SpearMax - Lost at sea after walking the Razor's Edge!

[SpearMax]

Here is a dive report from the " Razor's Edge." That phrase was used by my friends Kmoose and Inlet Surf on my last report from the newest artificial reef wreck Korimu just outside the Palm Beach Inlet. The wreck lies in 225 feet of water and is a deep technical dive. CAUTION - Do NOT try to do this dive without the proper training, equipment and experience.

See this thread: http://www.spearboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43043

A few select photos of the ship on the surface follow:

[SpearMax]

On Sunday 4-1-07, I visited the wreck again with my video camera working this time.

Here are a few of my dive computer screenshots. The water temperature was 68 degrees below around 150 feet. The current was very slow at that depth. The deepest portion of the dive on this graph was my bottom touch near the propeller.

[SpearMax]

This first group of images is the bow area. There were a few Amberjacks here. The tangled anchor chains are on the east side.

[SpearMax]

The impact of the ship sinking cracked the bow cross member or whatever it is called.

The front FADs are standing straight up.

[SpearMax]

Here is the upright crane due to air in the cylinders. Note the significant entanglement hazards with those wire cables hanging all around this crane. :eek:

Tech divers need to be extra careful here. A set of standard tech diving shears would not do much good on those cables! One would probably have to take their BC and tank off to disengage if caught up in that stuff. :(

[SpearMax]

One more crane shot.

That wheelhouse needs to be explored sometime soon. ;)

[SpearMax]

The stern section shows the violence of the drop when the ship hit the bottom on its stern and spilled out the deck plates and knocked down the rear hoist.

[SpearMax]

I took a bottom measurement right at the stern. Note that the rudder already is starting to get that red algae growth in the area.

[SpearMax]

I turned back towards the bow to recover my reel and leave the wrec k. I passed the many holes cut in the ship's sides and the scattered deck plates.

When I returned to my reel with the white line going up to the surface float balls, the line broke in front of my eyes! :eek:

[SpearMax]

I immediately sent up my yellow 9 foot surface marker buoy within 4 minutes hoping my boat driver would see it. Alas, he followed the original float balls. :rolleyes:

[SpearMax]

Here are the stern FADs on my ascent. Just a lone barracuda, but there were some bait fish zig-zagging around. By the way, I did not spear anything on this visit to the Korimu.

[SpearMax]

When I finished my deco, I surfaced and broke out the famous “SpearMax Self-Rescue Kit.” I called the boat on my VHF radio and informed my driver that I was not under the float balls he was following. :slap:

I then tried to take out my GPS and proceeded to do something dumb. I dropped the radio in the 250 feet deep water! :bang:

Here is a shot from another day of me using this radio.

With big waves and whitecaps, my driver searched for me and then decided to call the Coast Guard. I was found several miles north by a sport fishing boat named Boomerang based at the Sailfish Marina. I thanked the Coast Guard and Palm Beach sheriff’s Office boat for searching for me.

Those guys are great! :allhail:

[SpearMax]

My boat driver Bob did the right thing. He knew I was on the surface, but time is of the essence with the sorts of currents we have here near the Gulf Stream. In the end, I was lost for a couple of hours. The Coast Guard and PBSO agreed with us back on the dock after the rescue that calling them was the right thing to do. :cool:

Nonetheless, I have made one important modification to the "SpearMax Self-Rescue Kit" that those of you out there copying it may want to consider. I replaced the radio with an even better and more up-to-date model. Note the yellow bouy thing on the right of this photo. They are available in any West Marine store and are usually used for keys and gas caps dropped over the side of your boat. But they work here as well! :thumps:

[jerry1000]

all i can say is you have more balls than me ,lol great pixs .

[Gradyman]

Glad to hear you're OK Tony...seem to be using that Self Rescue kit often!

[SpearMax]

Glad to hear you're OK Tony...seem to be using that Self Rescue kit often!
Hey Len, It has worked really well the few times I needed it like one time when I was in a "white-out thunderstorm" and the boat found me right away by my little GPS. :thumps:

I know a few board members like Johnoly have made their own kits. Several of my commercial spearing/lobstering buddies now use them. It really is a good safety tool, especially for the east coast of Florida. :cowboy:

[Johnoly]

Same here, I used mine in a downpour when you couldn't see 50 feet topside. I used it just to let the captain know I was off the backside of the reefline and not in line with the DM's flag. More of a courtesy call, but no way would he be able to find me in that down pour.

Tony, I like the floater, but I'll try to tie it off with mono to both the Geko and the VHF so they are linked together. Nice upgrade. I'm hoping the Uniden gives you the same 15 hour battery time as the Standard Horizon.

I never get in the water without the pony bottle, the SMB or the SRK.

