2 more upper keys dive fatalities, 8/6/2011

[RedCash02]

Interesting revelation about his experience....

Maybe the weight pockets were unable to be released because they were overfilled. Probably not as common of an issue in the Keys, but in the cold water here I see a lot of OW classes trying to fit all the weight needed for a 7mm two-piece in the BC. I remember trying to assist someone clipping their's and it took both of us to push it in far enough to clip. I really doubt that thing would have come out easily in an emergency.

 

[Jax]

I think before a lot of credence is given to the number of dives, it would be important to know that there actually WERE 400 dives, and how recent they are.

 

[DandyDon]

I think before a lot of credence is given to the number of dives, it would be important to know that there actually WERE 400 dives, and how recent they are.

True or not, recent or not, the screw-ups are kinda obvious.

 

[BKP]

Interesting revelation about his experience....

Maybe the weight pockets were unable to be released because they were overfilled. Probably not as common of an issue in the Keys, but in the cold water here I see a lot of OW classes trying to fit all the weight needed for a 7mm two-piece in the BC. I remember trying to assist someone clipping their's and it took both of us to push it in far enough to clip. I really doubt that thing would have come out easily in an emergency.

Good point... and I just tried that out of curiosity.

One of my BC's is an Aqualung, with the SureLock II system. Based on the capacity instructions (and there *is* a warning about overfilling), I stuffed the maximum in soft shot weights (10lbs.) into each pouch. I don't think I could have shoe-horned more in there if I wanted to (perhaps that's why they suggest hard lead).
In any case, I was able to get both in, and both out, wearing the BC, with the wing both deflated and inflated. It was tougher getting them *in* than out.

Again, this is all speculation until more facts surface. Panic/anxiety can play a significant role in any OOA situation as well...

 

[BKP]

True or not, recent or not, the screw-ups are kinda obvious.

Well... in defense of the deceased, there is always the outside shot of a series of unfortunate variables coming together at the wrong time/wrong place with tragic outcomes...

See: "Fate is the Hunter" w/ Glenn Ford...

 

[DoNotDstrb]

I think before a lot of credence is given to the number of dives, it would be important to know that there actually WERE 400 dives, and how recent they are.

IMHO, the number of dives matters little. Common sense went out the window here..... It doesn't matter if they got their OWC last week or last century....

1. Drift diving without a float/flag is idiotic.
2. Overweighing so you can stay down with the lobsters is idiotic. I guess they succeeded there!
3. Diving with faulty equipment (i.e. disconnected leaking inflator/octo-inflator) just to save a dive is idiotic.
4. Diving without an octo/octo-inflator is idiotic -- its not 1975 any more!
5. Not "playing" with a new BC to the point of utter familiarity (how complicated are they, really?) before 1st use is idiotic.

Forget 400 -- I have well over 4,000 dives and would NEVER do any of the above..... whether in 30 or 300 feet...

As we listened to the frantic search efforts on the VHF and some details came out.... my GF, who's been diving LESS than 6 months was asking stuff like: Why no flag?, Aren't you supposed to be able to swim up with an empty tank? Why are they buddy-breathing -- didn't they have an octo? -- If a relative newby can come up with this (common sense) stuff.......

Like I said before... I feel for their families --- but from the (incomplete) information that's already come out, this one was 1,000% preventable with just a fraction of an ounce of common sense. I would be shocked if they find any genuine equipment malfunctions in this one such as the stuck pocket someone mentioned.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Wonder if that new BCD had quick-releases on the shoulder harness.

Wonder if it occurred to the owner to use them.

Wonder if the fact that he had just bought it the previous day inhibited him from making that decision.

Food for thought ... he was OOA, so keeping the rig on bought him nothing. Taking it off would've got him to the surface ... probably rather quickly.

It's just gear ... and most times, it's recoverable.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ReeferBen]

We don't know what his weighting was, but whatever it was, he could have dumped the whole kit and survived.

This is probably true.

 

[Splitlip]

My LDS had a problem with a newly-received BC - sorry, I don't remember the brand. One weight pocket was STUCK. We all looked at it and couldn't figure it out. After I removed, checked out, and replaced the other weight pocket, it stuck, too. The LDS sent it back, and the Manfctr had the replacement out the door before he shipped the defective one. That means they were aware of a problem, IMO.

I hope this isn't another one of those.

Interesting that you mention that. When I was looking into BC's for my daughter, we checked out one that had this locking system with a pair of big orange handles for the weight pockets. (it might have been the Mares) While it was on it's hanger, I could not remove the weight pouchs. While wearing it, the diver's natural tug released the weights. I figured it was much like my wife's service holster. Anybody other than the wearer would have a hard time removing the firearm the way the holster and it's retaining mechanism was designed. It was intended to prevent a bad guy from pulling it. Good for a holster, bad for a BC.

 

[Splitlip]

I have ran OOA in my pool while playing UW poker. Since i never ran OOA before i played around with the empty tank and learned my octo still had 1 breath, and my power inflator still worked. my primary stopped functioning at 375psi.

being a few lbs heavy (new gear and not knowing proper weight or starting back from a break from diving) i still find it easy to swim up to surface.

Someone did state they were lobstering which alot of people like overweighting so they could stick to the bottom and explore holes better which could account for being even more overweight.

An Air2 type device would explain lack of AAS if it was disconnected due to leak, in efforts to save a dive.

some weights are in pockets that pull out (mares dragon, the newer aqualungs) I dont think the zippers are accessable for a ditch senario with quick release buckles jammed (i may be wrong though)

Recently had a 1st stage diaphram go out on a reg which rendered all the air useless which could be another contributing factor.

either way it is sad what happened to these divers and we will probably never know the full compilation of events, but hopefully we will learn something

U R Right Imwright (I crack me up sometimes) about over weighting for bug hunting. But I'm stuck on the 400 dives. At that Mr. Moss should have had a better handle on everything. It was a shallow dive, at least by our standards as you well know. Although as I type, maybe after the first dive he threw logic, common sense and training to the wind and loaded up with lead because he had gotten blown off a hole.
Bug fever makes people do stupid things. But still...400 dives...