Diving Risks

[Trace Malinowski]

Never said additions to "The 5 Rules" can't be made. PSAI lists the original 3 rules that Exley put forth in the 1970's as well as the 2 attributed to Skiles in the 1980's that we know as "The 5 Rules of Accident Analysis" today. PSAI's manual and power point presentations add Jeff Bozanic's study of reasons trained cave divers die adding another 5 considerations for safer cave diving. I teach this as 5 commandments plus another 5 guidelines.

Never said that, "Don't dive alone," couldn't be Rule #6.

A class that kicks your butt and makes you realize that solo diving in a cave isn't the same as team diving in a cave might be invaluable to the person who leaves class thinking, I really don't think solo cave diving is the direction I want to go. Just as it might be invaluable to the person who discovers, "I've never thought of that ... good to know because I'm going solo." That's why I taught solo diving in the past.

PSAI doesn't condone it and I can't teach for any other organization at my level without it being a conflict of interest.

 

[karstdvr]

If you want to break any of the rules, fine.

In the past I would agree,because if you did something Darwinian,then you pay the ultimate price. But,unfortunately if someone breaks the rules and dies,then there is ripple effect that occurs. We want cave diving to be regarded less as an extreme sport,but more in the category of eco-tourism,so we can gain and maintain access at sites that we use. We tell the noncave diving public that we follow these rules,and the sport is safe. The bad thing is when a fatality hits the media,the one thing that is said is this person didn't follow rule #x,and that is the reason they died. The ripple effect is that other landowners become fearful because the trust they develop that people will follow the rules is thought to be violated (plus all the forum chatter doesn't help). We need to be aware if someone is doing a dive with multiple blown jumps etc,then they aren't just harming themselves,but harming the sport and future access as well.

 

[kensuf]

Hey Kelly,

That's a logical argument. So is reminding them of their family and friends.

But those that are not going to care about their survivors will probably also not care much about the impact to the sport. Let's just be honest, they're selfish and only thinking about themselves.

 

[flots am]

My underlying point was just that I don't feel that I am significantly risking my life by cave diving (within my limits). Similarly, I didn't feel like I was significantly risking my life when I took up diving to begin with.

That really depends on whether or not you can handle anything that is likely to happen to you, since it's pretty much all fatal in a cave if not properly handled.

I don't have to explain that to you, but will for any OW divers who read the thread: No matter what happens in Open Water, surfacing is always an option. With or without a buddy, fast, slow, upside down, mask, no mask, came up in the wrong spot, it really doesn't matter, because you will be on the surface and you will be breathing and you probably won't be significantly bent.

In any sort of overhead (cave, wreck, big deco obligation, swim-through) "going up" isn't an option, so the choice is "handle the problem" or "die".

flots

 

[DevonDiver]

As the level of diving complexity increases, the hazards become less forgiving. This doesn't mean the diving itself is more dangerous - foreseeable and reasonable risks can be mitigated effectively through equipment and training - but mistakes become much more dangerous.

The emphasis is on the proper application of training, procedures and protocols, the progressive accumulation of experience and maintenance of ingrained skills; and the necessity for appropriate and reliable equipment, with suitable redundancy and reserves.

Controlling risk is about matching the complexity of the dive against the factors listed above. As dives become less forgiving, the competency and preparedness of the diver has to meet the requirements needed to mitigate those risks. If not, then survival becomes a gamble with luck - and trusting Murphy won't visit is not a sensible strategy when a problematic dive becomes increasingly likely to kill you.

 

[karstdvr]

Hey Kelly,

That's a logical argument. So is reminding them of their family and friends.

But those that are not going to care about their survivors will probably also not care much about the impact to the sport. Let's just be honest, they're selfish and only thinking about themselves.

Yep you are right. That being said,I wouldn't blink an eye if I saw an intro diver heading to the water with a DPV at Ginnie Springs,and call over Rick Crawford to do something about it We can't fix stupid,but sure can make an effort to protect our sport.