Do you always follow your training?

[FuzzyNutz]

...

Was the free-flowing regulator secured within the 'triangle' or in a place you could easily see it? Or was it unsecured/flailing around/trailing behind you where you would never (or be slow to) know if there was an active free-flow?

 

[tadawson]

What ever happened to one hand holding octo/gauges and the other on the mask when jumping in? Make a freeflow on contact with the water pretty hard to miss . . . .

- Tim

 

[mathauck0814]

1. Have you ever reacted to an underwater situation in a way that was not in accordance with your training?

Yes

2. Can you describe the situation, and explain why you reacted in the way you did?

Liveaboard on the GBR - day five or six of the trip, feeling overly confident. Got to a site I was excited to dive. Splash off the boat, negative entry. Blowing out and descending rapidly, hit the bottom in about ten seconds (~40fsw) inhaled - nothing. Shot to the surface like a polaris missile, reached back, opened tank valve, redescended.

3. Do you, in hindsight, feel that your response was appropriate?

No, I knew I could reach my valve, but I didn't even consider it.

4. What did you learn from it?

I was a reasonably new diver (~200ish dives) at the time and I can happily say that I've never done it since. In fact, it's the sort of thing that sticks in your head and ensures that you check, and double check the valves are where you think they are before you get off the boat.

5. Do you feel that your training could have prepared you better to handle it? And if so, how?

No ... this was just an early example of how easily one can get themselves ginked up from rushing and not paying proper consideration to procedures.


Sometimes experience is the best teacher.

 

[Quero]

What ever happened to one hand holding octo/gauges and the other on the mask when jumping in? Make a freeflow on contact with the water pretty hard to miss . . . .

- Tim

I've never seen that technique taught or used, personally. I teach my divers to attach their octo-style alternates so that the hose routes under the right arm, and this way when they use their right hand to hold the mask and primary second stage, the alternate hose is trapped under the arm. I teach my divers to use their left hand to grasp the weight belt buckle. I've seen people being taught to hold the front of the mask with one hand and the mask strap with the other, but this is the first I've heard of holding octos and gauges with the non-mask hand. What happens to the octo and the gauges after the splash in? Do you just let go of them and leave them dangling? Or do you wait to secure them after you're at depth?

 

[Thalassamania]

1. Have you ever reacted to an underwater situation in a way that was not in accordance with your training?

2. Can you describe the situation, and explain why you reacted in the way you did?

3. Do you, in hindsight, feel that your response was appropriate?

4. What did you learn from it?

5. Do you feel that your training could have prepared you better to handle it? And if so, how?

Thanks for any offered information ... for those of us who teach, the answers might prove useful ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

1. No - my training was to stop, relax, think and then act.
2. The situation does not matter, what matters is that you react calmly, (e.g., stop, relax, think and then act).
3. No.
4. The this is the proper approach to all underwater problems, attempting to train in automatic responses to specific situations is a waste of time, and possibly a dangerous approach.
5. No.

What ever happened to one hand holding octo/gauges and the other on the mask when jumping in? Make a freeflow on contact with the water pretty hard to miss . . . .

- Tim

Yeah, what ever happend to putting primary and octo and gauges under the arm(s) and entering with your snorkle in your mouth, one hand on your mask and the other over your weightbelt buckle?

 

[tadawson]

I've never seen that technique taught or used, personally. I teach my divers to attach their octo-style alternates so that the hose routes under the right arm, and this way when they use their right hand to hold the mask and primary second stage, the alternate hose is trapped under the arm. I teach my divers to use their left hand to grasp the weight belt buckle. I've seen people being taught to hold the front of the mask with one hand and the mask strap with the other, but this is the first I've heard of holding octos and gauges with the non-mask hand. What happens to the octo and the gauges after the splash in? Do you just let go of them and leave them dangling? Or do you wait to secure them after you're at depth?

Perhaps I'm showing my age - my OW cert was PADI in 1978, and this is all I have ever done. Both the octo and gauges are tethered on my rig - the octo on a velcro tear off, and the gauges on a snorkel keeper on the hose clipped to a d-ring on my BC . . . that keeps them out of the mud, but leaves enough slack to read (and thus flop about) so I take both in my left hand, and hold when entering, and right hand on the mask/reg on my face . . . Not that it's the only correct way, but if I don't hold, the octo can come loose on entry, and then I have to fish for it. I can't stand a free dangling octo, gauge, or anything for that matter . . . I also don't use the combo octo/inflators, which would negate most of the need to hold. I only use a full duplicate 2nd stage on my regs . . . Once I enter, I verify no freeflow on the octo, and pressures, etc. on the gauges, and then proceed with my decent.

- Tim

 

[WimW]

Was the free-flowing regulator secured within the 'triangle' or in a place you could easily see it? Or was it unsecured/flailing around/trailing behind you where you would never (or be slow to) know if there was an active free-flow?

It was correctly secured in my BCD's 'octo-pocket' (Dimension i3). I don't understand either why I did not notice it, since apparently it was pretty hard to miss

 

[WimW]

Perhaps I'm showing my age - my OW cert was PADI in 1978, and that is all I have ever done. Both the octo and gauges are tethered on my rig - the octo on a velcro tear off, and the gauges on a snorkel keeper on the hose clipped to a d-ring on my BC . . . that keeps them out of the mud, but leaves enough slack to read (and thus flop about) so I take both in my left hand, and hold when entering, and right hand on the mask/reg on my face . . . Not that it's the only correct way, but if I don't hold, the octo can come loose on entry, and then I have to fish for it. I can't stand a free dangling octo, gauge, or anything for that matter . . . I also don't use the combo octo/inflators, which would negate most of the need to hold. I only use a full duplicate 2nd stage on my regs . . . Once I enter, I verify no freeflow on the octo, and pressures, etc. on the gauges, and then proceed with my decent.

- Tim

That's what i was taught too - one hand on mask/reg and one hand on weight belt. I guess the lesson learned should be to always check for a free-flow after jumping. At least that's what I do now. It made me look like an absolute dummy (and it is potentially dangerous as well of course, depending on the circumstances) so I want to avoid it in the future. I guess having my own reg instead of a rental may help too.

 

[Frosty]

1. Have you ever reacted to an underwater situation in a way that was not in accordance with your training?
YES

2. Can you describe the situation, and explain why you reacted in the way you did?
RIB full of newly qualified divers who needed the room and attention of the boat staff.
My gear was assembled so I Pumped up my BC (WI) threw it over the side and rolled in putting my gear on in the water.

3. Do you, in hindsight, feel that your response was appropriate?
Nope-Mighta maybee looked kinda cool but better to wait till the new divers were in the water and just done a fast gear up

4. What did you learn from it? trying to be helpfull is silly -better to just get outa the way till they are in the water

5. Do you feel that your training could have prepared you better to handle it?
Nope I know what I'm soposed to do I was just wanting to get out of the way And if so, how?

Thanks for any offered information ... for those of us who teach, the answers might prove useful ...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yeah, what ever happend to putting primary and octo and gauges under the arm(s) and entering with your snorkle in your mouth, one hand on your mask and the other over your weightbelt buckle?

... and what should you do when your gauges are on your wrists, your octo is bungeed around your neck, you're not wearing a weightbelt, and your snorkel's stowed in your gear bag?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)