Hatul
Contributor
Isn't the rule that if one diver thumbs the dive the buddy surfaces as well?
Accident in Clear Lake, Oregon
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According to some divers, yes. It gets ignored in practice frequently. I shudder when I read statements around the forums like "My husband is really slow to equalize so I drop down to the bottom and wait for him there."
I've learned the hard way to have a discussion with anyone I buddy with: "Ok, so can we agree that we enter together, descend together - waiting if one needs extra time to clear, swim the dive together, ascend together, safety stop together, stay together until we exit, and then - exit together?" If they don't like it, I bail then. I've done searches too many times when a bud did something different, like one time with three of us diving a crowded practice hole. I lost one in the crowd on the surface, couldn't find him, then used my pony to do a fast drop to 80 ft looking for him. He's gone to his car, which I couldn't see.
I haven't dived Clear Lake in years, but it is one of the most spectacular dives in Oregon. This is not the first fatality in Clear Lake either, as I remember one in the 1970s. I doubt that the Forest Service will close the lake to diving because of this.
Anyone diving Clear Lake must be aware that it is very cold year-round. Even in summer, the temperatures in the head (spring area) are about 37 degrees F. Full wet suits (preferably Farmer John with a pull-over hooded jacket) or dry suits are necessary to be comfortable in Clear Lake. If a dry suit is worn, good buoyancy control is necessary. I used an Aquala dry suit (very old-style) years ago in Clear Lake, and had a forced ascent to the surface because of inflated legs. (That was my first dry suit dive.)
I have no idea what happened with this fatality, but do know that Clear Lake is an advanced dive, as it is both an altitude (~3500 feet, if memory serves me) and cold-water dive.
My thoughts go to the victim and his family.
SeaRat
Anyone diving Clear Lake must be aware that it is very cold year-round. Even in summer, the temperatures in the head (spring area) are about 37 degrees F. Full wet suits (preferably Farmer John with a pull-over hooded jacket) or dry suits are necessary to be comfortable in Clear Lake. If a dry suit is worn, good buoyancy control is necessary. I used an Aquala dry suit (very old-style) years ago in Clear Lake, and had a forced ascent to the surface because of inflated legs. (That was my first dry suit dive.)
I have no idea what happened with this fatality, but do know that Clear Lake is an advanced dive, as it is both an altitude (~3500 feet, if memory serves me) and cold-water dive.
My thoughts go to the victim and his family.
SeaRat
This tragedy really grips me, as I've dove the location many times, and led students there.
A few take-aways (NOT an insult to the diver, but so we can find some ways we could avoid the same) that I've gone over with my students-
1- It's a buddy sport. Not just getting in and out- at all times. No one dives alone. We don't know if he had a heart attack or stroke etc, but we know no diver should be alone.
2- Get training! I don't know their training level, as no article covered that fact, but if you've got students worried about diving clearlake now, this is where we can help manage that fear -- students, you're certified to the level of your training. Because Clearlake is certainly cold, free flowing regs are common (in groups of ten, it's rare for me not to have at least one diver get a free flow), also the hypoxia upon surfacing can cause lots of divers undue stress or panic. On top of all that, the altitude is just another piece. Glancing at an altitude chart and saying "got it" is certainly not enough. Just because it's local doesn't mean it's easy.
Again, this isn't to make any ill of the diver, we clearly don't know enough information yet to say exactly what happened on this dive. But I had a class get certified the weekend before, and some were thinking of going to clearlake the same day this group did. Being able to learn lessons from every dive is crucial to helping us avoid those small steps that can lead to a big problem.
My heart goes out to the diver, and the family. NW diving is a small family, and it takes a certain level of crazy to go hit some 38 degree water, and I'm sorry we've lost one of our own.
A few take-aways (NOT an insult to the diver, but so we can find some ways we could avoid the same) that I've gone over with my students-
1- It's a buddy sport. Not just getting in and out- at all times. No one dives alone. We don't know if he had a heart attack or stroke etc, but we know no diver should be alone.
2- Get training! I don't know their training level, as no article covered that fact, but if you've got students worried about diving clearlake now, this is where we can help manage that fear -- students, you're certified to the level of your training. Because Clearlake is certainly cold, free flowing regs are common (in groups of ten, it's rare for me not to have at least one diver get a free flow), also the hypoxia upon surfacing can cause lots of divers undue stress or panic. On top of all that, the altitude is just another piece. Glancing at an altitude chart and saying "got it" is certainly not enough. Just because it's local doesn't mean it's easy.
