Time to hang up my wetsuit after near death on NYE

[guruboy]

1) you ran out of air.... you didn’t “nearly die”.... we train for out of air emergencies in OWC.... and it sounds like it went fine....as for a SS, they are recommended, but not required. Jarring experience sure, but no need to tell fishing stories here.

2) you are responsible for your safety, not your DM..... you put yourself in your situation by not thumbing the dive, even when you knew better....barring some catastrophic emergency, there is 0 excuse for running out of air.... especially when you are actively checking your SPG.


If you learn from it, this experience will make you a better diver

They didn’t run out of air

 

[M-Cameron]

They didn’t run out of air

Why share air then?.....his last psi reading he stated was 20 bar, that’s enough to surface on your own air, albeit cutting it close

 

[guruboy]

Why share air then?.....his last psi reading he stated was 20 bar, that’s enough to surface on your own air, albeit cutting it close

Maybe the DM thought it would help calm down the OP?

It’s also common at times for DM to share air to extend dives.


Personally, if I were DMing someone and they came up to me, low on air, and looking panicked, I would probably share air if I didn’t think it would make things less safe. It “removes” the immediate threat to the diver and hopefully gives me time to calm the situation and end the dive in a more controlled manner.

 

[Ana]

If your response to this incident is that you better quit because is too risky, maybe you are correct. Sounds a hair dramatic when reading that you nearly die, but you may be accurate. It is a very good thing you didn't die.

Maybe think back about how you were taught, and if you truly believe that you followed your training I suggest you find your instructor and get your money back.

 

[W W Meixner]

I'm a newly certified AOW with 20 dives under my belt. On the eve of new year I decided to go for a fun dive with a dive center that had pretty good reviews on TripAdvisor.
I'm out with a DM who is new to the divesite.
On the first dive everything goes well, we dive at 18m the currents are pretty strong but we pass the strong currents just once.

On the second dive, the DM takes us through multiple sections of high current zones where we're swimming against the currents. This is honestly new to me as I've never dived against such strong current and my air consumption is higher than normal.
At around 20mins into the dive I'm reaching the reserve levels in my tank instead of reaching the reserve at 45 mins as is my usual air consumption.
I signal the DM that I'm low on air and she doesn't take notice. I look around for my dive buddy in case I need to swim to him to share air.
After a while I've reached my reserve and I indicate to my DM again that I'm low on air and she just asks me to swim in another section of high current.
Now a sense of panic sets in, I decide to swim into the current straight towards her and show her a low air directly on her face. Now I have 20 bar air left but I'm a bit relieved because she's got the message. We share air but because my tank is so light it drags us both up.
In my sense panic and the rapid ascent I forget to control my buoyancy and we both surface without a safety stop.

So there we go, that was a traumatic ending to 2019 and in all honesty I've decided that scuba in general is too risky for me to pursue. I love swimming and snorkeling is a better alternative for me.
The DM had her version of the story but I was in a state of shock and I didn't argue with her. I was the customer after all.

E...

Big difference between an advanced open water diver...and a card that states AOW certified...

There should have been a pre-dive briefing...conditions should have been explained...you should have refused to dive this location...

Any diver has the right to refuse any dive at any time for any reason...

If you'd have been an advanced open water diver...you would have known this...you are certainly not an advanced diver with only twenty dives...regardless of what your C-Card states...

W.W...

 

[Storker]

If you'd have been an advanced open water diver..

You seem to have your own definition of what an "advanced diver" is. For someone who don't have the advantage of your experience and insight, how can one identify an "advanced open water diver"? The most tempting clue would be a C-card carrying the words "Advanced Open Water", but obviously this isn't enough IYNSHO. So, please elaborate on what makes an "advanced open water diver" (as if that topic hasn't been beaten to death and then back to life several times here...)?

 

[M-Cameron]

Maybe the DM thought it would help calm down the OP?

It’s also common at times for DM to share air to extend dives.


Personally, if I were DMing someone and they came up to me, low on air, and looking panicked, I would probably share air if I didn’t think it would make things less safe. It “removes” the immediate threat to the diver and hopefully gives me time to calm the situation and end the dive in a more controlled manner.

If that’s the case then OP has quite a flair for the dramatic.

If running LOW on air = “near death” to OP... then either they don’t have the temperament to dive, in which case maybe they should give up diving..... or they were failed at every level of their training, and should really repeat their OWC with a QUALIFIED instructor before they get back in the water.

Ide be interested to hear where OP got certified..... because I have a sneaking suspicion they were certified at a resort that just pushed people through the class to sell them a dive package.

 

[caydiver]

I am a big fan of TA but don’t trust the Reviews one single bit. You have no idea about the experience or intention of the Reviewer, there are many businesses that pay for reviews, there are businesses that offer discounts if you write a review and there are many outstanding businesses who have repeat clientele who are not ever going to write reviews. I like to read about people’s actual overall experience and get a feeling for where their head is at to see if it is something that would work for me. Years ago I pressured my other half to stay at a place in the Florida Keys that was the highest rated by far. It was a run down dump with little signs everywhere to write a review on TA. The place we normally stay doesn’t have a request in sight. I hope you stick with diving and I am sorry for your experience but hope you will bounce back. Agree with others, look to get in some easy dives. In fact maybe even do an Advanced Course to hone your new skill set and get your confidence back. Certainly don’t believe everything you read online

 

[jgttrey]

Diving may or may not be the right sport for you, but settling that issue doesn't have much to do with this particular experience.

Put it in a different context. If you were a novice skier and some instructor took you on a run that was too advanced for you and didn't provide any assistance, you'd have a bad experience. But that is not an indictment of the sport, just an indication that you should proceed more gradually and find a better guide.

It is normal, though ultimately wrong, for a new diver to see the DM as the guarantor of their safety or some sort of continuation of their instruction. A DM is usually not an instructor and even if they are, they are not acting in that capacity. They do have some responsibility to watch their flock but the job is guiding, not handholding, or at least it shouldn't be. Once you got your card, you became responsible for your own safety, including when to dive and when not to and when to ascend if you need to.

To be sure, your DM sounds like an idiot and helped create this situation, but if you run out of gas on a dive, it's because you didn't ascend. That is not a criticism. It ought to give you some comfort because you need to realize that AT ANY POINT in that experience, you could have surfaced and had access to unlimited air.

 

[lowviz]

It is normal, though ultimately wrong, for a new diver to see the DM as the guarantor of their safety or some sort of continuation of their instruction.

Precisely that. Yes, the student is 'wrong' but they are in a learning environment where making mistakes should be expected and corrected.

People learn by copying. "OH? low on air, keep moving. You can share mine." Massive Fail on the DM's part.

Could have been: "Oh? uncomfortable, let's ascend and discuss."

Seriously, this one is a no-brainer.