85 ft Dive on 13 ft Pony Almost Ends Badly

[Chip Elliott]

Oops.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

It's certainly an interesting practical test - the OP went in with an underfilled (2500 psi) 13 cf tank, dove to 85 ft, picked up a weight belt, and ascended with the added weight and without a BC. By the looks of things he took a minute to get to the bottom and a minute to recover the belt, left the bottom with somewhere around 1300-1400 psi in the tank, and was back on the surface 2 minutes later without taking a safety stop and with a little under 1000 psi in the tank.

I was on a charter boat the other day and we were diving in 90 feet or so and several people had spare airs units. I've not actually seen anyone carrying them in a while. They make my 6 cu-ft pony look big - they make me nervous with holster tucked into a BC with coil lines on it and plastic clips holding it here and there. I have to wonder how fast they could actually deploy the unit in an emergency.

I would like to try to film my ascent with one of those from 90 feet. I think it would be interesting.

I also found the one diver's fin choice a little unnerving. Every time I looked over at him, i had a minor panic attack. Pretty much all the people I dive with use freedive fins (for scuba) and they have a long, slow cadence and calm-looking kick.

Everytime i glanced over, I would see this one guy with little flippers that were flapping up and down at 100 mph! (SP split fins) LOL It instantly sets off my internal alarm that something must be wrong, but then a moment later I am reminded that there is no emergency and that this is the normal kick cadence required.

 

[scubadada]

I was on a charter boat the other day and we were diving in 90 feet or so and several people had spare airs units. I've not actually seen anyone carrying them in a while. They make my 6 cu-ft pony look big - they make me nervous with holster tucked into a BC with coil lines on it and plastic clips holding it here and there. I have to wonder how fast they could actually deploy the unit in an emergency.

I would like to try to film my ascent with one of those from 90 feet. I think it would be interesting...

That would be interesting to try. At my average RMV, I could do a direct ascent at 30 ft/min from 90 feet and end up with a little under 400 psi (assuming it started at 3000). I dive with a 19 cf pony, a little over 6 Spare Airs

 

[Odiver]

Today we were snorkeling on some wrecks in 85 ft and my buddy accidentally drops his weightbelt.

So we yell for the boat, he comes close and the operator presses MOB on the GPS and I get in. We run up current a little and I grab my 13 cu-ft pony bottle and a reg and decide to swim down and try to find the lost belt on the bottom in 85 ft with around 2500 psi.

The other 4 freedivers are drifting off to the north and continuing to spearfish. There is one charter dive boat on site who we spoke to previously who has divers in the water and he sees us run up current and drop me in with the pony (at least I think he sees me).

I assume my boat will stay above me and follow my bubbles and “be there” for when I surface (hopefully wearing two weightbelts – and no BC of course).

Surprisingly, I quickly find the belt, put it on and begin a swimming ascent. I had intended to test the dive computer which was on the console, but I guess I forgot to push the start button.

I make it to the surface, but the other freedivers have shot a fish and our boat driver goes to help them (we had seen a large bullshark in the area). So I am kicking to stay on the surface and the scuba charter boat is really close to me and I just know he sees me there on this flat calm day.

Since my boat is down current and not coming for me, I decide to start the computer and drop down a little and check the computer and the depth calibration versus a freedive computer. That goes well also and I make a second uneventful ascent to the surface.

Now I see the charter boat coming toward me, I think “wow that is nice for him to come over and check if I am OK.. but he is kinda coming a little fast”, but then he continues to accelerate and I need to quickly swim to the side and away and the boat goes zipping by me. Pretty fast and pretty close. I’m surprised and pissed and yell - the captain comes off the wheel after he passes me and yells that he didn’t see me.

Can’t really blame him too much, but he should have been looking ahead when he operates the boat around a bunch of freedivers and scuba dives and he should probably stay at an idle speed too. And of course, if I had sent up an SMB and marked my position, I am sure he would have noticed me.

