Cozumel Incident

[ReefHound]

"A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure."
-- Segal's Law

The man with one watch may think he knows what time it is.

The only one of them that can ever be reasonably sure is the man with two watches that are in basic agreement.

 

[Damselfish]

The man with one watch may think he knows what time it is, until it dies.

 

[BackDocDiver]

I'm kind of new to this board, but in my humble opinion, protecting the names of Ops that perform questionably makes no sense. Otherwise, what is this board for? Aren't we all trying to gain wisdom by our collective experiences? I'm relatively new to diving as well, but I do know that I cannot correct the things I don't know if I don't know I don't know them. . If there are areas that a poster in this forum truly feels are "saftey issues", be kind enough to inform us fully. I might be thanking you with my life some day.

Stacy

 

[dherbman]

If the other side of the story were available, I might agree. There's always two sides and a single sided thrashing doesn't really benefit anyone, imo......

 

[ReefHound]

If the other side of the story were available, I might agree. There's always two sides and a single sided thrashing doesn't really benefit anyone, imo......

It benefits everyone, if it is true. By your definition, there would never be a negative review of any product or service anywhere.

The other party has every opportunity to present the other side, if they wish. I agree that one should be very cautious about secondhand info or drawing assumptions, but firsthand experience is fair game. It's neither noble nor responsible to cover for anyone.

 

[TheRedHead]

Take a look at the tables and let me know what your group designation letter is after a 12 hour SI.

True, and I didn't ask anyone to pop the battery since I had a 16 hour surface interval. I would have been happy to dive in gague mode. Since I was taking my Advanced Nitrox class at the time and using 50% at my stops on my deep dive, the Cobra didn't have an accurate picture of my profile. I was diving with it to be ultra-conservative. My biggest mistake was buying the stupid Cobra, and of course, posting a deviation from the PADI dogma.

 

[TheRedHead]

The only one of them that can ever be reasonably sure is the man with two watches that are in basic agreement.

You know, the deeper you dive, the less likely that watch (other than the basic time keeper) is going to be used.

 

[Bonairetrip]

1) Divers doing video (especially when following/chasing subjects) tend to work very hard and can easily exceed ascent rates over short distances. (Clear water, great viz, focusing on getting the shot, currents, etc. ) In addition, as an employee she is probably doing at least two dives a days for many days in a row.

2) Not all DCS hits are "deserved". Hers may or may not have been. Without analyzing the data, it is very hard to tell.

3) I have been to Coz several times and now prefer Bonaire. Why? I shore dive and am 100% responsible for every aspect of my dive and have no oversight other than what I want to put out. I have met some superb divers there and some of questionable skill. (I was certified old school style in 1977 starting on my 15th birthday). I am very cautious about who I share certain info with (especially things like seahorses and deep wrecks) for the safety of all involved. So, while I would say the skill level is higher than Coz, there are great divers and lame divers in both locations.

 

[dherbman]

It benefits everyone, if it is true. By your definition, there would never be a negative review of any product or service anywhere.


The other party has every opportunity to present the other side, if they wish. I agree that one should be very cautious about secondhand info or drawing assumptions, but firsthand experience is fair game. It's neither noble nor responsible to cover for anyone.

So, SB is the only source of justice in the world of diving? Kangaroo court adjourns, no defense is necessary, we'll notify the perpetrator after sentencing.

Sorry, but there are very few people I trust enough to use their word alone as a basis to destroy a business. None of those people exist solely as anonymous internet presence.

If there is a post here that references any active attempt to bring the DM into the discussion, I missed it. Are you implying that all DM's should monitor SB daily for slander and that in failing to do so they are deemed guilty of any allegations leveled at them?

I don't know the DM or the operation he works for. What I do know is that many of these DMs have been diving the same sites on a daily basis for longer than most people on this board have been diving. They know the sites and they know the profiles. Given the currents present on many of the sites, I'd wonder if the greater risk is an unaccompanied ascent, as opposed to ignoring the NDL of your computer and staying with the dive leader.
Dive computers have varying degrees of conservatism and most people diving them don't plan their dives. DM's actually plan their dives and while that plan may push beyond the conservatism of many computers, it is planned for safety. If you are diving a Cobra, you are not going to get the BT a less conservative computer would. Bump the conservatism setting up or leave the altitude setting at the more conservative of the three and it becomes even more conservative.
To me, it seems safer to stay with the DM and understand the profile you are diving instead of trusting a computer you may not fully understand. What are the options? Ideally, the group should stay together. I'll be pissed if I have to ascend with 1400psi because your computer tells you are in deco.
So, do you ascend when your computer tells you and leave the group? This is one way many incidents begin. I wouldn't recommend it.
I doubt that the profiles chosen by the DM are typically to blame for divers getting bent. I tend to believe that the cause is likely poor ascent skills possibly combined with a sawtooth profile resulting from poor buoyancy skills. Ops don't stay in business by bending their customers.
As for the O2, they should be honest. As Catherine said, many places don't require it. If that makes you uncomfortable, don't dive.

 

[bushfilm47]

Hi there,

I purchased a dive video of my trip from the videographer that is mentioned in this incident report, and I am concerned as to what happened to her. Does anyone know if she is okay? Thanks.