Picking someone up from the water

[lizardland]

A discussion on a diving forum got me thinking, on my PB2 they taught killing the engine whenever recovering someone from the water so that the motor couldn't accidentally get knocked into gear. Someone on another forum was criticising a group of divers for doing that and needing rescued because they couldn't restart the engine.

Is there a preferred method?

Cheers,

Stuart

[Nos4r2]

That sounds like more of a maintenance/lack of knowledge issue than anything else. Besides, unless the cox is going to keep the engine running throughout the whole dive that issue could surface anywhere.

I'd go with the engine off every time.

[Jacek]

On DTS you can switch to throttle only and it solve the problem. I'm diver to and without DTS I'd rather switch off the engines.

[m chappelow]

i suppose the safest option would be to switch off ,,

As a matter of intrest i had my 10 year old lad practising a m.o.b. a couple of weeks back luckily with a training dummy ,think out of 10 attempts he left the engine running in gear about 4 times when he thought it was in neutral so perhaps its best to switch off especially with inexperienced and a panick situation .,,anyhow when going forward to grab the dummy he forgot about the kill cord on the other 6 so it stopped anyhow
on the other hand picking a m.o.b.up in a big sea or from say a busy shipping channel or in a close quarter situation i think i would leave the engine running ,,,at least i can get out of the way and leave the m.o.b. in front of the oncomming ship .

[Pikey Dave]

If conditions are good & i've plenty of sea room I switch off. If I need to make a quick exit or maybe go round again, I keep 'em running. The bit about not restarting is b0110cks, if they aren't confident enough to switch off the engine, they shouldn't be out with it.

[Starovich]

I would say best practice is to turn it off, as mentioned if the engine is iffy why you out in it.

However... like with most rules the are exceptions:

• Lee Shore, (yes you could anchor out and drift in)
• Close to Rocks in big swell
• In Surf
• Are in the SBS/Seals and are picking up on the plane...

Im sure there are more, if in any doubt, turn it off..

[njensen]

I think the risk of "accidently knocking it into gear" is quite minimal (there is a lock). However i believe it's good practict to shut the engine off to avoid breathing CO just after or before a dive. Especially with the good old carb. engines you can easily feel kind sick lying in the surface inhauling oil-gases.

[Razorbill RIBs]

Originally Posted by njensen

I think the risk of "accidently knocking it into gear" is quite minimal (there is a lock).

Not always / not on my mercury topmount

As has been said...best practice = off IMO (unless common sense /safety dictates otherwise for the sort of reasons quoted previously).

Also, for interest, we are trained to go neutral on lifeboat.....but we switch off when on charter.

[Pikey Dave]

Classic example of keeping the engines running is picking divers up around islands e.g. the Farnes, divers usually surface close to the rocks & are too knackered/lazy/fat/important to swim off & expect picking up where they are. Depending on wind/tide/waves you have to be nifty sometimes, especially if you are single handed, get the diver in, fins off, kit in & leg it. I usually just haul them into the bottom of the boat & get out, we can tidy up later. It just occurred to me that I unconsciously always recover divers on the stbd side, my binnacle controls are on the port side of the console, I'd have to be dammed unlucky to fall across the helm, take the brakes off & put her into gear by accident.

[ashbypower]

Originally Posted by njensen

I think the risk of "accidently knocking it into gear" is quite minimal (there is a lock). However i believe it's good practict to shut the engine off to avoid breathing CO just after or before a dive. Especially with the good old carb. engines you can easily feel kind sick lying in the surface inhauling oil-gases.

The LOCK is only plastic and WILL snap with sufficient force, like being thrown against it. Also Surface mounts rarly have a "Lock"
Best to switch of as the diver who was run over by a dive boat in the noprtheast last year I am sure he would agree/