Unknown Diver airlifted to hospital - Venice, Florida

[NothingClever]

Chewing my tongue off in an effort not to speak the certifying agencies name ! but now my fingers are taking ove.........

I’m on board with the general assertion the certifying organizations need to improve in a lot of ways and I’m usually the last to excuse them but it seems the casualty/fatality was a certified diver and the charter operator was doing business in its normal role. If that’s the case, how is the certifying organization a causal party?

 

[TostitoBandito]

Since the AI only displays every 5 seconds or so, you have to watch the computer at least that long to see any effect of breathing from the reg.

Mine at least refreshes pressure from the transmitter much more frequently than every 5 sec. At least once if not multiple times per second. The capture rate of all the data to your dive log is what is normally once every 5-10 sec.

 

[tursiops]

Mine at least refreshes much more frequently than every 5 sec. At least once if not multiple times per second. The capture rate of all the data to your dive log is what is normally once every 5-10 sec.

The MH8A (AquaLung, Oceanic, Shearwater, etc) is 5 secs sample and transmission rate; what computer/transmitter are you using?

 

[TostitoBandito]

The MH8A (AquaLung, Oceanic, Shearwater, etc) is 5 secs sample and transmission rate; what computer/transmitter are you using?

Huh, you're right. Couild've sworn I've seen the numbers update more quickly than that. In any case, still works as long as your reg test cycle lasts at least several seconds, which I'm guessing I usually do.

 

[johndiver999]

If a diver enters with the tank off and gets down several feet just using the air in the pressurized regulator, there is now no ability to operate the BC (manually or pneumatically) but the diver should still be able to dump lead in an instant and arrive at the surface within 15-20 seconds.

If this is the scenario, the death could be attributed to the simple failure to dump lead. Yet we hear all too often that there is no reason to drop lead underwater. This type of situation, is one prime example of the benefit of that ability.

 

[TostitoBandito]

If a diver enters with the tank off and gets down several feet just using the air in the pressurized regulator, there is now no ability to operate the BC (manually or pneumatically) but the diver should still be able to dump lead in an instant and arrive at the surface within 15-20 seconds.

If this is the scenario, the death could be attributed to the simple failure to dump lead. Yet we hear all too often that there is no reason to drop lead underwater. This type of situation, is one prime example of the benefit of that ability.

While I agree about the need to dump lead sometimes, it's worth pointing out that if you jump in the water and are <10 feet down when you realize your tank is off and you're already sinking so fast that you can't just kick to the surface in a couple seconds, you are overweighted. A properly weighted diver (with a totally empty BCD) should only be at most a couple pounds negative when very near to the surface like that.

 

[boulderjohn]

Yet we hear all too often that there is no reason to drop lead underwater.

Really? I don't think I have ever seen any post say that, let alone seen it "all too often." What I have seen frequently are posts saying that the cases in which dropping lead is necessary are far fewer than many people think, that dropping weights would make no difference in the overwhelming majority of fatalities. I don't think I have ever seen a post saying that there is "no reason" to drop lead.

Since these posts appear "far too often," perhaps you could link a few here so we can see them.

 

[boulderjohn]

and you're already sinking so fast that you can't just kick to the surface in a couple seconds, you are overweighted.

Yes, very much so. The standard weight check process for single tank diving is to be able to float at eye level without kicking with an empty BCD and while holding a normal breath.

Sadly, the instructional process of teaching skills to kneeling divers requires that they be significantly overweighted to keep them stable. That in turn leads to overweighting after certification.

 

[ChrisMBC]

The MH8A (AquaLung, Oceanic, Shearwater, etc) is 5 secs sample and transmission rate; what computer/transmitter are you using?

FWIW, my Garmin transmitter appears to update every second, on the surface at the very least.

 

[Allen-1]

Yes, very much so. The standard weight check process for single tank diving is to be able to float at eye level without kicking with an empty BCD and while holding a normal breath.

Sadly, the instructional process of teaching skills to kneeling divers requires that they be significantly overweighted to keep them stable. That in turn leads to overweighting after certification.

Is that with a full tank?

The safetystop weight check is 500psi as I understand it. This is a different check, and one I'd like to do next time out.