Scuba divers

[Lucky one]

I was fishing this weekend out in the ocean when I witnessed something that kind of irked me. There were a small cluster of boats fishing a pinnacle and all of us were doing rather well, when a dive boat came in anchored up and proceeded to dive in right in the cluster.

Now, it doesn't bother me that there were divers going into the water and I don't have a beef with that, what bothers me is these guys coming up and anchoring where people are already fishing and expecting everyone to clear out so they can be safe. I know they have a right to be there, but does that right superceed mine? If they had been there first, great, then I can move on. But I feel they could have done the same thing and moved on to another spot. Am I out of line or do some of you guys agree with me?

[Threemuch]

I am a diver and I agree with you. Nobody owns the real estate, so I see conflicting use as a first come first serve situation.

[Reef Diver]

As a Scuba Diver and Fisherman I agree with you and am glad you posted the subject.
A Dive boat dosen’t have the right to drop anchor where other boats are fishing, plain and simple. I’ve been on both sides of this situation.


Another example: We dropped anchor on the North Pinnacle a couple years ago with NO other boats around, dropped in the water did our dive, came to the surface to find a Charter Boat fishing 50 feet from our heads and our Dive Boat. We were flying all the necessary Dive flags at the time. It’s not a good feeling to know we could have been injured or killed by a passing boat on our heads as we come up!
Common sense goes along ways in both situations.
Thanks for posting!
RD

[wthr4d]

I too am a diver and fisherman and agree. first come first use! their flag should not trump your preceeding presense.

I wish dive safety perimeter was a law in Oregon but unfortunately it is not, just a "safety guideline" at this point.

maybe someday
paul

[CrazyFish]

I'm also a diver and fisherman. Yes you are right that they shouldn't have just come in and overtaken the area. There are a few factors involved here though.
Example:
Depth of an area (like when Three Arch Rocks is closed). Outside of the closer there are only a few small areas that are what I would call diveable depth.
In any case if it were me wanting to anchor to dive where others are fishing then out of curtisy I would contact the other vessals, explane why I would like the area and ask for their corroperation. If they don't comply then I change plans.

Just like anything else common curtisy goes along way. IMO

[surface interval]

lucky one that really does suck, seems to me there the lucky ones for existing boats not to cast where they just happened to cut in. knowing how i dont feel real comfortable with engine noises right above me or even close. i would certainly been dumb enough to want to edge closer with bigger motor in netural just to bring up the pucker factor for my fellow thrill seekers,
all in all lots of reefs and structure out there

[diamondfish]

Hopefully it was a rare incident and they don't plan on making a habbit out of it. Otherwise I may need a bigger net to haul in my catch.

[Soulfish]

While I agree in theory. Think of it in their perspective. Divers specifically structure divers cannot dive just anywhere. Due to currents, depth, open exposure etc, all go into how they select their spot. Not to mention they usually have a smaller boat with less range.

BTW I both dive and fish!

If there were many well known spots, they could have chosen to move or not set up. But those guys take their lives into their hands everytime they dive. There is a comfort level assosiated with this. Think about it. If you dive a known location regularly, would you be inclined to try a "unknown area" with unknown risks associated to it?

Fisherman usually can move easier, I know I'll catch hell on this one here. But it's true. We can fish deeper than they can dive and our boats usually are bigger and we can go further out to sea. Trust me I don't want any dam fishing line choking me underwater causing me to die due to some kind of equipment failure. But those guys may have thought to themslevse thsi is the only place we feel comfortible getting in this dam cold great white waters we call home.

- just my 2 cents, dont hate me becasue I'm a diver

[Megabites]

I am also a diver and a fisherman. My take is more a safety one. If the divers were dumb enough to dive in an area of active fishing then that was their choice. They should not however expect the other boats to leave. As far as if they have a right to be there, sure they do. Just as any other boat that would have come and joined into the fishing. As long as they left enough room for the other activities it is their choice to be there. Not the safest move on there part however. It would also have been nice had they contacted you and coordinated both activities. I think that would have solved any hard feeling before they happened.

[scubadad]

I try to avoid an area where there are people fishing due to the safety factor. Have never crowded anyone to my knowledge while I've been diving. Can't count the number of times that we have surfaced to find the area jammed with fishing boats. Don't know if its just Puget Sound or what.And yes, I also love to fish. In fact would rather take fish on rod and reel than a speargun.

[wthr4d]

Im with Megabites on this one. if you go to the beach to hang out and someone is in your favorite spot do you sidle up right next to them and crowd their fun? NO there is lots of structure out there and 200 ft is not that far in most of ORegons coastline to find structure that is divable.

I value my safety too much. the risk of diving with fishing lines is FAR greater in my opinion than diving an area a couple of hundred feet away from your known area.

paul

paul

[andiamo]

When I go offshore, I typically fish for 4-10 hours. Divers are typically down for less than an hour. Given the significant preparation, tide planning and risks associated with diving, I hope most folks on the water will give a little space for at least an hour, to a few divers.

Of course, courteous communication is in order for anyone wanting someone to make room.

