marcus8
Contributor
What a sad and yet somehow inspiring story. Thanks so much for sharing this with us on this board. I'm sorry you have to deal with this, I can't even imagine how you must feel.
Diver drowns, kelp seen as culprit...
- Thread starter mikeguerrero
- Start date
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OMG Mike, I am so sorry you and your buddy had to witness that! It must have been very traumatic for everyone involved. My heart goes out to the family.
My condolences to his family and friends.
Mike: you and your buddy did what you could. Good for you. Don't agonize about 20-20 hindsight.
Mike: do post a lost dive knife thread. Maybe your knife and the victim's will turn up.
All: When stuff happens around you, YOU KNOW IT. React NOW. Mike and his buddy did. I've
been in a couple situations like that, and seconds count. If you are both looking at each other,
with a HUH expression, it's real, GO. Worst case you get wet, or something (one of the situations
was a mugger, and I ALMOST got him (by about two inches)).
Mike: if you ever run into that guy who suggested you take your dive knife off, buy him a couple
of cold ones.
Mike: you and your buddy did what you could. Good for you. Don't agonize about 20-20 hindsight.
Mike: do post a lost dive knife thread. Maybe your knife and the victim's will turn up.
All: When stuff happens around you, YOU KNOW IT. React NOW. Mike and his buddy did. I've
been in a couple situations like that, and seconds count. If you are both looking at each other,
with a HUH expression, it's real, GO. Worst case you get wet, or something (one of the situations
was a mugger, and I ALMOST got him (by about two inches)).
Mike: if you ever run into that guy who suggested you take your dive knife off, buy him a couple
of cold ones.
mweitz
Contributor
Good job you guys! You did everything you could, RIP to the unfortunate diver.
Jeff down at Otter Bay in Monterey can do a custom knife holder for you. I put mine on my chest. Keep it somewhere you can reach it with both hands.
If you ever get stuck, you have a LOT more air then you think. Anyone can last at least 2 minutes without breathing, it just feels like you can't. The keys are to relax, drop your belt, find the snag and work it out. Kelp breaks easily if you snap it in half, or bite it with your teeth. It also cuts easily, or you can sometimes just yank it up and it will rip out at the holdfast on the bottom.
Mark
Jeff down at Otter Bay in Monterey can do a custom knife holder for you. I put mine on my chest. Keep it somewhere you can reach it with both hands.
If you ever get stuck, you have a LOT more air then you think. Anyone can last at least 2 minutes without breathing, it just feels like you can't. The keys are to relax, drop your belt, find the snag and work it out. Kelp breaks easily if you snap it in half, or bite it with your teeth. It also cuts easily, or you can sometimes just yank it up and it will rip out at the holdfast on the bottom.
Mark
cmburch
Contributor
Rest in Peace Craig Alan Belluomini.
Sincerest condolences to family and friends.
I still have plenty of time to tear kelp with my teeth, hand or knife. I am neutrally buoyant at 30' and work at 25-40'. So not being overweighted to work at 15', minimizing items that can get hung up on line or kelp, be ready to release the weight belt, having a capable buddy, and not panicking (calming down) may help. I do not stay down so long that I feel the screaming urge for air less than 2 min. So I know I can have at least 1 min extra time if I remain calm and assess my situation. So there is time if not panicking and inhaling saltwater when surfacing. It just feels like the need to breath.
The kelp that a freediver would tend to get caught in is Giant Kelp. I pull myself down Bull Kelp and the fronds can be broken easily. I would not work on cutting the Bull Kelp stalk.
Items that can get caught:
1. Knife/sheath on leg. I use scissor/knife on inside forearm easily released if need be.
2. Wrist lanyards easy to release - may be better if loop held on hand not secure on wrist.
3. Fin Buckles.
4. Snorkel.
5. Freedive watch/computer - also quick release.
6. Weightbelt. I have a freedive CO2 Popper float on my weight belt. Also easy to release.
7. Ab iron and caliper.
8. Speargun.
I also spit the snorkel out of my mouth when freediving. And I rest on the surface until I am calm and refreshed before submerging again.
Sincerest condolences to family and friends.
I still have plenty of time to tear kelp with my teeth, hand or knife. I am neutrally buoyant at 30' and work at 25-40'. So not being overweighted to work at 15', minimizing items that can get hung up on line or kelp, be ready to release the weight belt, having a capable buddy, and not panicking (calming down) may help. I do not stay down so long that I feel the screaming urge for air less than 2 min. So I know I can have at least 1 min extra time if I remain calm and assess my situation. So there is time if not panicking and inhaling saltwater when surfacing. It just feels like the need to breath.
The kelp that a freediver would tend to get caught in is Giant Kelp. I pull myself down Bull Kelp and the fronds can be broken easily. I would not work on cutting the Bull Kelp stalk.
Items that can get caught:
1. Knife/sheath on leg. I use scissor/knife on inside forearm easily released if need be.
2. Wrist lanyards easy to release - may be better if loop held on hand not secure on wrist.
3. Fin Buckles.
4. Snorkel.
5. Freedive watch/computer - also quick release.
6. Weightbelt. I have a freedive CO2 Popper float on my weight belt. Also easy to release.
7. Ab iron and caliper.
8. Speargun.
I also spit the snorkel out of my mouth when freediving. And I rest on the surface until I am calm and refreshed before submerging again.
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jky
Registered
mweitz
Contributor
Total time. There of course are a lot of variables. How long you were down, how much you exerted yourself. Most dives for the occasional ab diver are going to be in the 30 second range I would guess.
If you do get stuck, spit out your snorkel (actually it is better to spit it out at the beginning of the dive as habit) and don't breath no matter what. Much better to pass out then the breath water in. You can last remarkably long passed out in cold water as long as your airway remains closed. I know people that can hold their breath for over 5 minutes at rest. You can live for several more minutes without breathing, I would say that 8 minutes without breathing is pretty safe from a brain damage standpoint. I think the WR is somewhere in the 9 minute range, though I don't pay a lot of attention to that type of stuff.
The real point isn't get get hung up on the numbers, but to understand that you have a lot of time to work out the problem and not to panic or drown yourself.
Be safe,
Mark
If you do get stuck, spit out your snorkel (actually it is better to spit it out at the beginning of the dive as habit) and don't breath no matter what. Much better to pass out then the breath water in. You can last remarkably long passed out in cold water as long as your airway remains closed. I know people that can hold their breath for over 5 minutes at rest. You can live for several more minutes without breathing, I would say that 8 minutes without breathing is pretty safe from a brain damage standpoint. I think the WR is somewhere in the 9 minute range, though I don't pay a lot of attention to that type of stuff.
The real point isn't get get hung up on the numbers, but to understand that you have a lot of time to work out the problem and not to panic or drown yourself.
Be safe,
Mark
mweitz
Contributor
I assumed Giant Kelp. Bull kelp sits on the surface a lot more than Giant Kelp and seems like it would be difficlut to get tangled in. I've only dived Stillwater once or maybe twice and I seem to remember it having a lot of Giant Kelp, but I could be mistaken...
However I'm sure you are right, Bull Kelp may require a whole different strategy and I never really thought about it. I will play around in it when I'm next up there. Very good point.
Mark
However I'm sure you are right, Bull Kelp may require a whole different strategy and I never really thought about it. I will play around in it when I'm next up there. Very good point.
Mark
cmburch
Contributor
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