other spearfishers out there. Most of us are very considerate and would never operate this way. I would be willing to bet they were in training and very novice. Why would any experienced diver pay to go to the shoals in July with several deeper spots where the fish have moved to anyway?
I've often wondered the law on this myself. What happens if the Coast Guard rolls up on 2 boats 60' apart, 1 has a dive flag clearly displayed. Will they ask who was there first and does it really matter...
(Message edited by bigmike on July 18, 2010) |
Hooker29
Junior member
Username: Hooker29
Post Number: 115
Registered: 11-2007
support your local " Hooker"
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 - 07:10 pm: |
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Delaware "PADI" training I was taught vessels should steer clear of 300 feet of diver down flag. As a captain I would only assume the same courtesy be givin to other vessels. Yes you had the right to wave off that captain.
"Live Now, for Now is Here, and Now will never come again"
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