(15 APR 04) Have you ever been close to meeting your maker while diving

[mempilot]

I do too, and I will almost bet I know who was the group of divers on the boat that day. They can be quite intimidating to a more experienced diver, let alone one with a little over 20 dives under their weightbelt.

Point of different focus though, this particular dive operator now features a DM with 9 1/2 fingers. He got 1/2 his left pinky finger bit off by a puffer fish. Only he didnt' know he'd lost the finger until he pulled off the glove.

Apparently he was trying to incite the fish to "blow himself up," and ended up pissing off the fish, who then attacked him and left him with fingers numbering 9 1/2.

Sad....

Rick

That DM is the owner, and his finger is encased in plastic on the front counter. He's the one running the nitrox courses on the boat. I like the operation, just not the treatment of inexperienced divers. BTW, I'm one of those tech divers that uses their boat, but I wasn't on the boat that day.

 

[pipedope]

I used to volunteer at a certain aquarium in Tampa and I had a Zeagle BC that I could not release the weights in. Some one turned off the surface supplied air while I was cleaning the bottom. Not fun with out fins while you are overweighted!!!

Or you offer them the alternative;
THEY dive and you tend them.

Of course, you could call OSHA and file a complaint.
Cleaning is clearly a working dive and the commercial diving regulations apply.

Heck, you should get a lawyer and apply for workers comp. It should pay for your medical treatment and lost wages if you were unable to work.

Just because you were a volunteer doesn't mean that the aquarium is not an employeer under OSHA diving regs. The fact that THEY control WHO dives, Where they dive, How they dive, When the dive, and they supply the gear then they would really have a hard time to make a case that you were not an employee under OSHA regs.

 

[OneBrightGator]

Apparently he was trying to incite the fish to "blow himself up," and ended up pissing off the fish, who then attacked him and left him with fingers numbering 9 1/2.

Sad....

Rick

I've been on this boat too, I think he got what he deserved with the puffer.

Going back to your other post, the 33.7% fill, don't accept a mix other then what you asked for, all that shop had to do was blowout a certain amount and refill with air to get the right mix, certainly easy enough to do.

Ben

 

[Scubaguy62]

I've been on this boat too, I think he got what he deserved with the puffer.

Going back to your other post, the 33.7% fill, don't accept a mix other then what you asked for, all that shop had to do was blowout a certain amount and refill with air to get the right mix, certainly easy enough to do.

Ben

I know Ben...learn that lesson really quick. I'm just a little spolied by my fill station and their ultra pure, pre-mixed gasses. Rest assured that although it's all in how you ask, the next time I get a PP fill, it will be within .1 of the % I want before the tank goes with me.

Rick

 

[Ryukyu-diver]

Thanks for sharing that with us and I happy to see that you made it out OK. I do feel that you should hold the dive operation accountable (yes legal issures). If for no other reason than them letting you dive NITROX without being certified as well as having you sign the "little sticker" of the mix. It's a requirement that you not only sign the "sticker" but do the analyzing as well.

 

[SDAnderson]

Getting closer to my maker is a big part of why I dive. Peace and tranquility (well, except on Town Pier night dives) and an opportunity to see a whole new perspective on the Universe are what diving is all about. That and spending down so that I don't have to worry so much about squeezing through the eye of a needle.

Oh, I know, that's not what the question meant and yes, I've had some close scrapes. Mistakes get made, boundaries get pushed, I've found that a good back-up plan is the best defense against my own stupidity or the occasional equipment failure.

 

[FredT]

Several of them. One is detailed here:

http://scubaboard.com/showthread.php?p=76668#post76668

 

[Taucher]

Nope !

 

[fgray1]

Several of them. One is detailed here:

http://scubaboard.com/showthread.php?p=76668#post76668

How does that saying go.
"Sometimes you eat the bear but sometimes the bear eats you"
I wanted to try spear fishing but running around with bait on my hip don't seem like a good idea.
Fred

 

[Uncle Pug]

Fred... that is an incredible tooth!