An avoidable tragedy...

[Warhammer]

jenmichigan.... It appears there will be no need for stock tank diving, sorry Don maybe another time. Just got the ok from the Mrs. to take a trip down to Florida and try out the new gear as soon as I get it. Now I just have to decide where to go.

 

[jenmichigan]

Warhammer,

That's great!! I'm so glad the Mrs. realized you needed some R & R. Have you been diving in Florida before? I've been a couple of times and enjoyed myself quite a bit.

Wooo that was a close one. The stock tank thing could have been ugly. lmao

 

[Iguana Don]

Gives a whole new meaning to the term "buddy diving"

 

[Warhammer]

Yeah, I've been to Panama City a few times, but that's about it. I may just shoot down to the springs for a weekend.

 

[jenmichigan]

I was just in Florida. I went to Crystal River and Devils Den. I have also been in previous trips to Rainbow River, Ginnie Springs, Alexander Springs, and Blue Springs. All very fun dives. I love the water temp of 72. It's great.

 

[Warhammer]

What I had thought about doing is diving Morrison, Vortex, and Ginnie Springs, making a weekend out of it. Now she tells me to hop a plane and head for the Keys or West Palm Beach if I want, says there's a hell of a deal ($98) on airfare to Lauderdale the month of Feb. I'll have to start another thread and search for a buddy in the next few weeks.

 

[Mario S Caner]

Hey Everyone, I know that's it very easy to drift off and start talking about one thing while the thread is about something totally different. I for one have been guilty of doing this on quite a few different threads. But, somehow that doesn't seam right on this one, because of the subject matter. Hope that doesn't sound hippocritical, I certainly don't intend it to be. I just don't want to lessen to value of the lesson, this was intended to be.

Just my final $0.02

 

[Warhammer]

And I'll do my best not to do it in the future. I have to admit it grips me sometimes when I start a thread asking for info and it drifts to something else. But it's hard to not respond to side notes, and when you do, the subject usually gets shifted. Sorry.

I'll take it back to where it left off...Mario, did you get any info on what the shop does with the gear? have you heard anymore details on the incident?

 

[mddolson]

Mario,
My compliments on your research into this accident.
I agree with your conclusions, there are obvious violations of basic safety protocall (3 diver team, 1 missing, surfacing diver contiues to dive alone etc)

3 man teams are risky in the best of times.
Had the surfacing diver reamined on the surface until the other 2 team mates surface, this could have ended differently.

As a user of the OTS buddy phone system, I agree that communications may have aided and perhaps prevented this tragedy, but, the comms are line of sight only, and a diver on one side of a wreck cannot communicate with a diver on the opposite side, which may have been the case here.

Full face masks are indeed safer, but the fact remains they and the buddy phones are cost prohibitive. At $800 - $1200 a pop, I don't think we'll see many jumping on that band wangon very soon.

My contention here is that strict adherance to the proper buddy system would have solved the problem, as apposed to a technological solution.


Mike

 

[Mario S Caner]

I strongly beleive that communication gear would have still been effective in this example. The rational behind my thoughts is that 3 man buddy team would have been able to communicate more efficiently...

Even after the seperation, regardless of whether they are visible to each other or not, they would have been visible to the boat floating 60 feet above them. If you sit back and draw a diagram, a triangle becomes visible.

As for costs, I was told to wait until DEMA, that there would be something exciting that was going to be announced there regarding pricing. I hate waiting, but am doing it regardless.