dumpsterDiver
Banned
- Messages
- 9,003
- Reaction score
- 4,658
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
Had an interesting dive before Christmas. Hardly even an incident, but possibly this will be a decent reminder to others. I was solo diving on a wreck in 80 feet of water in a full 7 mm suit with hooded vest and another hood. I was using a HP 120 steel tank, a pony bottle and 16 lbs of lead on my wt belt. Water was around 60 degrees, COLD for me.
Dove for the prior two days with no issues. Entered the water and descended quickly with no visual reference. As I approached the wreck, I added air to the BC.
Did it a few times and it had no effect on my buoyancy. Landed on the wreck with a thud and laid on my inflator for 5-6 seconds, while holding my breath and could hear the bubbles leaving the BC as fast as they entered. BC held zero air. Thank goodness I can clear my ears easily that day, because it was pretty much an uncontrolled descent for the last 20 feet.
I was quite heavy. What to do? No anchor line to climb. I finished my normal dive and sent up a large smb on a reel and reeled myself up (with a little kicking to help).
When I got on the boat, found that the top piece (at the location where the corrugated hose screws into the BC bag) of my sea quest inflator mechanism was GONE. No over pressure spring, no rubber plate, no screw-on cap, just an open conduit at the top end of my BC hose.
Remember to check the tightness of these connections frequently. When I was a dive master, I was constantly checking customers BCs and about every trip would find at least one Bc that had dangerously loose screw in connections. I typically check my own frequently.
The seas were very rough and we got pounded all of the previous night so maybe it got vibrated loose and fell off when I did a back roll. Who knows, never found any loose parts on board. I don't always do a full pre-dive check and generally enter the water with zero air in my BC.
Could have ditched the belt or tried to swim up, but to be honest, I was pretty darn heavy at 80 feet with a full tank.
Dove for the prior two days with no issues. Entered the water and descended quickly with no visual reference. As I approached the wreck, I added air to the BC.
Did it a few times and it had no effect on my buoyancy. Landed on the wreck with a thud and laid on my inflator for 5-6 seconds, while holding my breath and could hear the bubbles leaving the BC as fast as they entered. BC held zero air. Thank goodness I can clear my ears easily that day, because it was pretty much an uncontrolled descent for the last 20 feet.
I was quite heavy. What to do? No anchor line to climb. I finished my normal dive and sent up a large smb on a reel and reeled myself up (with a little kicking to help).
When I got on the boat, found that the top piece (at the location where the corrugated hose screws into the BC bag) of my sea quest inflator mechanism was GONE. No over pressure spring, no rubber plate, no screw-on cap, just an open conduit at the top end of my BC hose.
Remember to check the tightness of these connections frequently. When I was a dive master, I was constantly checking customers BCs and about every trip would find at least one Bc that had dangerously loose screw in connections. I typically check my own frequently.
The seas were very rough and we got pounded all of the previous night so maybe it got vibrated loose and fell off when I did a back roll. Who knows, never found any loose parts on board. I don't always do a full pre-dive check and generally enter the water with zero air in my BC.
Could have ditched the belt or tried to swim up, but to be honest, I was pretty darn heavy at 80 feet with a full tank.
