Hi Jim,

Jim Cobb wrote:
> 
> Guess what Christian, ALL dive boats I've ever been on other than the ML
> avoid this deployment issue by having no chase boat at all. Of course they
> all have a liferaft of some sort, but a chase boat is not standard
> equipment, as near as I can tell. The ML has a self deploying liferaft with
>   EIPRB for use when the ocean is in a "take no prisoners" mood.

I guess it's a philosophy thang. If it's there, why, it should be
operative as immediately as possible, if it's a life support thingie,
which this is.

Otherwise, why bother having the thing aboard at all?
 
> And if your rule is not to get on a diveboat without a chase boat you have
> pretty much removed yourself from boat diving, at lease on the east coast
> of the US.

Not at all, I mostly jump into the water off a private dive boat and
we, shock, horror, leave the thing unattended.

Yes, we have any number of safety things in place, you're welcome to
ask about them if you've a mind to, including the clip thing I
mentioned on a related thread.

It's not your scene. I suspect that where you live private dive boats
are far and few between because, commonly, they would be left
unattended. We have that luxury here for a number of reasons including
lack of boat traffic/tides (as a generality), currents and weather.

> To come up with a rule that if you have a chase boat it must be
> deployable within X number of minutes is stupid. If the dive calls for it
> (and the boat has one) you could have a chase boat that takes and hour to
> launch and get the motor running. You just do this prior to getting in the
> water.

This is where we have a philospohical difference:

The ML just happens to have a chase boat (good, an advantage over competitors).
The ML's chase boat *may* not work immediately (bad, see above).
This is OK, because the dive does not call for a chase boat (HORRIBLE
supposition).
Hello? Incidents do NOT happen in ALL diving situations?
I don't think so.

I repeat: if there is a facility in place then it should reasonably be
available almost immediately (in this unforgiving environment of the
sea, exacerbated by divers).

> This leads back to the basic question: What do you require to be on your
> diveboat before you go out on it? George knows this situation with
> chaseboats and his solution, which costs the dive operations nothing but
> some fuel and inconvinence, is to not anchor to a wreck during a dive.
> Problem solved. No chaseboat needed, no deployment issues.

OK, that's your style of diving, off a commercial boat and I totally
agree with you (and George). There's no way that I would argue, you
call the shots and I know from diddley squat about your style of
diving. I mean, at my tender years I suspect that I'd jump jack rabbit
scared if anyone offered me the opportunity to dive the North East
Coast of the US of A.

I just think that if there is a, well, let's call it an *extra*
facility available, why that is exactly what it should be: AVAILABLE!
That is my only point and if I didn't put that as well as I should have,
my apologies.

Cheers, I'm outta here, :-)

Christian
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