I am disappointed in myself...

[Splitlip]

Went diving today. Even though it was cold, rainy and slightly windy, I had a great time. Until the end of the dive that is...Once I had surfaced, I am kicking to stay afloat while I am putting air in my bc by using my LPIH. I heard a pop and I immediately thought that I must have over inflated the bc and I thought to myself "how could i have over inflated it, I have only been pushing the inflate button for about 2-3 seconds." I tell my buddy that I can't inflate my BC and he says that there is bubbles coming out of the bladder. I tell my Instructor (who was on this fun dive with us) that I am having a problem with my BC. He looks and immediately drops my weight belt and begins towing me into shore. As he drops my weight belt I look over and my buddy is talking to another member of our dive group! (that is a whole other problem to be dealt with tonight). Anyway, after I am in shallower water i see that where the LPIH has come completly detached from the bladder. Which is why is wouldn't hold air.

Getting to my problem... I am really PO'd at myself for not realizing that the problem had elevated to the point where i should have released my weight belt myself. Someone else had to do it for me. I am really dissappointed in myself, especially since it was my instructor that had to do the dropping of the belt. I don't know I'm just really disappointed and just wanted to vent.

I don't think you mean the inflator hose came loose. You probably men the elbo, correct?
As for the instructor ditching the weights. Over kill, maybe, but the prudent thing. Did say had to kick to stay afloat.

 

[hudson]

Hmmm...at the end of the dive I would be only very slightly negative, so I wouldn't consider dropping my belt in that situation. Only a serious cramp, strong current and such would make me think of dropping the belt. The instructor went for the overkill probably because he didn't know the extent of your problem, only that you had trouble staying afloat - but doesn't necessarily mean you should have done the same.

I think the important decision is (assuming you aren't carrying too much lead) to remember to go back on your regulator so you don't unintentionally consume large quantities of saltwater...which may make things much worse.

 

[Splitlip]

We live in a litgious society. The instructor did the only prudent thing.

 

[ucfdiver]

If you NEED it, take two. Consider redundant buoyancy in a dry suit or dual bladder wing.

 

[don Francisco]

"That which doesn't kill me, makes me stronger". Nietzche could have been a diver. We learn from our mistakes (the non-fatal ones) and become stronger from the experience.

Those who have never experienced a problem can theorize about what they might have done in your situation, but they weren't there. You don't know what you might have done if the situation were more serious, and no one had stepped in.

I wouldn't beat myself up about it. Consider it a learning experience.

 

[cmburch]

I hope your dive buddy was not also your significant other. Yes, dropping the belt may have been the safest solution. There are many freedivers that are found wearing their weight belts each year, so they may have lived longer by better instruction or drilling. So now that this has occured, you will be able to recognize and respond faster, and may actually even save someone else in trouble. Don't worry about it - good learning experience!

 

[DandyDon]

Congratulations on surviving a great learning experience; you're more likely to remember next time.

Only time in my life I nearly died whilst diving it was at the surface and it never occurred to me to drop my belt. You train and you train and you train, but until it actually happens....

But I suspect that you, like me, would never make the same mistake again. Hard lessons can be good lessons.

Too many divers have problems after surfacing, fail to establish buoyancy, bodies located later with weights still on. Truth it, he could forget again; I have had to relearn things a few times. It happens.

We live in a litgious society. The instructor did the only prudent thing.

That must be it.

 

[Jim Kerr]

Went diving today. Even though it was cold, rainy and slightly windy, I had a great time. Until the end of the dive that is...Once I had surfaced, I am kicking to stay afloat while I am putting air in my bc by using my LPIH. I heard a pop and I immediately thought that I must have over inflated the bc and I thought to myself "how could i have over inflated it, I have only been pushing the inflate button for about 2-3 seconds." I tell my buddy that I can't inflate my BC and he says that there is bubbles coming out of the bladder. I tell my Instructor (who was on this fun dive with us) that I am having a problem with my BC. He looks and immediately drops my weight belt and begins towing me into shore. As he drops my weight belt I look over and my buddy is talking to another member of our dive group! (that is a whole other problem to be dealt with tonight). Anyway, after I am in shallower water i see that where the LPIH has come completly detached from the bladder. Which is why is wouldn't hold air.

I would like to add something on top of what everyone else has said. If you were fighting that hard to stay afloat on the surface at the end of your dive then it sounds like you were seriously overweighted. You should be able to hover at 15ft during the safety stop with no air in your BC and 500psi remaining in your tank.

 

[jeanne001]

To repspond to a few of the responses. The inflator hose came off directly where it attaches to the bladder (not sure if that is called the elbow or not). I was not panicking, I was staying afloat by kicking ( i wouldn't have wanted to do kick forever). I really wasn't sure what was happening other than the fact that I could not get my BC to inflate. I had a 7 mm wet suit, 7 mm hooded vest, skin and had 12 lbs of weight. I do think I was about 2 lbs. overweight. (5'1" and 140 lbs) I am VERY sorry to say that my buddy is my husband. I do believe in diving with a buddy at all times but I truly believe that ultimately we are always diving solo and should be prepared for self rescue at all times. Maybe I won't always feel this way but I do now. Thanks for all the responses so far. It has been a VERY good learning experience. I had been considering taking the Rescue class this fall. But at this point, I probably had better concentrate on taking care of /rescuing myself rather than other people.

 

[jeanne001]

My instructor had the belt in his hand while towing me (6 lbs) and I did have my reg in my mouth. I never spit it out till I am bouyant on the surface.