Anyone ever done this?

[ATXGoreDiver]

First, I'd like to say 'Hello' to everyone.
This is my first post on these boards.
I've been certified for about 3 years now but, don't have many dives under my belt. Due mainly to my dive buddy (my instructor) moving right after I got certified. I recently talked some friends into getting certified and we're really excited about going to a lot of places.

Anyway. Enough about me.

I did something REALLY stupid and was wondering if this happened to anyone.
We were diving in a scuba park here in Texas. We did our first dive and had lunch. Hooked up our second tanks and entered the water. I was the last one in. We entered by doing a long stride off the dock. I checked all my gear, I could breath, grabbed my DC and held onto my mask and took a deep breath.
I landed and went under and started to take another breath when I heard gurgling.
I had my dang snorkel in my mouth!

I didn't panic or anything, I just spit out the snorkel, grabbed my reg and started laughing... I felt REALLY stupid.

Anyone had anything similar?

Anyway... just wanted to say hello and reveal my stupidity to everyone

- ATXGoreDiver

 

[Doc]

Nothing that dumb, no not me.

I did do a backroll with sunglasses on, once.

That, and a cigar in my pie hole.

But, no, nothing as dumb as a snorkel. What kinda dummy would have a snorkel?

Hey- I'm not laughing at you... I'm laughing because of you. I say that every morning in the mirror.

 

[ATXGoreDiver]

Nothing that dumb, no not me.

I did do a backroll with sunglasses on, once.

That, and a cigar in my pie hole.

But, no, nothing as dumb as a snorkel. What kinda dummy would have a snorkel?

Hey- I'm not laughing at you... I'm laughing because of you. I say that every morning in the mirror.

haha, that's awesome

 

[spectrum]

Any diver who hasn't done it it come close from a boat dock or simple surface descent is not using a snorkel or is lying or isn't diving enough.

I have come close on horizontal descents.

My wife has done it a few times catching a mouthful of water. Last time she just retrieved her primary cleared herself out and just kept going.

This can be one good reason to avoid doing a hot drop from a boat or dock. Having air in your BC so you surface for a final check is a good safety net if the current isn't going to sweep you away. Of course you can still make the error in a moment of distraction and that's why you practice regulator recovery.

We are human and we better not forget it.

Pete

 

[TSandM]

I did it in the pool during my OW class. Thought I'd gotten away with it unseen, too, until we surfaced and the instructor lit into all the DMs and AIs for not noticing. Then EVERYBODY knew I'd been dumb. But that was only the first of many stupid things . . . Getting in the water with my dry suit unzipped, forgetting my weight belt and FAILING to recognize that that's why I couldn't stay underwater, backrolling off a boat without holding onto my mask and losing it, so my husband had to bounce dive to 50 feet to retrieve it. Driving to a dive site an hour and a half away and discovering I'd forgotten my dry gloves.

We're all human, and diving is a complex endeavor which therefore leaves a lot of openings for Murphy to sneak in!

 

[spectrum]

Now if you want stupid I'll give you stupid ....

* I go for a dive 7mm full suit, 7mm hooded step in vest
* 20 pound weight belt and 6 pounds of trim weight in BC pockets
* Had a nice dive
* Get back on beach and go to remove my weights, no belt! Did I drop it?

Not at all. While chatting and setting up I donned my belt before the hooded vest and covered the weight belt! Fortunately (as was most likely) I had no need to ditch weight!

The lesson I learned.... There comes a point while setting up where you really need to pay attention to yourself and only yourself. There is a reason why I read of technical divers being very inward while preparing for a dive. And yes.... a better buddy check would have been nice.

Pete

 

[AbyssalPlains]

I had my dang snorkel in my mouth!

- ATXGoreDiver

Welcome on the board!!
Not sure if this makes you feel better, but here is a guy who has 80+ dives and guess what happened to me recently while I was assisting an OW instructor in the pool? Yep, exactly.


Things happen but not because we're stupid. I mean, come on, scuba diving is not rocket science, is it? The important thing is to be cool about it and remind oneself every once in a while, "Hey, I need to pay attention."

 

[Garrobo]

I forgot to put weights on for my second pool dive. Had a heck of a time getting down. The instructor didn't figure it out till I told him about it. He mentioned that he was wondering why I had so much trouble sinking and moving around but since everyone was a complete beginner it didn't sink in. I don't use a snorkel during open water unless the DM insist on it but I do use a snorkel in the pool while I am exercising my legs for future dives. Several times while doing laps I have reached for my computer which isn't there.

 

[nereas]

PADI has a great descent procedure, to prevent problems like that.

1) Signal to your buddy, OK?
2) Check your computer or watch
3) Check your azimuth set on your compass
4) Switch from snorkel to reg
5) Signal your buddy, going down

If you are out of practice, it is easy to forget any one of these steps.

I do not remember NAUI having a specific descent protocol like this one. But as a NAUI instructor, I have always taught students to use PADI's.

I cannot speak for SSI nor YMCA.

Anytime you have not dived for awhile, you should pick up your basic open water diving manual, and re-read it. Then visualize what your dive will be like. Then do it according to your visualization.

The dumbest thing that I ever did was use the same weight belt for a lake dive as I was using for the ocean. That made me 6 lbs overweighted for the fresh water, and it was not pretty. I don't make that mistake anymore.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yeah, I've done it before ... more than once. It's one reason I stopped wearing a snorkel.

Everybody does dumb things from time to time ... even very experienced divers. Was doing a deco dive a coupla weeks ago ... switched to my O2 bottle, went to take a breath ... then realized I had forgotten to open the tank valve. Fortunately, it's an easy error to correct ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)