Again, this isn't to make any ill of the diver, we clearly don't know enough information yet to say exactly what happened on this dive. But I had a class get certified the weekend before, and some were thinking of going to clearlake the same day this group did. Being able to learn lessons from every dive is crucial to helping us avoid those small steps that can lead to a big problem.
My heart goes out to the diver, and the family. NW diving is a small family, and it takes a certain level of crazy to go hit some 38 degree water, and I'm sorry we've lost one of our own.
lavachickie
Contributor
Agreed, JimmyNemo2, this one really hits home.
I'm curious if the divers were in agreement that they were, in essence, solo diving. And if so, had they obtained relevant training? (Not only does that training provide skills you can use to do this risky activity more safely, it really impresses upon you the real risks involved.)
This style of diving is not uncommon in groups (either here or in warm vacation locations). You get complacent to the risks in known areas, and you are overconfident in your own abilities and trusting in your past experiences that nothing goes wrong.
"If one person of the group wants to surface and doesn't need help, let us know and go."
I, for one, won't be doing it again. I'll admit not so much for my own safety, but because I wouldn't wish the hell the others are likely feeling as a result of the situation in on anyone.
For some reason, THIS incident (of which I really know little of, just what has been published) really formed in my mind the never ending horror it would be to have to live with the not knowing. I would never want to leave my friends, buddies, colleagues or even a general stranger, with that burden of not knowing, of "What if?"
Damn.
I'm curious if the divers were in agreement that they were, in essence, solo diving. And if so, had they obtained relevant training? (Not only does that training provide skills you can use to do this risky activity more safely, it really impresses upon you the real risks involved.)
This style of diving is not uncommon in groups (either here or in warm vacation locations). You get complacent to the risks in known areas, and you are overconfident in your own abilities and trusting in your past experiences that nothing goes wrong.
"If one person of the group wants to surface and doesn't need help, let us know and go."
I, for one, won't be doing it again. I'll admit not so much for my own safety, but because I wouldn't wish the hell the others are likely feeling as a result of the situation in on anyone.
For some reason, THIS incident (of which I really know little of, just what has been published) really formed in my mind the never ending horror it would be to have to live with the not knowing. I would never want to leave my friends, buddies, colleagues or even a general stranger, with that burden of not knowing, of "What if?"
Damn.
TONY CHANEY
Contributor
There was a heck of a long thread pertaining to entering and leaving together or just seperating and continuing the dive. I pick my battles very well and prefer to end the dive just as we started...together. OTOH, if a diver does not feel right then we end the dive together and if someone has a slight equipment malfunction (drysuit leaking, primary light failure, etc.) then I might continue to dive solo or with the group. It really does depend upon the dive. As for me, in the caves, oceans and tech dives...end the dive as a team.
For those wondering about the reason people would dive in Clear Lake, let me explain a bit about this lake. This post has nothing to do with the this fatality, but is written to show why people like diving here. I have not been in Clear Lake since the 1980s, but treasure the memories of diving there. The head of the lake, which is actually the headwaters of the McKenzie River, is spring-fed. As such, it is very cold year-round, and very clear. It is as close to the clarity of the tropics as we can get in Oregon. Diving in Clear Lake is like floating in air. It is completely different from our "normal" saltwater or freshwater diving in rivers. Visibility seems unlimited. It is easy to get a ways away from your buddy here, as we can see each other 50 feet away. Buoyancy control is very important, as the bottom is a very soft silt that can boil up into the water if we get close to the bottom. Here are some images I have taken, and below there are a few more, in Clear Lake.
Looking up, the rowboat seems to hover over the diver.
In the 1970s, I dove a pull-ove wetsuit, and a double hose regulator.
I experimented with an Aquala Dry Suit in Clear Lake in the later 1970s.
There is a petrified forest in Clear Lake, which is very, very old, apparently over 1000 years old. To see that these trees are much the same as when the lake was formed by volcanic action as the Cascade Mountains explains the wonder divers feel diving Clear Lake in the Oregon Cascades.
