Narrative:

Approaching taylor VOR to begin the arrival into tampa we were given a reroute to proceed to seminole and the darbs arrival. We turned and began to proceed as directed. I picked up the bat phone and called dispatch to inform them of the reroute and ask them if they agreed with the course of action. They said that was good, but I would have to go out over the water about 20-30 mi before being able to turn back in on the arrival. As we crossed seminole I noticed that they were right. We extended 20-30 mi out over the water and when we went to turn back for a 120 degree turn for the arrival we discovered WX that was hidden by our angle. I then asked ATC how traffic was deviating and he proceeded to inform me that I needed to continue to a point about 70 mi offshore then I would be able to turn in for the blond intersection and then the blond arrival. I informed ATC that we were unable to do this because of our 50 mi limitation and that we would need to turn back. ATC would not allow me to turn back and proceeded to tell me that we were perfectly legal to extend up to 110 mi for WX avoidance. The other problem with turning back was that we were going to be head on to numerous traffic going through a very small area. I tried to call dispatch, but was unable to contact them when I needed them the most. We continued to follow the traffic in front of us as instructed. Another company plane came up on frequency a few mins later with the same questions as we asked. They were given the same answers as us. I decided that the safest thing to do was to continue on following traffic to avoid the WX. I concluded that doing a 180 degree would be more dangerous than going an extra 20 mi offshore. I do believe that we made the correct decision as we maintained a good ride for our passenger, did not create a dangerous situation by trying to do a 180 degree into oncoming traffic, and bringing the aircraft to the gate in tampa safely. I know that as much WX as florida receives that this is not the first time this has happened. I just wish we had a greater margin of deviation from land. I didn't declare an emergency, but I did exercise the captain's authority/authorized to deviate from our manual for the interest of safety. I more than likely could have gone on without submitting this report and not ever had anything happen to me. My reason for submitting this report is to see if we can get some sort of direct relief given to us regarding our 50 mi water policy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737, NOT EQUIPPED FOR OVERWATER FLT, DEVIATES MORE THAN 50 NM OFFSHORE WHILE AVOIDING TSTM ACTIVITY ON THE NEWLY ASSIGNED BLOND ARR INTO TPA, FL.

Narrative: APCHING TAYLOR VOR TO BEGIN THE ARR INTO TAMPA WE WERE GIVEN A REROUTE TO PROCEED TO SEMINOLE AND THE DARBS ARR. WE TURNED AND BEGAN TO PROCEED AS DIRECTED. I PICKED UP THE BAT PHONE AND CALLED DISPATCH TO INFORM THEM OF THE REROUTE AND ASK THEM IF THEY AGREED WITH THE COURSE OF ACTION. THEY SAID THAT WAS GOOD, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO GO OUT OVER THE WATER ABOUT 20-30 MI BEFORE BEING ABLE TO TURN BACK IN ON THE ARR. AS WE CROSSED SEMINOLE I NOTICED THAT THEY WERE RIGHT. WE EXTENDED 20-30 MI OUT OVER THE WATER AND WHEN WE WENT TO TURN BACK FOR A 120 DEG TURN FOR THE ARR WE DISCOVERED WX THAT WAS HIDDEN BY OUR ANGLE. I THEN ASKED ATC HOW TFC WAS DEVIATING AND HE PROCEEDED TO INFORM ME THAT I NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO A POINT ABOUT 70 MI OFFSHORE THEN I WOULD BE ABLE TO TURN IN FOR THE BLOND INTXN AND THEN THE BLOND ARR. I INFORMED ATC THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO DO THIS BECAUSE OF OUR 50 MI LIMITATION AND THAT WE WOULD NEED TO TURN BACK. ATC WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO TURN BACK AND PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT WE WERE PERFECTLY LEGAL TO EXTEND UP TO 110 MI FOR WX AVOIDANCE. THE OTHER PROB WITH TURNING BACK WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE HEAD ON TO NUMEROUS TFC GOING THROUGH A VERY SMALL AREA. I TRIED TO CALL DISPATCH, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM WHEN I NEEDED THEM THE MOST. WE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE TFC IN FRONT OF US AS INSTRUCTED. ANOTHER COMPANY PLANE CAME UP ON FREQ A FEW MINS LATER WITH THE SAME QUESTIONS AS WE ASKED. THEY WERE GIVEN THE SAME ANSWERS AS US. I DECIDED THAT THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS TO CONTINUE ON FOLLOWING TFC TO AVOID THE WX. I CONCLUDED THAT DOING A 180 DEG WOULD BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN GOING AN EXTRA 20 MI OFFSHORE. I DO BELIEVE THAT WE MADE THE CORRECT DECISION AS WE MAINTAINED A GOOD RIDE FOR OUR PAX, DID NOT CREATE A DANGEROUS SIT BY TRYING TO DO A 180 DEG INTO ONCOMING TFC, AND BRINGING THE ACFT TO THE GATE IN TAMPA SAFELY. I KNOW THAT AS MUCH WX AS FLORIDA RECEIVES THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. I JUST WISH WE HAD A GREATER MARGIN OF DEV FROM LAND. I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER, BUT I DID EXERCISE THE CAPT'S AUTH TO DEVIATE FROM OUR MANUAL FOR THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. I MORE THAN LIKELY COULD HAVE GONE ON WITHOUT SUBMITTING THIS RPT AND NOT EVER HAD ANYTHING HAPPEN TO ME. MY REASON FOR SUBMITTING THIS RPT IS TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME SORT OF DIRECT RELIEF GIVEN TO US REGARDING OUR 50 MI WATER POLICY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.