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Diving Safety Tips
Disclaimer; No one should assume these Diving Safety Tips are all the
precautions that one needs to take to dive safely. There are a tremendous number
of precautious that need to be taken in order to dive safely on the Spiegel
Grove or any place else. All the conditions and circumstances of a dive
need to be considered. So, diving is inherently a dangerous sport and one
should not dive beyond one's own training, capabilities and the circumstances at
the time of the dive. I offer this advise based on 40 years of diving
experience. I am not a dive instructor. Dive at your own risk.
I would caution
that the Spiegel Grove or Duane dive can be a very difficult & dangerous dives. The current off
the Keys can get strong enough to rip your mask
off, much less swim against it.
Glenn Patton PADI certifications AOW,
Rescue Diver, Divemaster, Nitrox
Don't forget your basics...
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WATCH YOUR AIR! -- both YOU and your BUDDY's This is not a
dive you want to run out of air on. Better safe than sorry and come back
another day for another dive.(Contributed by David Pickens)
Be sure to stay with your a dive buddy ??
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Be sure to stay with your dive buddy. If you or your
dive buddy become impaired for any reason that is when having a reliable dive
buddy is critical.
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Don't be afraid to call the dive or not go in the first place
-- even if you are in the boat on the buoy. If you're under the water,
same thing -- you might be thinking well I shouldn't call the dive 'cause my
buddy doesn't want to -- he could be thinking the same thing. If you're
uncomfortable for any length of time, call the dive and live to dive another
day.(Contributed by David Pickens)
Beware of Strong Current ??
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Take Caution!
If the current is running, wreck diving off the Keys can be a very difficult and
dangerous dive.
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The current off Keys can get strong enough to rip your mask off, much less swim against it.
The Gulf Stream runs along the entire length of the Keys and the current can
be swift.
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Carry a Surface Marker Buoy (safety sausages) with you just in
case you are swept away by the current. A signally device could save
you life!!
Use a Mooring line & Safety Stops
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Plan on a safety stop -- 3 minutes minimum, 5 mins.
at 15' if you can do it. If you are going deeper than 100' for any length of
time, make a short 1 min. stop at 50' or so if you have sufficient air.
(Contributed by David Pickens)
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Use the mooring line
as a decent and ascent line
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A line for the back
of the boat to the mooring – decent line may be necessary if the current is
strong!
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Do not try to see the
entire ship, it is to big
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Come back to the same
mooring line for you ascent
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Make sure you get the correct mooring line. Pay ATTENTION here.
If you get on the surface using the wrong mooring line, you will have a long
wait, a long swim or both.
(Contributed by David Pickens)
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The clip is there so
I can clip onto the ascent line just in case I need to use both hands.
You might need both hand to put your mask back on if it is knocked off by the
current! It is kind of
hard to put your mask on with one hand.....
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Clipping to the ascent line can prevent
being swept away by the current.
Note use caution - - - Clipping to the buoy line
should be done only in extreme circumstances when you got to have both hands
free or can't hold on any longer. And definitely not too close to the
buoy. Some dive shops carry SS clips.... Also, I have wrapped my leg
around the line in a "S" configuration to stabilize myself if I clip to the
line, if you don't you can twist all over the place in the current. The "S"
configuration wrap is handy even when not attached to the ascent line when you
have long safety stops when ascending..
Carry an UW Light ?
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I would recommend carrying a UW light on the Spiegel Grove.
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Also, if you carry a
light, uwcamera or anything else make sure it is tied to your vest or your
wrist.
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This will also allow
a hands free dive.
Use a Safety Line needed on return to the boat
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If
you dive off a private boat make sure there is a long safety line with a float
behind the boat.
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If
you come up behind the boat you can grab the safety line and put yourself to
the boat.
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It
is also handy just to hold onto while other divers are getting into the boat.
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Carry a Dive Sausage in case you are swept away by the
current. You will be much easier to find.
Someone in the Boat ?
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Keeping someone in
the boat that can run the boat is much safer.
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I dive a lot of times with nobody in the boat or with
someone in the boat that does not know how to run it.
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With nobody in the boat you
have to be much more conscience of where you are and how to get back to the
boat!
Do not penetrate this wreck or any wreck without proper
training or equipment!
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I would advise not penetrating the wreck.
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