When we dived, it was before the altitude dive tables had been published. So we dove capillary gauges for our depth readings, feeling that these better compensated for the pressure changes at altitude than more expensive oil-filled gauges which are calibrated for salt water and sea level. This is because the capillary gauge is directly affected by the air pressure, and also the air column shortens when the air cools. For those who don't know, a capillary gauge is simply a tube that allows water in, and gives a calibrated depth reading. If half the tube is filled, you are at 33 feet (34 in fresh water); at 66 feet (68 in fresh water) the tube is about 1/3 filled with air, and you can see the water coming into the tube by a yellow backing under the tube.
I see where this is advertised as a beginner/intermediate diving experience. But be aware that it is relatively easy to get deep in Clear Lake, and that as the divers go downstream (there is about a half-knot current in the narrows area), the lake deepens and the visibility gets worse. Also, and this may be a factor in this accident, the weather is a factor in any dive here unless it is summer and warm. Right now there is snow in the Cascades, so this could complicate things and chill people even before getting into the water.
Looking up, the rowboat seems to hover over the diver.
In the 1970s, I dove a pull-ove wetsuit, and a double hose regulator.
I experimented with an Aquala Dry Suit in Clear Lake in the later 1970s.
There is a petrified forest in Clear Lake, which is very, very old, apparently over 1000 years old. To see that these trees are much the same as when the lake was formed by volcanic action as the Cascade Mountains explains the wonder divers feel diving Clear Lake in the Oregon Cascades.
When we dived, it was before the altitude dive tables had been published. So we dove capillary gauges for our depth readings, feeling that these better compensated for the pressure changes at altitude than more expensive oil-filled gauges which are calibrated for salt water and sea level. This is because the capillary gauge is directly affected by the air pressure, and also the air column shortens when the air cools. For those who don't know, a capillary gauge is simply a tube that allows water in, and gives a calibrated depth reading. If half the tube is filled, you are at 33 feet (34 in fresh water); at 66 feet (68 in fresh water) the tube is about 1/3 filled with air, and you can see the water coming into the tube by a yellow backing under the tube.
I see where this is advertised as a beginner/intermediate diving experience. But be aware that it is relatively easy to get deep in Clear Lake, and that as the divers go downstream (there is about a half-knot current in the narrows area), the lake deepens and the visibility gets worse. Also, and this may be a factor in this accident, the weather is a factor in any dive here unless it is summer and warm. Right now there is snow in the Cascades, so this could complicate things and chill people even before getting into the water.
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TONY CHANEY
Contributor
That really is some great vis!
Forgive the photo's, I cant help but share memories of amazing dives we've had there. (and forgive the diver with the dangly console)
John and LavaChickie- absolutely! Some of my all time favourite shots I've taken underwater have been from this lake, and it's deceptive on the how easy it looks VS what can go wrong.
I've had multiple divers spit regs out immediately upon surfacing, and get hypoxia
I've had kultiple divers get a frozen open reg and panic- bolting for the surface when they were deeper than they thought (IE-100FT) - INCREDIBLY dangerous
I've myself tried to "man up" and last too long out there in a wetsuit and come out unable to unzip my own wetsuit for 45 minutes from being hypothermic.
It looks so easy with the calm water and the seemingly (to us) unlimited viz, but it truly takes more skill, ad so when you add onto that, diving alone, or doing an ascent alone, I agree with you Lavachickie- we cant guarantee it would have helped anything, but do we want to live with the regret of thinking "what if I'd have been there?" Even if it was a heart attack- I'd sure want a buddy to just jam on my inflator and tow me in, hopefully giving rescue breaths and asking someone shore-side to call 911! I don't want to ever be stuck wondering what could have happened because I was still getting my last 20 minutes of a dive in. It's just not worth it.
And you're right- it's easier to do at sites closer to home, we get comfortable- forgetting we are in an alien world, and we truly need to be with our buddies to keep the odds on our side. Not just tin the same water same day, but right with. I can't even imagine the way the survivors might be feeling, wondering if they could have made a difference. No one should have to live with that. Not when it's so easy to avoid- stay with your buddy, and you'll at least be able to say, "I did all I could"
We were going to be diving it next week, we're putting it off out of respect, we'll go hit Florence, and have a talk with our dive club about how the rules don't keep you down, they are made to allow you to get back up and out of the water from each dive.
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