- Messages
- 54,065
- Reaction score
- 8,213
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
I met up with two other divers at a popular practice hole across the state line to descend as a trio to the 81 ft bottom. I've dived with one several times before, the other as part of a group tour to Belize - saw both of them as multi-card vacation divers who should know what they're doing. I try to avoid my nature of wanting to tell them what I think we should do, and respected their training and experiences enough (they'd both done this hole several times before) enough to just participate in group discussion of the dive plan.
I don't like diving trios, as that's twice as many buddies for me to watch, but we did our gear checks and went in for what was supposed to be a simple practice dive. With the 5,000 ft elevation, we adjusted the time limit accordingly. Two lessons I did pickup from the experience that I'll mention now:
1-I wrote on my slate in indelible pen "Please stay close" so I'll remember show it to buddies on future diving planning, advising I may point to it later if I feel a need, also as a reminder in case the other(s) are casual about that. Not had that problem with these either of these two before, but - the dive site is viewed a bit boring to all 3 of us, a feeling to change in this story.
2-We had a very interested and willing bubble-watcher along, and I should have suggested "Okay, let's pretend she is the boat crew and give her our okay signals before descending and after surfacing" as well as explaining to the watcher to return okays, or call for help if she saw a waving diver. On the next trip there, this watcher was now a paper carded newbie, and we did use both of these ideas, the latter adjusted - "remember to signal each other before and after the dive."
At the bottom, the other two seemed causal about staying in good buddy contact, and I recall feeling uncomfortable about trying to keep both close as I shot a few pics with my new strobe. This was supposed to be a practice and check any new gear dive, with two experienced divers! We did get the trio tighter tho, swam around a bit. No one told me when they hit 1500# (added that to my permanent slate list too) but one of them did signal when he hit 1000# and we started our slow ascent, 1 minute stop at 40 ft, 3 minutes or more below 12 ft, but then we got separated by an OW class doing skills on the lines. I kept looking around, but felt we'd made it that far together, so I wasn't very concerned that time. I am more intent on that now, with the permanent request on my slate for a point-to communication.
On the surface, I signaled my usual buddy who signaled okay back, but didn't' see the other?! I looked around again, looked to the bubble watcher asking where is so-and-so but I know now she didn't understand what I said and her "I don't know" signal was conveying that. At the time I thought she didn't know where he was. (see above lessons noted)
Having 700# in my back tank, 3000# in my 19 cf pony with both spgs easy to reach, and a computer well within the green zone - my reaction was to tell usual buddy I was going back to search. I did not feel good about it, but then who would feel good the moment. I felt less comfortable later, and worked on prevention of ever repeating the problem, but have decided to ask other trained and experienced divers - what would you have done at the moment...??
I did a quick search of the 60 ft diameter bottom, then started a circling ascent, with another safety stop and exit with the pony nearly dry, my back tank with 450#. Having not found him in the hole, I left the water to check the parking lot before callng out, and then learned from the bubble watcher that the missing diver was at his car. He didn't say much, nor did I - as I wanted to cool my temper for a while before speaking, but he loaded up and left the site before I did - 200 miles back, skipping the other planned dives.
Yep, it was a continuation of the dive when I descended again - realized that at the time and did so only after checking my computer which was quite happy - well within the green. For the record, 700# in an 80 cf tank should be plenty for a diver to make a somewhat safe ascent from 80 ft, in addition to the 3000# 19 cf I used for the bounce - so yes, I did have backup gas to ascend if the other source failed. I had the pony gauge in one hand for the entire time I used it. Not defending the action, but clarifying that I did have the equivalent of 1450# for the extension of the dive.
Again, it was a spur of the moment reaction to search for a missing buddy - with 1450#, a happy computer, dive light in one hand and spg in the other, ending with a safety stop. I did not feel good about it at the time, less so afterwards.
I don't like diving trios, as that's twice as many buddies for me to watch, but we did our gear checks and went in for what was supposed to be a simple practice dive. With the 5,000 ft elevation, we adjusted the time limit accordingly. Two lessons I did pickup from the experience that I'll mention now:
1-I wrote on my slate in indelible pen "Please stay close" so I'll remember show it to buddies on future diving planning, advising I may point to it later if I feel a need, also as a reminder in case the other(s) are casual about that. Not had that problem with these either of these two before, but - the dive site is viewed a bit boring to all 3 of us, a feeling to change in this story.
2-We had a very interested and willing bubble-watcher along, and I should have suggested "Okay, let's pretend she is the boat crew and give her our okay signals before descending and after surfacing" as well as explaining to the watcher to return okays, or call for help if she saw a waving diver. On the next trip there, this watcher was now a paper carded newbie, and we did use both of these ideas, the latter adjusted - "remember to signal each other before and after the dive."
At the bottom, the other two seemed causal about staying in good buddy contact, and I recall feeling uncomfortable about trying to keep both close as I shot a few pics with my new strobe. This was supposed to be a practice and check any new gear dive, with two experienced divers! We did get the trio tighter tho, swam around a bit. No one told me when they hit 1500# (added that to my permanent slate list too) but one of them did signal when he hit 1000# and we started our slow ascent, 1 minute stop at 40 ft, 3 minutes or more below 12 ft, but then we got separated by an OW class doing skills on the lines. I kept looking around, but felt we'd made it that far together, so I wasn't very concerned that time. I am more intent on that now, with the permanent request on my slate for a point-to communication.
On the surface, I signaled my usual buddy who signaled okay back, but didn't' see the other?! I looked around again, looked to the bubble watcher asking where is so-and-so but I know now she didn't understand what I said and her "I don't know" signal was conveying that. At the time I thought she didn't know where he was. (see above lessons noted)
Having 700# in my back tank, 3000# in my 19 cf pony with both spgs easy to reach, and a computer well within the green zone - my reaction was to tell usual buddy I was going back to search. I did not feel good about it, but then who would feel good the moment. I felt less comfortable later, and worked on prevention of ever repeating the problem, but have decided to ask other trained and experienced divers - what would you have done at the moment...??
I did a quick search of the 60 ft diameter bottom, then started a circling ascent, with another safety stop and exit with the pony nearly dry, my back tank with 450#. Having not found him in the hole, I left the water to check the parking lot before callng out, and then learned from the bubble watcher that the missing diver was at his car. He didn't say much, nor did I - as I wanted to cool my temper for a while before speaking, but he loaded up and left the site before I did - 200 miles back, skipping the other planned dives.
Yep, it was a continuation of the dive when I descended again - realized that at the time and did so only after checking my computer which was quite happy - well within the green. For the record, 700# in an 80 cf tank should be plenty for a diver to make a somewhat safe ascent from 80 ft, in addition to the 3000# 19 cf I used for the bounce - so yes, I did have backup gas to ascend if the other source failed. I had the pony gauge in one hand for the entire time I used it. Not defending the action, but clarifying that I did have the equivalent of 1450# for the extension of the dive.
Again, it was a spur of the moment reaction to search for a missing buddy - with 1450#, a happy computer, dive light in one hand and spg in the other, ending with a safety stop. I did not feel good about it at the time, less so afterwards.