[SpearMax]

Tony, I like the floater, but I'll try to tie it off with mono to both the Geko and the VHF so they are linked together. Nice upgrade. I'm hoping the Uniden gives you the same 15 hour battery time as the Standard Horizon.

John, here are the specs on the Standard Horizon which is what I lost. FYI, Tony

Battery life: 10 hours @ 5 W (HI)
(STBY:RX:TX = 18:1:1) 15 hours @2.5W (MID)
19 hours @ 1 W (LOW)

[StabbinBoy]

Well now we know who the guy was that was lost at sea! Glad you made it back in one piece.

How'd ya do during your "floating 2 hour surface interval"? :eek:

Same thing happened to me a year ago, only i had a hog on my stringer and a reefshark circling. Had to hold the hog out of the water for an hour, and man was I beat by the time they found me!

[SpearMax]

Well now we know who the guy was that was lost at sea! Glad you made it back in one piece.

How'd ya do during your "floating 2 hour surface interval"? :eek:

Same thing happened to me a year ago, only i had a hog on my stringer and a reefshark circling. Had to hold the hog out of the water for an hour, and man was I beat by the time they found me!

I saw zero fish I wanted to spear and zero sharks. Maybe that was a good thing that day! ;)

[bgbill]

Tony I am glad you are OK, I guess your new nick name will be Butter Fingers ;) :D

I thought those radios floated, but I guess now we know they don't.

Calling the Coast Guard was the right thing to do as soon as he realized he couldn't find you :thumps: other guys running the boat may have figured they could find you without making the call, only making things worse.

[HeadHunter]

Thats an interesting day and dive you had there Tony.....great pics of the wreck for sure. Glad you're OK.

[biggsy]

Tony...glad everything worked out!

[Spear One]

Wow, that was a close one Tony. Glad to hear everything worked out and you returned home safely. Others have not been so lucky.

[Mobile Diver]

Great pics as usual Tony. So glad to hear all is well. That kit of yours is a damn nice thing to have!

[dagodiver]

Glad your back home Tony.!

Dago.

[kmoose]

This is a very good example of how things can go wrong, very fast, even when you are prepared. Good call on the boat driver.
Tony, have you considered a mini-406 reciever? I don't know what something like that would cost, but a small yagi directional antenna and reciever would make short work out of locating an out of sight, surfaced diver or even a boater in distress that has activated a personal 406 epirb.

[kill shot]

WOW! Glad to hear you made through that safely.

I usually carry a samll mini flare kit on my float when bluewater hunting way out in the deep.

I like the saftey setup you have there.


Eric

[NOTANX]

tony, how far do those fads come to the surface?

[Marcus]

Ever thought about vacuum packing that VHF? I really don't think it would work if you dropped it in the water the way it is.

[JLittle44]

I thought those radios floated, but I guess now we know they don't.

They've to be close to neutral. Do you think a small piece of foam on the antena would float it?

[SpearMax]

They've to be close to neutral. Do you think a small piece of foam on the antena would float it?

I plan to run a bath tub test to see if that yellow float supports it. ;)

[mjacobs]

Vacuum packing would make it float, too. Where'd you get that metal o-ring sealed case? Nice kit.
Mark

[Man-O-War]

Glad you are ok! Boomerang, huh? :thumps:

[apnea_beast]

glad you're ok! cool kit for sure. is all the stuff in the kit clipped together and also clipped to a float of some sort?

[rjnjupiter]

Tony, I chuckle now that you are safe because we ahve been there. Glad it turned out good. Great dive. Call me next time and I will join you!

[mjacobs]

Found the famous Spearmax safety kit and think it's worthy of a re-re-re-post:

http://www.spearboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32550

Mark

[sbh]

tony, how far do those fads come to the surface?

My thoughts exactly....what a great post to show how things can go wrong and how to keep your head and handle it properly. PPPPP if you know what that is.

[SLAYER]

just a suggestion but if you get lost much more then you may want to get a more experienced driver or an easier way for them to find you

[gulfdiver]

Tony,
I'm sure You have a safty sausage?, I haven't seen you mention one unless I missed it.

[Oldsarge]

Impressive, but far, far too scary for me. As Jay Riffe pointed out, there a lot of fish in the top 20' of the ocean and it covers a wiiiiiiiiiide area.

One Big Chicken,

[B Lang]

dont trust the bead chain on the radio float, crimp some heavy mono instead

[SpearMax]

Tony,
I'm sure You have a safty sausage?, I haven't seen you mention one unless I missed it.

Absolutely Gary, and it is a big one - nine feet long and yellow for maximum daytime visibility. I definitely had it out, but the waves and whitecaps were big. :cowboy:

[Johnoly]

Tony you'll like this one.

Saw this at Boater's World today at the checkout counter. $6.99. I didn't buy it yet, but after I stopped laughing, it really looks pretty cool, and the size is right.

Key bouy (http://www.davisnet.com/Marine/products/marine_product.asp?pnum=00530)

http://www.davisnet.com/productpics/big/00530.jpg

[inletsurf]

It would be my luck that someone rescues the sausage and then steals my keys and truck back at the ramp.

[mallen]

Question?
Did your driver try to return to the gps location of the sunken ship, making an attempt to locate you bobing in the water?
Sorry to hear about your bad luck and surely glad you were found. I am interested in locating one of those containers for my next trip under. Is that model radio waterproof?

[SpearMax]

Question?
Did your driver try to return to the gps location of the sunken ship, making an attempt to locate you bobing in the water?
Sorry to hear about your bad luck and surely glad you were found. I am interested in locating one of those containers for my next trip under. Is that model radio waterproof?

Yes, he did, but the seas were great and he tried a limited search pattern. The dive cannister is made by McMurdo. Google that. The radios are by standard Horizon or Uniden among others.

[UFG8R]

all I can say is OMG, that is what 2 times in a couple months?

I googled the canisters and they want $300.00? My life is worth every penny but my god, it's only a threaded alum canister w an o-ring!!

[SpearMax]

all I can say is OMG, that is what 2 times in a couple months?

I googled the canisters and they want $300.00? My life is worth every penny but my god, it's only a threaded alum canister w an o-ring!!

It is very well made. I have a miserly friend who just recently tried using a dive flashlight for this purpose of housing the radio and GPS. He could not get it open at the surface. Great cost savings there! The time when you use it is when you will wish you had one that works. On the east coast we have ripping currents that can get you far away fast, especially in high seas. I now know many spearboard members that have added this kit to their diving. ;)

[SEATUX]

all I can say is OMG, that is what 2 times in a couple months?

I googled the canisters and they want $300.00? My life is worth every penny but my god, it's only a threaded alum canister w an o-ring!!

I know Dago Diver could make one, and Probably better, Question is how much?

[Stressless]

all i can say is you have more balls than me ,lol great pixs .


Prolly just 2 but they gotta be huge.... in a non-homo sorta way. :rolleyes:

Great report.

[jfjf]

I know Dago Diver could make one, and Probably better, Question is how much?


I beleive that he gave a quote, although I don't remember what it was. He also indicated that he wanted to put together a run of 10 or so of the cannisters.

[PrincessSlaya!]

Tony , So glad you are ok. Great pictures !

[capteider]

Tony!!! I can't belive this thread. These are all of the things I was worried about when i was your boat driver. You are out of you mind. Forget the radio, forget the gps. You need smoke. Seriously, part of an off shore flare kit (flares would be a good idea as well) includes smoke canisters. There sorta like a smoke bomb. You just pull a pin and mountains of colored smoke appear. This idea could save you bacon.

[UFG8R]

Tony!!! I can't belive this thread. These are all of the things I was worried about when i was your boat driver. You are out of you mind. Forget the radio, forget the gps. You need smoke. Seriously, part of an off shore flare kit (flares would be a good idea as well) includes smoke canisters. There sorta like a smoke bomb. You just pull a pin and mountains of colored smoke appear. This idea could save you bacon.


Smoke would be ideal...any chance it would fit in the kit? Orange smoke signals are kinda big. Floating and handheld.

[SpearMax]

I used to carry a flare in the kit, but dropped that idea. The concept of this kit is to have your boat find you fast without have to send up flares or smoke which would definitely prompt calls to the Coast Guard by some other boaters. The idea here is "self-rescue" which is between you and your boat driver. If that does not work, then calling the Coast Guard is absolutely the right thing to do as happened here. :cool:


Tony!!! I can't belive this thread. These are all of the things I was worried about when i was your boat driver. You are out of you mind. Forget the radio, forget the gps. You need smoke. Seriously, part of an off shore flare kit (flares would be a good idea as well) includes smoke canisters. There sorta like a smoke bomb. You just pull a pin and mountains of colored smoke appear. This idea could save you bacon.

[jfjf]

I used to carry a flare in the kit, but dropped that idea. :


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[catfish]

If you were to get lost and were missing for more than 30-40 min. I would hope your boat capt. would be all ready in contact with coast gard!! If your kit had an epirb in it the CG would be able to tell your capt. where you are. They dont want to come looking if they have someone in the area already. Am i wrong to think this . Seems like that little radio would not reach very far. And I pay my taxes every dam year and never needed help before so i would not feel bad about calling the CG!!!!!