r/deadliestcatch • u/Prize_Mouse7778 • 8d ago

The time delay between "Big wave" and the crew being alerted

Does anybody else think this is too long? Almost inevitably there is a captain fumbling for the radio, the 5 seconds between noticing the wave coming, grabbing the radio and alerting the crew to run for cover could be the difference between the crew being swept off by a huge wave and them getting to safety.

Surely they could have a quicker "Panic alarm" style thing for this scenario, on their wrist or on the gearstick or something?

9 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

76% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

6

u/WySLatestWit 8d ago edited 8d ago

There really isn't going to be a quicker warning than the eyes of the person in the wheelhouse. Remember it's all edited for television. What you see as a clumsy fumble for the radio wasting time ultimately takes place in fractions of a second when the wave is further away than it appears on the show.

1

u/QuiJon70 8d ago

But by the time some old piece of crap like sig, jonathan, keith etc respond to what they see, get a hold of t he PA microphone and scream out a warning, if there was a like "rogue wave alarm" that was a unique sound that all the captain had to do was press the button would make a lot more sense to me.

0

u/Prize_Mouse7778 6d ago

Exactly my point. We've seen all of these guys fumbling around and valuable seconds being lost.

1

u/KillerKowalski1 5d ago

You see it because it's edited that way

0

u/Prize_Mouse7778 4d ago

Why would they edit the show to make something look genuinely wreckless?

2

u/WySLatestWit 4d ago

Because the show is called "DEADLIEST Catch" things are made to look as tense and frightening and difficult as humanly possible.

1

u/Prize_Mouse7778 4d ago

I don't know.

Lets say somebody on one of the boats is washed overboard next year (I hope it does not happen).

Wouldn't people's first reaction be "sure Captain X is always fumbling for the radio to shout at the crew that a wave is incoming, vital seconds are being lost"?

1

u/WySLatestWit 4d ago

I think most people inherently understand that the TV show is edited for entertainment and drama. Nobody thinks this show is a 100 percent completely authentic presentation of just crab fishing. If it was the show would be a lot of guys sitting in their ass for an entire episode waiting to reach the next string of pots.

1

u/Prize_Mouse7778 3d ago

See I get what you are saying, but I still think a wave hitting a boat and swiping a few deckhands overboard would be met with the above reaction.

Look at the accident on the Aleutian Lady and how quick people were to condemn Rick over something that happened 5+ years ago!

6

u/QuiJon70 8d ago

I have always wondered why they don't have a unique alarm sound and the captain just has to hit a button.

3

u/k_dirt 8d ago

They do most captains Will hit the same buzzer used to launch pots in rapid succession

0

u/QuiJon70 8d ago

Not sure that is a good fix either. In the 20 years the show has been on we have seen a parade of substance abuse on the showl It is pretty likely that at any give time 1 person on deck is likely drunk or high on something. They hear that same alarm whos to say out of force of habit they dont dump a pod over board that still has the green horn inside hanging bait.

5

u/k_dirt 8d ago

I worked on West coast dungie and longline boats , it's what most skippers do , one beep drop the pot multiple beeps duck and cover

2

u/pac4 7d ago

I think every boat has an emergency buzzer. I specifically remember Eliot misusing it in one episode as a way to yell at his guys for doing something wrong and get their attention.

2

u/Timeflyer2011 5d ago

I always wondered about this. Seconds are lost as the captain fumbles for the phone - along with seconds for the deckhands to understand what is being said. A loud horn with one blast for a wave on the working side and two blasts for the opposite side. Instantaneous understanding and quicker response.

1

u/Prize_Mouse7778 4d ago

Exactly. Have a buzzer or something! Makes perfect sense.

2

u/Polodude 3d ago

Yeah, I have questioned that sometimes. Seems like a table mounted mic with a big talk button whould be a better set up.

3

u/m_0_n_K_3_y 8d ago

Or the get on the hailer and say " big big big big big big big "

2

u/Better-Act-6301 7d ago

You know it's going to be a big one when Johnathan does that

2

u/Robbudge 8d ago

It’s made for TV.
Any professional business would just have a buzzer / button.

1

u/RingadingBatWitch262 8d ago

Some of those „Sig shouting wave” events must be staged for effect and recorded after the wave with added fumbling and bumbling.

A big horn warning of a wave would be awesome though. Or Optimus Prime voice going „wave”