I ASSUMED my boat would follow above me and protect me and I ASSUMED the charter captain was seeing me on the surface. The captain apparently ASSUMED no divers were in the immediate area, so he could put the hammer down a little.

Three bad assumptions that almost had serious consequences.

Hey I got the weightbelt back!

 

[Odiver]

I appreciate the info and the video. I got one for you. I had only been certified a month or so when I got with a couple of divers at a Quarry in Ohio for a few dives. I didn't have my own reg at the time so I borrowed one from the dive shop owner. We were having a great time diving through airplanes, boats and even a school bus. Nonetheless, my computer was revealing I was using a considerable amount of air. I thought maybe I was breathing too hard or too fast because we had not been down long. As we were headed toward another wreck I looked at my computer and it was now saying I'm all most out of air. As I motioned toward one of the divers who happened to be a dive master to let him know my situation I ran out of air. Not good. I reached for his primary and grabbed it right out of his mouth. Some of the best air I ever had. He took hold of his octo and we made our assent. Once out of the water we realized one of the low pressure hoses was loose and caused my air to excape while I was enjoying the sites. I never checked to make sure the connections were tight taking for granted that it belonged to a dive professional. Big mistake.

 

[rongoodman]

Once out of the water we realized one of the low pressure hoses was loose and caused my air to excape while I was enjoying the sites. I never checked to make sure the connections were tight taking for granted that it belonged to a dive professional. Big mistake.

How did your buddies not see the escaping bubbles?

 

[Odiver]

How did your buddies not see the escaping bubbles?

I asked the same question.

 

[oldschoolto]

well... Nu

I appreciate the info and the video. I got one for you. I had only been certified a month or so when I got with a couple of divers at a Quarry in Ohio for a few dives. I didn't have my own reg at the time so I borrowed one from the dive shop owner. We were having a great time diving through airplanes, boats and even a school bus. Nonetheless, my computer was revealing I was using a considerable amount of air. I thought maybe I was breathing too hard or too fast because we had not been down long. As we were headed toward another wreck I looked at my computer and it was now saying I'm all most out of air. As I motioned toward one of the divers who happened to be a dive master to let him know my situation I ran out of air. Not good. I reached for his primary and grabbed it right out of his mouth. Some of the best air I ever had. He took hold of his octo and we made our assent. Once out of the water we realized one of the low pressure hoses was loose and caused my air to excape while I was enjoying the sites. I never checked to make sure the connections were tight taking for granted that it belonged to a dive professional. Big mistake.

Well, First off you should have heard the leak when you put the regulator on the tank , The other trick is to roll to your side and give yourself a bubble check... Number 2, Never pull a regulator from someones mouth, You go for their Octo... Hope you have learned from it...

Jim..

 

[Odiver]

This was a big lesson for me.

well... Nu


Well, First off you should have heard the leak when you put the regulator on the tank , The other trick is to roll to your side and give yourself a bubble check... Number 2, Never pull a regulator from someones mouth, You go for their Octo... Hope you have learned from it...

Jim..

know

 

[dumpsterDiver]

A good lesson. Your buddies were incompetent. If you had a serious leak, they should have noticed it.

Also you should have been paying closer attention to your air consumption.

Few people are going to check the tightness of all regulator hoses before a dive, but it might be a good idea with a borrowed one or one which has been worked on recently.

Also, you should have noticed the bubbles, but with a thick hood and if you were actively swimming around and breathing pretty hard, it is understandable that you didn't notice the bubbles.

If you are really calm and paying attention, you will hear a leak, even a small one. If you suspect it, the first thing to do is take a big breath and then hold it in, do not exhale and then roll onto your back a little and look for bubbles coming up from the first stage or the back of the BC. It should only take about 10-12 seconds- then if you think you see bubbles, notify your buddy and begin an ascent.

so you screwed up, you were distracted, inattentive careless and were diving with similarly inattentive (and probably incompetent buddies)...that is not a reason to die - but I can definitely see how you have decided that the next $300 in the scuba budget is going to be a pony bottle.