Accidents waiting to happen

[bwerb]

You know...we really need a guy like John Long in the world of diving. For those who are unfamiliar with John Long...he's a rock climbing guru/writer with a terrific sense of humor. He has written several books including "Close Calls, Climbing Mishaps and Near-Death Experiences". They are basically retelling of climbing accidents with the names changed to protect the guilty with summaries at the end of each brief report titled "commentary" and "prevention".

They are so well written that not only do you laugh at the "stupidity" exhibited, but you also very clearly see from the commentary a bit of the bigger picture and from the prevention a lesson to take to heart.

Here is a brief sample of the writing from a chapter entitled:Miracle on Frustration

Commentary: Seventeenth-century French Author La Rouchefoucauld said that supremely lucky people rarely amend their ways. They always imagine they are in the right when fortune upholds their tomfoolery. Like any large community, the climbing world has always sported a handful of "chosen ones" who literally can get away with suicide. Yabbo was one of these chosen ones, a climber the rock refused to kill. The rest of us are well served in believing the rock is indifferent to our lives and that we must proceed with respect for potential trouble.

Prevention: For Yabbo? Professional help was indicated....

 

[Big Blue One]

Once read an obituary for an experienced climber who fell off a very simple climb that he had done hundreds of times before.

It was described as a great tragedy, a loss to the climbing world, and a grieving family left behind

He was climbing solo - that is without a rope. At 20m up gravity is a universal law.

Dare I say that at 20m under is also subject to similar universal laws.

Diving should never be described as safe. It should be described as hazardous in which prudent observation of simple rules and procedures can help reduce the probability of injury or death.

Experienced sports people are described as unlucky or unfortunate, novices as "careless" !?

 

[gcbryan]

I once felt this way about a frequently diving newer diver. It turned out I was the one who was wrong and boy did I feel like a judgmental jerk.

It turned out I didn't really have much first hand knowledge of his diving/planning/judgement and when I later found out that many of my earlier assumptions were wrong I quit judging other divers so harshly and as someone posted earlier I began looking in my own mirror instead.

As I gotten more diving experience I've realized that the people I was misjudging were just people who did things differently than I do and at first it would irritate me that everyone wasn't just like me. Imagine that. Now I'm a lot more tolerant and if I do judge someone I make sure I really know what I'm talking about.

Maybe this doesn't apply to any of you but I suspect that maybe it does.

 

[UWSojourner]

Diving should never be described as safe. It should be described as hazardous in which prudent observation of simple rules and procedures can help reduce the probability of injury or death.

This question/thought is directed for comment by Uncle Pug and others who have similar practical diving experience (if you want to opine).

Obviously, if nothing goes wrong, then diving is safe (uncanny knack for the obvious, huh?). But it seems much of initial dive training is just getting you "comfortable" - comfortable about setting up gear, comfortable in the water, etc. At the extreme, its almost as if we're getting people (me, my daughters) just comfortable enough to get themselves killed (i.e. when something does go wrong).

Analogy: I got my pilot's license in high school. This meant that I could fly generally when there was 5+ miles of visability and good ceilings. If weather blew in so that vis deteriorated I would have ... well, lets just say my life expectancy would have deteriorated as well.

SCUBA must be relatively safe since more people don't die. But, is there some set of mishaps that everyone should prepare to meet? For example, suppose I do everything correctly pre-dive (not dehydrated, no drugs, planned the dive, etc.), but I become entangled, or my reg free-flows, etc.

Question (FINALLY!) Is there a list of drills, skills, practices, whatever, that should be mastered to ensure "maximum" safety? What are they? And what type of diving should one do until they are mastered (only supervised, etc)? Or is it only a question of experience? ... I can accept that. It seems pretty obvious that the more experience you have the better prepared you are to meet difficulties.

FWIW These are the types of questions that make DIR-F appealing to me. At least, to me, it appears DIR-folk practice as if something can go wrong. (PLEASE don't turn this into a DIR debate.)

 

[Rick Murchison]

Diving should never be described as safe.

Yesterday, exiting the cave with some 37 minutes of deco to go, I realized that soon I would be leaving the relative safety of the water and entering a truly hazardous environment, for I'd be loading the Scuba Van and pulling out onto the public highway for the drive home!
Rick

 

[SoScuba]

Diving should never be described as safe. It should be described as hazardous in which prudent observation of simple rules and procedures can help reduce the probability of injury or death

I wouldnt use the word "probability" but maybe "posibility.

 

[SoScuba]

Is there a list of drills, skills, practices, whatever, that should be mastered to ensure "maximum" safety? What are they? And what type of diving should one do until they are mastered (only supervised, etc)?[/B] Or is it only a question of experience? ... I can accept that. It seems pretty obvious that the more experience you have the better prepared you are to meet difficulties.

FWIW These are the types of questions that make DIR-F appealing to me. At least, to me, it appears DIR-folk practice as if something can go wrong. (PLEASE don't turn this into a DIR debate.)

Your right. It is one of the things that make DIR-F appealing. But heres another question. Will taking a DIR-F class cause you to suddenly practice skills and drills that you could be doing yourself on a regular basis. Even basic Open Waters teach you drills and skills that you could go out and practice yourself. A buddy of mine are doing just that this weekend. We are scheduled on a charter in Lake Ontario and the whole dive will be practicing skills that we have done and learned previously. Its the old saying that practice makes perfect. Every level of diving has safety drills and skills that could be practiced and mastered. Whos stopping you from doing it.
Or are you waiting for your DIR-F course to start????
"you" referring to any diver...not just you in particular.

 

[Chivas]

Accidents don't have to happen in the water. When I was finishing my AOW I had occasion to dive with my instructor as he was going through the final certification dives with some students. He refused to certify one of the students stating that he was sloppy, arogant, and some day would get in trouble because of his over confidence and kill someone.
A few months later he flew his BMW through the tree tops 30' off the ground and killed his best friend, leaving a widow to raise 3 children. Blood alcohol level was off the chart.

 

[Wijbrandus]

Was this the instructor or the student that killed someone?

 

[Chivas]

The student.