All I know, is if I finally convince my daughter to do on offshore dive with me, that finally lines up with a flat calm sunny day, with gentle tides that slack near noon, and I have a volunteer boat-tender with solid qualifications, and I cruise to one of a handful of places where my (young) dive buddy can dive (limited to 40'deep).... hopefully you get the picture... please make a little space. I'll bribe you with a post-fishing-day round at the Rogue afterward if I have to.

Bottom-line: Courtesy Rules

[tracker]

I have had divers put in up current of me at Neah Bay. Waddah island is attached to the mainland by a jetty forming the harbor. On the outside of waddah there is a reef that runs out a long ways. Divers love to put in and swim with the current here. More than once I have had them come by the boat while we were fishing. You can see the bubbles. Once we hooked a guy. He came up and we cut the hook with pliers to get it out of him. In most cases and in this case we were there fishing first. The divers put themselfs in trouble. If I come to this spot and see divers I move on. The divers should do the same. I dont care who is on the divers boat. When the river bars are full of dangerous swells and breakers I dont go there. A diver shoulod not go where there are massed fishing lines. It just makes sense.

Captain Tracker
Certified Diver since 1972

[wthr4d]

Tracker, I agree with you. However, Andiamo has a point...communication rules. so if I might pose a question i am working with on my own.

what would you do if you were fishing and divers came up on you and asked if you would move so that they could dive?

I personnnaly am not sure how I would react. I know how much preparation it takes to set up a dive. I also know how much preparation it takes to set up a day fishing but there are more fishing spots out there than divable reefs. Im stillnot sure how I would respond.

Paul

[tracker]

It would all depend on the time and place. I could see moving under the right circumstances. But this would be no different than setting up in a good hunting spot and getting ready my rifle and having an archer come along and asking me to move further away because it would be easier for him to set up in my spot. You know I just answered my own questions on this matter as I was replying. It would be very inconsiderate of the divers to even come and ask. They could hang around and hope that I would leave and they could make their dive but what makes it good for them to dive also makes it good for me to fish. Low tidal movement and structure. Still I can see moving under the right reasons but I would have to be in a very good and charitable mood that day!

[Trex]

The dive master put his divers into a "Harms way" situation. As many of us are divers or last least dove in the past. We all know that nobody makes you get into the water. Diving is a high risk sport to start with. Those folks knew what they where doing and the ramifications of their actions. At best you (we) can only bite your lip and hope for the best.

Now then the thing about surfacing only to find a sports boats a few feet away from you is a horse of a different color.

[tracker]

One time we came into a spot we fish quite often. There was another boat there. We began to lower lines and the guy tending the boat put up what he had forgotten to do, the dive flag. I radioed over and asked if there were divers in the water. He told me there were so we brought in lines and waited till the divers came up and then left the area. Another time the same spot. We had been fishing this spot which is quite small. Maybe 30 yards wide. After that there is no fish. Or very little anyway. You have to drift across this spot and it is only good when the drift is right. Well there were three of us there taking turns making the drift. Then this one boat came in and put out their trolling motor and held right in the middle of the spot preventing the three boats from fishing wiithout being in danger of going up on the rocks. This boat had watched us for some time and could see what the drift was like. He could have joined the line but instead blocked things. Thus it is person that causes the problem, not the sport. Whats that? Well yes the boat was persuded to leave. I am not now proud of what I did but he did leavre. Well you can not always be calm, cool and collected.

[Wingman]

I have had divers put in up current of me at Neah Bay. Waddah island is attached to the mainland by a jetty forming the harbor. On the outside of waddah there is a reef that runs out a long ways. Divers love to put in and swim with the current here. More than once I have had them come by the boat while we were fishing. You can see the bubbles. Once we hooked a guy. He came up and we cut the hook with pliers to get it out of him. In most cases and in this case we were there fishing first. The divers put themselfs in trouble. If I come to this spot and see divers I move on. The divers should do the same. I dont care who is on the divers boat. When the river bars are full of dangerous swells and breakers I dont go there. A diver shoulod not go where there are massed fishing lines. It just makes sense.

Captain Tracker
Certified Diver since 1972

[Soulfish]

I hear ya, I wouldn't want to dive under fishing boats either

[Triple C]

I also am a diver and I'm not about to setup anchor or
steer any where near a dive vessel. If you are on site and
in the water or not I will leave you all the clear area
possible. I do however expect the same consideration if I'm
fishing. It's kind of like throwing rocks in the river beside someone who is fishing from the bank. It's lacks
consideration of your fellow sportman. I'm not going to
fish where you're diving and I'm not going to dive where
you're fishing.Courtesy please. I'm sorry but am not going
to have a whole lot of sympathy for someone who pulls up
to where I'm fishing jumps in the water and proceeds to get
fouled up in my fishing gear. I typically drift fish or
troll so if you wait and go in after I drift out of the area
when I set up my next pass I will allow for an appropriate
safety margin. It's a big ocean out there and lots of area to dive and fish. Be safe and be courteous.

