Have your say: Close calls
Have more divers had near misses with boats than reported?
A big part of the fun of marine activities is the tales that go with them. The one that got away; the epic spot with your best catch on a perfect day; the underwater photo that you've had framed, the underwater dreamworld you discovered on a diver. But unfortunately, there's a type of tale that too many of us have to tell - the close calls that happened because of a speeding boat, or a vessel driven by someone who simply isn't looking or caring.
Whether you're part of a dive club, or you enjoy the water with friends and family, most Kiwi water enthusiasts know we share it - not just with marine creatures, but with each other. Swimmers, scuba divers, snorkelers, spearfishers and freedivers all get in the water at their own risk - but just like on land, that risk shouldn't include speeding or careless drivers.
While a few of these stories get reported, the fact is, most of us get back to shore, feeling very grateful it couldn't have been worse - and we leave it at that. We want that to change.
Crunching the numbers
As we head into the warmer months, we want to see everybody come home from a dive safely. As a result, we're working with Spearfishing New Zealand to collect data on near-misses and incidents between vessels and people in the water.
Because most close calls don't get reported, official records don't show the scale of the issue. But the fact that most people have at least one story to tell proves that it's not a rare occurrence at all.
If you've had a boat come through too close or too fast, or you've had a close call or near miss - even if it was a while ago - we want to hear from you. Click on this link to fill in the SNZ Vessel Near-Miss Survey - it's easy to do, completely anonymous, only takes a couple of minutes, and your input will be used for safety and educational purposes to help us all stay a little safer in the water.
Staying safe
While everyone needs to take care in the water, make sure you do your bit to let others know you're there.
- Display a legal dive flag
- Dive with a buddy
- Use a float if you're swimming or diving more than 200 metres from shore.
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Dive Pacific
Dive Pacific is the media arm of the New Zealand Underwater Association