Counting strikes: One, two, two, two . . .

[dbulmer]

Lynne,
I would have done exactly the same as you did but with one exception - with someone I don't know too well I usually bring some extra weights and I would have aborted the dive to get the weighting sorted - to quote Gareth Burrows - "press the easy button ."

While you might be thinking of the risk assessment, what I see is that the other diver has made a couple of errors that he is unlikely to make again because you took the time and trouble to help him - personally I think you're due a round of applause

 

[eelnoraa]

If this dive site is like Breakwater or Point Lobos in Monterey. If so, I wouldn't have call the dive. I will do exactly what you do, alter the dive plan, make it a shallow easy dive. If it is like Butterfly house, Monastary, then I will call the dive when I find out he has 2200psi in his unknown tank.

 

[iluvtheocean]

nothing seemed insurmountable just annoyances -- as long as you set him straight on the issues the 2 of you encountered --- and where to get the hoses fixed and a properly sized wing -- definately not at the shop that he got the stuff at -- what id*t would sell a 65lb wing for a single tank setup? that looks like a lawsuit waiting to happen if he inflates too much at depth.

i remember i didn't call a deep dive after i got to the boat after finding only 2800psi in the tank instead of the 3500 i was expecting. (i had tested the tank after it cooled down about a month before and hadn't dove with it until then) -- but that equaled out to about 110 cuft. (if my math is right) - so didn't worry about it. came up with just under 1000 - (i found out that my nieces had been playing with the valve while they were staying with us so that solved the mystery of the missing gas)


this was test dive in my opinion and as long as the issues got worked out and nobody got hurt or OOA

and he got to find out if his secondary reg/octo is good enough to breath off of for an extended period. Which is why i guess many people say the 2nd should be same quality as the primary

 

[Darnold9999]

I count strikes on myself re stupid things I do - get to three call the dive. On that basis you had one strike - the dry suit. Two more like that call the dive because your head is not in the game. Don't call the dive because three things went wrong, but three things that were in my control went wrong - subtle but in my mind important difference.

You buddy was in "checkout" mode so lack of weight, partial tank and hose routed incorrectly are not strikes so much as things to note to deal with. Probably would have taken the reg back to the car and rerouted hoses rather than dive with them backwards, but hard to tell without seeing the config. If I was going back to the car would have done a quick weight check before heading back. New diver almost never has weights correct so an easy check to do close to shore where getting weights is not a big deal.

A partial fill - just shorten the plan - assuming that works for the site you are diving on. On this dive easy to do so no need to call the dive.

 

[nimoh]

I would have made the dive. After seeing his gear setup, I would quickly realize that this was probably going to be more of a babysitting dive than a sightseeing dive, and like you did, the dive plan would get progressively shallower with each issue.

However, I would probably be in my doubles and don't carry extra weight, and the weight I do have is not removable, so he would either have to go and get more weight while I wait in the nice cool water, or we would be doing scuba surface excursion

If I was in a single tank (rare for me), I would have some removable weight that he could have, and I like to think I would do the same thing you did -- dive shrink wrapped and be above 10 feet once the tanks start getting low.

I would probably not dive with him again, unless he was making an effort to get his gear in order and improve. Even though I have the tools in my car, I would likely not fix his equipment for him as I think that after doing that, any reg problems would get blamed on me. He can go to a shop for that.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... only thing I'd have done differently is to reroute the second stage hose ... hopefully would've caught it before we hit the water, but if not we'd have gotten out and got that squared away. I normally carry extra weights when I dive with someone under the circumstances you described ... usually a pair of 2# ankle weights in my drysuit pockets, because they're easy to attach and move around for trimming purposes. Might have had to get out a second time in this case ... assuming you're at Cove 2, not a huge issue. PITA, for sure ... I applaud your perserverance ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[tkdgodess]

I would have walked over too him in the parking lot and got him geared up, tell him to walk down to beach, i will catch up. I am always suspisious of new buddies and would rather deal with issues before i put my gear on.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

I would have done the dive and have had several dives with dives just like you described. This is why we have training areas and great mentors such as yourself. It is much better that you took the time to help him out than for him to be over a wall, unknown site that has a bottom over 100 feet and new unknown divers, etc. I would have changed the regs around properly due to the fact that, "That is my reg and my air." I want there to be no mixup if I need air.

 

[iluvtheocean]

I would have made the dive. After seeing his gear setup, I would quickly realize that this was probably going to be more of a babysitting dive than a sightseeing dive, and like you did, the dive plan would get progressively shallower with each issue.

However, I would probably be in my doubles and don't carry extra weight, and the weight I do have is not removable, so he would either have to go and get more weight while I wait in the nice cool water, or we would be doing scuba surface excursion

If I was in a single tank (rare for me), I would have some removable weight that he could have, and I like to think I would do the same thing you did -- dive shrink wrapped and be above 10 feet once the tanks start getting low.

I would probably not dive with him again, unless he was making an effort to get his gear in order and improve. Even though I have the tools in my car, I would likely not fix his equipment for him as I think that after doing that, any reg problems would get blamed on me. He can go to a shop for that.

nimoh has a point --- changing the hoses may not be difficult -- but in this current society -- better safe than sorry... unless he wants to do it himself -- borrowing the tools would be inconsequential. a wrench is a wrench is a wrench in this case

 

[flots am]

Although I back up quickly, I get enough water in my suit that both of my legs are somewhat wet. Would you go on to dive?

Still OK here. I can always bag the dive later if the water is making me too cold, although it would set off my "I might be stupid today" alarm, and I'd be on red-alert watching for other stuff.

I look at his first stage, and yes, the hoses are set up that way. I look at the second stage, and no, it's not one of the ones you can route from either side, so it's upside-down.

That's where it would stop for me. No dive until/unless this is fixed.

The last thing I want in an emergency is an out of air diver (or me) sucking on a wet, upside-down reg.

flots.