Breaking news: Alabama student drowns

[BKP]

I know most things are possible, just not plausible for someone to "fatally damage his lungs" in 20 feet of water. There has to be more to the story. Does anyone else see this as odd?

Condolences to the family and friends.

Basic OW training -- top 33 ft. = greatest pressure change. You can precipitate lung overexpansion injuries ascending just a few (3-4) feet.

 

[fisherdvm]

PADI regulator recovery: ..... You will practice both methods of recovery .... Italics - Remember to make the A a a a a h h h sound underwater whenever the regulator is not in your mouth. " This is the last sentence and itilicized for emphasis.

SSI regulator recovery - this emphasis is buried within the first sentence, not high lighted, and surrounded by alot of wordiness, but is as followed " If the second-stage comes out of your mouth while under water, rember first to keep exhaling and not to hold your breath. To retrieve the second stage:"

PADI discussion on CESA: "Rather than just exhaling, make a continous A aaa hhh sound as you exhale during your ascent".

SSI discussion on ESA, again, buried in alot of verbage and excessive discussion of the weight belt and when to release it, " 3. Vent air from the lungs by continously exhaling".

My gather from reading either ones - by reading the PADI text, you are hit in the face with italics, last sentence emphasis, and the command to say aaaahhhhhh (personnally I prefer ssssssssss). SSI overphasize the need for a slow controlled ascent (which is not bad) and not releasing the weight belt until you reach the surface, but NOT mentioning the need to overcome your innate breath holding reflex by verbally exhaling.

I believe this is a gross error on the SSI's book, and has to be corrected. No wonder why my sister and her husband were alarmed when I suggested that we practice ESA with my nephew - they were not trained in the method in their OW except with a regulator in their mouth and simply breathing.

 

[diver 85]

"Go and blow" was the mantra in my PDIC OW class for CESA.

With the accelerated classes many divers get today these vital facts get boiled down to a statement. Lacking the physics lesson that used to come with a dive education it often goes in one ear and out the other without full comprehension.

I am not saying that this the case in this accident. From what I have read university based programs are often excellent. I believe it is still not known what level this diver was operating at or training to.

Pete

Spectrum.......In Louisiana is spelled 'Bleaux and Geaux'......

 

[fisherdvm]

CESA should be taught at every level of diving - Snooba, resort dive, helmet dive, or any dives - regardless of level that used compressed air.

It is irrelevant what level of training this student is in, before you take one whiff of compressed air, you need to learn how to continously exhale when the regulator or helmet is off your head or out of the mouth.

Not to be overly supportive of PADI, I do think that their text is well laid out, cover alot of important aspect with emphasis. SSI looked like it was thrown together with alot of verbage and the important aspects - like ESA skill, not mentioned at all, or simply left as "remember to exhale".

 

[diver 85]

CESA should be taught at every level of diving - Snooba, resort dive, helmet dive, or any dives - regardless of level that used compressed air.

It is irrelevant what level of training this student is in, before you take one whiff of compressed air, you need to learn how to continously exhale when the regulator or helmet is off your head or out of the mouth.

Not to be overly supportive of PADI, I do think that their text is well laid out, cover alot of important aspect with emphasis. SSI looked like it was thrown together with alot of verbage and the important aspects - like ESA skill, not mentioned at all, or simply left as "remember to exhale".

Yep on the teaching of it......

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I know most things are possible, just not plausible for someone to "fatally damage his lungs" in 20 feet of water. There has to be more to the story. Does anyone else see this as odd?

Condolences to the family and friends.

Need to go back and read a little in your ow manual. Does not take much to pop a lung. Take a balloon with you next time you go diving. Fill it full at 15 ft, tie it off and let it go. Then imagine a lung doing the same thing.

 

[Thalassamania]

Yep on the teaching of it......

I agree, the problem that most Instructors face is that it takes 17 repetitions of a moderately complicated skill to assure that it will be done correctly 95% of the time (I think that was Egstrom and Bacharach). Doesn’t fit into an 18 hr, 3 day class does it?

 

[Scuba Brian]

Shallowest recorded lung over-expansion 3 feet.( A DAN article i read a few years back.)

 

[mkschefke]

Hi, All! I'm new here and to scuba diving (still doing pool work). I've been lurking for a while. I live in Alabama and thought ya'll might want an update on the scuba training accident. Here is a link to the newest update.

http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1177229836264300.xml&coll=2

 

[mkschefke]

Sorry...I didn't read new replies this morning:blush: