Scooter vs. Swimming diver

[mccoy]

Is there a rule of the road for a diver scootering when passing a diver swimming?
I was swimming and moved to the other side of the gold line to let them pass. Myself and the team scootering were both headed into the cave.

[Jim Wyatt]

Swimmers have the right of way.

[mccoy]

I wasn't in a hurry and the way the line was run it would have been tight if they crossed over it. Just thought I would ask......I figured it would be something like a sailboat vs. powerboat situation.

[Jim Wyatt]

Unfortunately many think the law of gross tonnage applies in right of way situations.

[DA Aquamaster]

......I figured it would be something like a sailboat vs. powerboat situation.

It's a good analogy. The major difference is that regardless of who is under power or under sail, the exiting diver/team has the right-of-way.

[Sludge]

Whenever I'm scootering and I come upon swimmers, I picture Otis Campbell and Barney Fife - "Outta the way, Sunday drivers!"

[Me]

When I was in the Coast Guard we were taught the rule of gross tonnage alongside the Rules of the Road. It makes sense, when a sailboat has right of way with an aircraft carrier? The salboat better be moving his "stern" and pronto. (Yes, I was on a CG buoy tender off the VA seacoast right next to Norfolk)

But I do get the point Jim is making....I've lost count of how many times a bass boat has swamped me in my kayak. Even with my getting out of the way as best as I can.

[mag3]

When I was in the Coast Guard we were taught the rule of gross tonnage alongside the Rules of the Road. It makes sense, when a sailboat has right of way with an aircraft carrier? The salboat better be moving his "stern" and pronto. (Yes, I was on a CG buoy tender off the VA seacoast right next to Norfolk)

But I do get the point Jim is making....I've lost count of how many times a bass boat has swamped me in my kayak. Even with my getting out of the way as best as I can.

I have seen cases though where the larger boat has done "due diligence" to honor the "right of way" of the smaller boat, before invoking the "law of gross tonnage." Case in point - The ferries on Cape Cod that run between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. I always stand up front, and when leaving Woods Hole, there's often a lot of small boat traffic in the harbor. I have seen these ferries attempt to achieve full speed when leaving their docks, but suddenly stop and coast (and sound horn etc.) when a small sail (or even power) boat is found in front of them, keeping an appropriate distance between them.

[Me]

True, but an aircraft carrier's due diligence is over a mile.....so there's no stopping them within sight of the boat with right of way.

Boy, did this thread get hijacked or what? LOL

[mag3]

True, but an aircraft carrier's due diligence is over a mile.....so there's no stopping them within sight of the boat with right of way.

Agreed. And even those Cape Cod ferries have their own limitations... They can't, for example, divert too far off course to avoid traffic in front of them because the channels are very narrow, and there are plenty of "going aground" dangers if they try to do so... Several of them have, in fact, even when only drawing 11-13ft...

Boy, did this thread get hijacked or what? LOL

Sorry... I guess my point is that I actually favor swimmers having the right of way, and that (in the case of cave divers vs. swimmers), there's lot's of due diligence that can be done before invoking the "law of gross tonnage." I would think, for example, that in caves of high flow, the "law of gross tonnage" might be mitigated a bit, at least inbound... But I also agree that teams exiting the cave have greater priority, as well as a someone attempting to swim out a "defective" scooter.