DPV Emergency

[Deep Wreck Diver]

Approx 4 years ago, I ended up being dragged backwards by a DPV that was attached to the rear of my CCR and started operating. With over an hour of decompression still to do, this was an utterly horrifying experience. Quite a lot of the incident was captured on video, which I've put together so hopefully others can benefit from my experience!

If you want to skip straight to the lessons I took from this incident then they're at the 16 minute point!

 

[Noctilux]

Thanks for sharing! Terrifying indeed. Some good lessons learned. And another reason for diving with capable buddies.

 

[jehle]

Awesome video. Thank you for sharing!
I plan to check out your other videos. I am a year into rebreathers and these are super helpful for me to see these scenarios so well documented.

 

[jehle]

It is also great to know that I am not the only one that has expensive equipment that my wife doesn't know about!
That bit made me chuckle

 

[Deep Wreck Diver]

Thanks for sharing! Terrifying indeed. Some good lessons learned. And another reason for diving with capable buddies.

That incident was four years ago but the thing that always amazes me is how quickly Paul and Scott appeared next to me. At the time I was convinced that I was on my own

 

[Deep Wreck Diver]

It is also great to know that I am not the only one that has expensive equipment that my wife doesn't know about!
That bit made me chuckle

I'm sure we're all like that

 

[johndiver999]

Congratulations on your weight loss.

I am somewhat surprised by this video. I have not ever taken any training in scooters, but it seems to me that a diver should be entirely 100% prepared for the thing to take off at any moment. So I ASSUME that an integral part of the training would include how to store it and what to do when it goes wild.

I have had scooters take off on me many times. I had a really bad one once on a solo dive, where I just ditched the thing because it flooded, it was an experimental one and it got super heavy and then was seemingly unstoppable and luckily was in my hands, so I just released it.

A flood and a short on a scooter seems to be an entirely foreseeable circumstance even if the switches are perfect.

For those who have the benefit of scooter training, what is the best practice for clipping off and handling a runaway scooter? What is being taught in this regard?

 

[cerich]

thanks for sharing, glad all ended well.

I am in my head doing "instructor mode" and unsure if you want that or not, so will leave it at .. truly glad you didn't get hurt.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

A similar thing happened to me last year, diving a DiveX Piranha DPV, I forgot to lock the trigger at the start of my ascent after a dive to 70m, I let the DPV float up behind me as I usually do, at around 40m the tow line wrapped around the trigger pulling it on activating the DPV, trying to pull me to the surface. Fortunately I was on the shot that was anchored to the bottom and was able hang on for dear life, while my buddy sorted out the problem. If I had been on the lazy shot (as you call them we call it a drifting deco station) or drifting on a DSMB I would have been pulled to the surface with over an hour of deco and in a world of pain. It was also my most terrifying dive experience.

 

[grantmac]

A DiveX trigger killed a diver local to me, no deco, I believe an AGE. Before my time but a cautionary tale.