Being left on the dive site: How to avoid and how to survive...

[Dan]

That guy has great buoyancy control and technique - but why did he flip us off at 1:25 in?

To get our attention I guess.

Personally I would use my thumb & middle finger as the spool axel like holding a Big Mac rather than sticking the middle finger into the spool hole.

He makes it looks easy in the pool. Try to do it in the open sea under a swift current like this diver of GoDivePH

 

[Dan]

Sounds like Jupiter dive center. I used to love those guys but the past few years their ability to actually drop you on the reef (even being first off and heading down quickly) has been awful. Last 3 times in a row they missed it so I said no more. That and their nitrox policies. I’m a licensed vippper and had my tanks viper within 2 months of the last dive. They wouldn’t fill them because I didn’t have a dive shop name on the sticker. I showed them my vip license but they didn’t care. They just wanted to re-vip my tanks. ANd they don’t do partial pressure blending so the bio is less important meaning it’s entirely ignorance and stupidity.

Yep. They redeemed it on the “third” dive. We had a nice dive in Lighthouse / Loggethead site. Saw loggerhead turtle, nurse shark, lemon shark, green morays, Queen angelfish, Gray angelfish, schooling spadefish, porkfish, and the reason I went there for, Goliath Groupers.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

What is the captain to do should you surface early and not where expected?

Well the answer depends on the type of dive and the dive site. For shallow dives (less than 16m) at our normal dive sites, the captain follows bubbles and if he loses them, he just circles the sites waiting for the smb to pop up. This works well here with the dive sites we are on daily.

Now for deeper dives, the captain knows we will be shooting an smb once we hit 21m. Once we descend, he begins looking for an SMB right away, Either a yellow one for an emergency or an orange one indicating we have begun our ascent. So no matter if we begin to ascend early, there is an SMB being shot that he can find and then follow us even if we are doing a drifting deco.

As far as location on the deeper sites, the captain knows where we are heading. He is also very aware of the currents that we may encounter and where those would send us if we get caught. So with this info he is constantly scanning in the known possible directions, again looking for the SMBs.

This process is one that has served us well due to the specifics of the dive sites, the knowledge of the captains and the communication between dive team and captain.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Well the answer depends on the type of dive and the dive site. For shallow dives (less than 16m) at our normal dive sites, the captain follows bubbles and if he loses them, he just circles the sites waiting for the smb to pop up. This works well here with the dive sites we are on daily.

Now for deeper dives, the captain knows we will be shooting an smb once we hit 21m. Once we descend, he begins looking for an SMB right away, Either a yellow one for an emergency or an orange one indicating we have begun our ascent. So no matter if we begin to ascend early, there is an SMB being shot that he can find and then follow us even if we are doing a drifting deco.

As far as location on the deeper sites, the captain knows where we are heading. He is also very aware of the currents that we may encounter and where those would send us if we get caught. So with this info he is constantly scanning in the known possible directions, again looking for the SMBs.

This process is one that has served us well due to the specifics of the dive sites, the knowledge of the captains and the communication between dive team and captain.

Great answer, thanks Turk.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

Great answer, thanks Turk.

my pleasure.

 

[JohnnyC]

That Gary Dallas goofy vent blow let go add thing is silly. Leaving the double ender on the line as it ascends is also silly.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

That Gary Dallas goofy vent blow let go add thing is silly. Leaving the double ender on the line as it ascends is also silly.

Yeah, I have seen others add a little bit of air to get the smb to stand up before fully deploying it and I never understood that. It takes more time and is added step that I deem to be unnecessary. I open my smb and using some flare I unroll it. Then I add the air needed to send it in one breath.

I also don't leave my double ender on the line. I clip mine off to the d-ring until deployed and then reattach it to the line.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I don't do it but also don't understand why there would be anothing wrong with leaving the double ender on. Please advise.

 

[Storker]

That Gary Dallas goofy vent blow let go add thing is silly. Leaving the double ender on the line as it ascends is also silly.

Care to elaborate as to why?

 

[Searcaigh]

I don't do it but also don't understand why there would be anothing wrong with leaving the double ender on. Please advise.

I use the double ender to wind the line back onto the reel while ascending