A Near Miss at CSSP

[TwoBitTxn]

Those stairs are really slick when wet. Glad to hear you are ok.

 

[tracydr]

I had a similar incident last summer during my DMC. My buddy and instructor were chatting under the sun shade and I decided to cool off. I had my gear on but hadn't turned my air on yet. I was going to sit down in 3-4 feet of water to get my wet suit re-wet on our break because it was well over 100 degrees.
I stepped into the muddy water and found a steep hole, went under well over my head and quickly learned that I
1. Couldn't easily swim up my steel tank with a 3ml wetsuit ( I can but barely)
2. It's very difficult to do anything as (oral inflate, turn valve on,etc,) when you have an empty set of lungs
I very nearly drowned with my buddy and instructor standing just a few feet away. In about 6 feet of water.

 

[beaverdivers]

A few years back, we lost a diver locally who was walking on some rocks prior to entering the water and fell. He was negative and may have struck his head in the fall -- at any rate, he didn't come up and his buddy couldn't find him until it was too late. Ever since then, if I am approaching the water, my wing is fully inflated (unless we're doing a hot drop off a boat).

If you fell & hit your head, then went unconscious & your wing was fully inflated "Would you have drowned?"

 

[chrpai]

The answer is the same as for a stab jacket. Maybe, maybe not. No BCD is a coast guard certified personal flotation device.

 

[beaverdivers]

If you are totally unconscious a Scubapro Stabilizing Jacket will float you face-up when it is fully inflated!


Have you ever tried it?

I have.

For this reason, the Scubapro " Stab" jacket is still one of the most popular choices for the discerning diver!

 

[chrpai]

That doesn't mean he wouldn't drown. Humpty dumpty could take a fall, flop first face into the water and then inhale. He might pop head up but that doesn't mean he won't drown.

Try to stay on topic and not go off on your usual anti BP/W rants.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I found it confining, bulky, and not nearly as comfortable as my plate and wing. And if you are unconscious how the hell are you going to inflate it. If you have a buddy they don't want you upright. You need to be easily rolled onto your back with minimal effort required to cut it off. The classic stab jacket made me feel more unsafe than any piece of gear I have used.
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[beaverdivers]

I stepped into the muddy water and found a steep hole, went under well over my head and quickly learned that I
1. Couldn't easily swim up my steel tank with a 3ml wetsuit ( I can but barely)
2. It's very difficult to do anything as (oral inflate, turn valve on,etc,) when you have an empty set of lungs
I very nearly drowned with my buddy and instructor standing just a few feet away. In about 6 feet of water.

Were you wearing a SS or AL backplate?

 

[chrpai]

BTW; as I said I am over weighted with the HP100 and the SS bp. I am going to switch back to an aluminum bp to see if shedding 4lbs helps.

He's in a SS plate and plans on trying an AL plate.

 

[beaverdivers]

Were you wearing a SS or AL backplate?

The question was directed to tracydr.