[FishSniffer]

I'm just curious, was this a charter or a private boat of divers? As a diver and an angler I wouldn't take the chance of getting caught by a hook. One reason I seldom dive in the rivers. To much left over gear to get wound up or hooked in.

We had a diver in Sweet Home last summer get caught up in a mess of line. They found him a couple days later.

Greg

[Boatdog]

I saw the dive boat Saturday (even have a picture of it) in the Seal Rock area. It looked like an inflatable zodiac, probably a private boat. I saw them near the end of their dive (DD flag displayed), up until they left. When I saw it, it looked like the fishing boats had made some adjustment and given them some room.

[FishSniffer]

Etiquette will, most likely, always be an issue - even on the big pond. You'd think that an inflatable owner, who should be better educated on such, would have more common sense.

Greg

[kamloops]

Ears make pretty good bait for lings.

[tracker]

Pieces of wetsuit make a simalar great presentation when trimmed properly! I already told you how I know this!

[Sling Blade]

I both fish and dive. When fishing, I will never set up near a diver and when diving I will never dive near someone fishing. I will always have plans "B" and "C" to fall back on.

Even when fishing, I am relunctant to get to close to someone else because I do not like to intrude on others. On the poison water, you will never find me setting up in a hog line unless it is with friends and we had set it up ahead of time.

A little research beforehand for either event will make for a successfull day, even for beginers. Of course, asking never hurts. Just repect an individuals right to say no.

[surface interval]

b or c would have been the correct answer. as a experienced and responsible diver remember it's ok to say not today or maybe these arent the best conditions at this time, we can come back. open ocean diving is not some thing you just decide you want to go do with a buddy one day. it's something you need to prepare for and have some knowlege of. is your dive buddy quaified in diving a good drift,navigation, how's the anxiety level? so high will they panick? burn thru there air. Being a divemaster i will always recommend added training and certs and more training from your local dive professionals

[Onokai]

The rule is first come 1st serve. As a avid diver and fisherman-whoever is there 1st has the right of way.. This cuts both ways and is always true.. Mark

[Lucky one]

Yeah, the dive boat that came out was private. Most of the boats adjusted and moved away to give them some room. It just didn't seem right to me. Nobody yelled at each other or started a scene. But I could see things be a little different in the summer when there are more boats out.

[Broken Pole]

I fish and dive. If feel it was rude if they asked you to move. If they only just dropped anchor and were diving different areas that people were not fishing.I feel that that is risk that they would have to decide on. when I am Fishing and see a diver, I usually ask them what fish are there and at what depth. They have the best info.

when I dive, I tend to stay away from other boats, I have my flag out, I have usually two people in the boat(fishing with poles), if another boat wants to fish I don't have any problem. Oregon law does not restrict the use of the water, but they should use caution within 200 feet. Anyway I look up when I surface, and tend to mark and follow my anchor lines. If you see me after a dive, feel free to ask me where the fish are.

[Pacific Pirate]

Unlike most of the responders, I don't dive, or know anything about diving, other than I should stay a safe distance from the dive boat.

That being said, if fishing boats are in the area first, and the dive boat anchors amongst them, the divers just defined "safe distance", even if it is not, and the fishing boats should not have to move.

I for one, would consider moving if requested by a diver. It is possible we could mutually agree on what that safe distance should be. If they are limiting themselves to 40' or less, maybe I can limit myself to 90' and deeper?

[andiamo]

I for one, would consider moving if requested by a diver. It is possible we could mutually agree on what that safe distance should be. If they are limiting themselves to 40' or less, maybe I can limit myself to 90' and deeper?

This is exactly the kind of consideration/discussion that should happen. Who knows, maybe during the discussion, one might make an new friend/ally. One could even discuss things like, "We'll set up on the inside of the reef and dive/drift in this direction, and you can fish on the outside of the reef. We will make a point to approach fish on the inside, so we generally scare them your way. When we are done with our dive, we will tell you exactly where we saw the big ones."

I also believe in the first-come-first-rights etiqute, but if we all try to look at situations from everyone's point of view, there is usually a good solution that everyone can at least live with.

[andiamo]

One other thing I forgot to point out:

If you ever think you may have hooked a diver, don't put any pressure on your line (don't reel up); You could potentially kill someone by pulling them up too fast (gas embolism/"the bends"). This if very serious stuff, so don't take it personnaly if you hook me and I cut your line just as fast as I can. :grin:

[Scurvy Dog]

EXPECTATIONS. When I go fishing, I think about weather, locations, distance, species. If the locations are ones that are accessible for divers, then I will expect divers to be there. They are more limited by depth,tide and time and because I fish and dive, I would give way. I would expect a hail call or some greeting. Would I be surprised? Would I be irritated? NO. It will be as I expected. As a fisherman I will choose my locations that don't conflict with known dive locations.... Are there so few choices for us as fishermen that we must take the good dive sites also? It's not that I wouldn't fish those sites. I would expect divers though. If however, they were rude and unsafe by not calling or signaling. Those are things I do expect. Words will be exchanged. Mike