Divemaster Candidate Out of Air...

[CrackedConch]

I was it Little Cayman in January. We took the boat over to Cayman Brac to dive the Russian Destroyer. A guy on a trip from a LDS was diving with a group but was mostly diving alone (no designated buddy that I could tell).

He had a camera and was taking all kinds of photos. I and several other divers watched him perform a sawtooth profile and at the end of the dive, there were about 5 or 6 of us doing a safety stop when this guy comes from the bow of the wreck at approximately 50-60 feet, blows by us and breaks the surface. Then he takes his fins off and climbs on the boat. We are all looking at each other scratching our heads and shaking our heads...and this guy was a Divemaster Candidate with his shop back home.

When we got on the boat, we learned that the guy had been so focused on taking pictures, that he didn't monitor his air. He bypassed at least 6 divers he could have gotten air from and the boat's emergency second stage at 15'. Needless to say, he didn't dive for 24 hours.

I guess you never know how you will react in an emergency since all his training to dive with a buddy and get air from your buddy in an out of air situation went right out the window. One moral of the story is to always be anticipating possible issues and possible solutions. That way you will be better prepared if one of those situations does happen.

The other moral of the story is monitor your air and don't pay so much attention to your camera. I've seen so many people get in trouble or almost in trouble because they had a camera in their hands. They conduct the whole dive looking through the viewfinder and ignore marine life, kick coral and sponges, chase turtles, go too deep, run short on air, etc. If you dive with a camera, please remember that #1 you are diving and #2 you are taking pictures.

 

[Rick Inman]

... there were about 5 or 6 of us doing a safety stop when this guy comes from the bow of the wreck at approximately 50-60 feet, blows by us and breaks the surface. [/B]

Well, no excuse for running OOA. However, if I was solo and went OOA, and was dong a cesa from 60', I think I too would blow by the other divers. By the time you moved from 60' to 15', you're almost there anyway, and have momentum, and you don't know it the other divers are going to safely give you air, or how much air they have. Running OOA and then fleeing to someone who is not your buddy for air when you are almost at the surface anyway might not be the best move for them or you.

 

[Wildcard]

Im sure he was panicked but he did what I probably would have done too, as most will do no matter what they think they would "like to think" they would do.
No excuse for OOA no matter how cool the pics were....

 

[gafftape42]

This is also a good reason to have a redundant air supply while diving solo. This is required when taking a solo diver course.

 

[PriusDrIVER]

If you dive with a camera, please remember that #1 you are diving and #2 you are taking pictures.

I'm a newbie but have seen this. I think i would change the order though:

#1 you are diving
#2 you are someone's dive buddy
#3 you are taking pictures

In my experience, people forget they have a buddy when they get a camera in their hands. I end up keeping track of them and "running the dive", otherwise they'd drift off into never land.

Doesn't sound like the guy would make a good DM or solo diver, but at least as a solo diver he only endangers himself.

 

[Willie]

Doesn't sound like the guy would make a good DM or solo diver

I would say it depends on if he learned anything from the experience. Obviously, no one could be a good DM and take pictures at the same time. But, if this experience caused a new awareness and appreciation for the need to be a diver first, then it might acually make him a better DM and more attentive to what's going on around him.

Willie

 

[robway034]

This may open up a can o' worms but here goes:

I would wonder how many dives and what types of dives this guy had before he became a DMC? I have met all kinds, some I respect and others; not su much. One of the things I have noticed about many recreational divemasters (all the way to instuctor actually) is that the required expierence threshold is relatively low. On top of that, there appears to be no "diversity-requirment" (at least with PADI) mandating the types of dive environments.
I have met people who go from OW-DM (or OWSI) in the same year! The ones that frighten me the most are the "rock-quarry-rangers" who have never had any other dive experience besides eth local quarry! I am in no way trying to say that there arent some bad divers out there with a wide range of experience. Heck, you can just as easily be a dangerous diver/poor DM-OWSI in the ocean or the bathtub. I just think that if the experience requirements where a little more stringent, it would benefit us all (including the DM's). Finally..., his actions may speak to why he was still a "candidate" at the time of your dive.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I'm a photographer. If the subject isn't going to bolt, check gas, then take pictures.
If the subject is going to bolt, take pictures. If the subject does bolt in short order,
check gas, if not, back off, check gas, take more pictures. When done with a subject,
check gas.

At all times know how much gas you have. I play a game with myself. BEFORE I check
gas, I estimate what the gauge is going to say. If I'm close, I win. I'm usually within
50 PSI.

The two dumbest things I've ever seen done UW were done by DMs (both BTW were
VERY proud of being DMs, and not acting as DMs at the time). I imagine a DMC could
even exceed those.

 

[Teamcasa]

Im sure he was panicked but he did what I probably would have done too, as most will do no matter what they think they would "like to think" they would do.
No excuse for OOA no matter how cool the pics were....

I'll agree somewhat. I too, if faced with an OOA situation and I was close to 50-60, I’d just CESA and take the rest of the day off.

As far as no excuse, there may be a few. I once went OOA with 1200+ in the tank. 1st stage blocked with rental tank junk. I was only 40+- and slowly ascended. That was in the days before… well that’s another story. Today, I dive exclusively with my lovely bride, she’s my spare air!

Dave

 

[bubba105]

I have one of those lovely bride/dive buddy situations, only my model came with a camera. Well, to be truthful I bought the camera. For a while there I just followed her around and made sure she didn't stray too far from the group. Let's just say she was very into her photography. I was never worried because I always pay attention to where I'm going and I would stay close to her. If anything happened to her, I was there and if anything happened to me, well, I know where she keeps her octo. She's good on air so I'd check 20 minutes in and then every 5 minutes after that. She once said to me " I'm so comfortable diving with you. Every time I look at you, you're looking at me, we make a good team". I said what I say to her all the time "Yes dear".
I have to admit she has become a lot more aware as our dive count has gone up.