it. They searched the sandbar, too;
Jim was a strong swimmer, and he
might have tried to swim to shore if
he had problems, they thought.
After a while the skiff ran low
on fuel and had to return to the
liveaboard. The crew alerted the
authorities and other nearby live-
aboards, which launched boats to
assist in the search.
After the crew refueled the
skiff, the captain took its helm and
returned to the dive site to continue
the search. Finally, the searchers saw
a very small light in the distance. The
boat drove downwind for six min-
utes at 29 knots before they found
Jim and plucked him from the dark
water. He was tired but unharmed.
Discussion
Jim took a strobe light with him,
and that act of preparation probably
saved his life. An audible signaling
device louder than his whistle, such
as a DiveAlert, might have gotten
him rescued much sooner. Inflating
his SMB completely and waving it
for attention may have helped, too,
and a waterproof marine radio with
a GPS, such as the Nautilus Lifeline,
would have stacked the odds more
heavily in his favor.
Don’t dive without a good light,
an SMB and a powerful audible sig-
naling device. If you don’t carry all
the gear you might need to attract
attention on every dive — whether
it’s a no-brainer dive or not — you
could be lost at sea. If the boat crew
doesn’t keep an eye out for divers
the whole time there are divers in
the water, they risk losing some-
body. They should always have a
good pair of binoculars on board in
case a diver goes missing.
Most offshore dive boats now
require divers to carry a large SMB.
Even a slight chop or swell can
make a diver on the surface very
difficult to see. When selecting an
SMB for purchase, consider its size
and features, which may include
lights and/or radar reflectors.
[Editor’s note: DAN (DAN.org/
store) carries a surface signaling kit
that includes a 6-foot orange safety
sausage with a radar reflective
panel along with a whistle, signal-
ing mirror and safety light.]
Be sure you know how to deploy
your SMB (see “We’re Over Here!”
on Page 112), and practice using it
in easy conditions. Pulling the bot-
tom of the SMB underwater (or
securing lead weight to it) will help
it stand up straighter. Many guides
deploy one at the safety stop to sig-
nal the dive skiff and minimize the
risk of surfacing divers being hit by
other boat traffic. Another strategy
for alerting people on the surface of
your ascent is releasing a big burst
of air from your spare second stage
just before you surface and surfacing
in its wake.
Many divers carry some sort of
light, and photographers often have
powerful strobes on their cameras.
Firing a strobe in a burst of three
shots every minute toward a boat
should attract attention. If you don’t
have an SMB, take off your fins and
wave them above your head — do
whatever you can to be seen. A large
group is much easier to spot than a
small one, so stick together if you’re
with other divers. Conserve your
strength by ditching your weights
and other cumbersome gear if you
need to. Relax, and breathe while in
the troughs of the waves rather than
at the crests where water may break
over your head.
Consider that good communica-
tion with the boat crew, your guides
and your dive buddies is a critical
aspect of preparing for a dive. If you
think you might come up early, tell
the guides and the surface support
crew to be on the lookout. Dive with
the appropriate safety gear, plan
your dive, and dive your plan. Being
prepared could save your life.
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