Don't dive as a team???

[carldarl]

I just got back from a 3-day liveaboard with my family in the Channel Islands. A great opportunity to dive, update and get their AOW's. Everyone had a great time and got 15 dives in 3 days. The water was quite warm compaired to what we expected and we had a wonderful time. We also learned valuable lessons without paying the highest price. We were lucky!

The lesson begins... On Monday night my wife and I had a great night dive. The kids didn't go because they weenied out and said they would go Tuesday night for their AOW dive. Not a problem, they were tired and we were getting a really late start.

On Tuesday night, our "Team" consisted of the Instructor, his two boys, my son & daughter and myself. (this time my wife weenied out) The dive was planned and the instructor would lead, followed by his 2 boys, then my 2 kids, with me bringing up the rear to catch any stragglers. Sounded good. The dive was to be fairly short and my son wasn't feeling too hot so I told the instructor Jeff and I might be bailing out early if he felt worse at depth.

The "Dive" started rough with a lot of kelp along the boat. We worked through it to get to the anchor line for descent. (I should have noticed my daughter fighting it hard) During descent my daughter again fought more kelp. (I should have paid better attention) At depth (40') soon after we head out, my daughter is still struggling and I finally start paying attention. Suddenly she stops cold and thumbs the dive. I have never seen eyes this size. She was smack dab in the middle of a major panic attack.

At the same moment another group from our boat briefly crossed over our path and confused things. Both group leaders were in red drysuits with white strobes. Not taking time to catch our leader and inform him, I took my daughter up and helped her get control. (a major task) We worked our way back to the boat and I got her aboard with my wife to help settle her down.

Moments later when my group returned to the boat we discovered my son was missing. The instructor thought we had called the dive due to my son when he saw '3' lights and markers head up. Assuming it was us, he shortened the dive with his boys. (Remember I told him Jeff might not finish so he wasn't surprised) What happened was, during the crossover with the other team my son got confused and followed the other team leader to a shallower depth. (the third light going up)

With everyone's hearts in their throats the other team came in less than a minute later with my son in tow wondering who the stranger was.

Lessons...
1. Dive with SPECIFIC BUDDIES not in teams.
2. If a diver isn't feeling up to snuff keep him out of the water.
3. Don't ASSUME things are as they appear.
4. Did I say DIVE WITH SPECIFIC BUDDIES?
5. Buddy new night divers with experienced divers.
6. Expect the unexpected. (The panic attack)
7. Better identify who will be in the water besides yourselves when posible.
8. I'll think of more...

With everyone back on the boat we sat down and discussed what happened. It was really no ones fault as we all agreed to the dive plan. We just didn't anticipate my daughter having a problem and murphy's law sending the second team across our path with two leaders dressed the same. I know there are more lessons there but right now it is bed time.

Sorry for the length, but hopefully this will save someone else from the two minutes of terror we went through.

'P'

 

[pasley]

Yes, good analysis and glad it had a happy ending. Good job on handling the daughter too.

About once a month a group of us get together for a dive. We pair up into two person teams and agree to "try" to stay together as a group, but if we don't oh well. With anything over two, it is very easy to loose sight of someone. I sometimes dive in a threesome, but that is more dangerous than a twosome as it is easy to "***-u-me" the other person is looking out for number 3 and for them to be lost track of.

 

[SteveDiver]

Great points. When I was on my liveaboard they attempted to NIGHT dive in a group. During the briefing I informed them that my buddy and I will be our own group. I have been diving with my buddy for several years and group diving tends to get cluster ******. The rule is that there never should be one diver missing if so, there is a problem because two people should always be together at all times. One time we were diving with a group in Belize and my buddy called the dive and we both came up. My buddy posed the question regarding that we should have let the DM know we were going up. My answer was no, both of us are together. I attempted to inform the DM but could not get his attention. What happened is that the DM's wife free dived from the boat to inform him that we came up. Afterwords we had a discussion and they agreed that team diving is not such a great idea. I was surprised on how many divers on the livaboard came up alone leaving their buddy in the water (day dives). I asked where their buddy was and it was stated that their buddy had alot of air left so he stayed down! This to me is unacceptable. My buddy and I can call a dive for any reason and if one decided to come up we both come up together NEVER questioning the decision. The last thing we want to happen is for one of us not to call a dive because we think our buddy will be upset.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Was this an AOW training dive? If so the instructor WAS responsible for maintaining control. Taking his own 2 boys on that training dive may have been a bad move, essentially increasing the student to instructor ratio (even though they may not have officially been students). He should have been watching his students and NOT his own children! He had you bring up the rear? While I don't, at all, agree with that arrangement that task is often assigned to a DM. Are you a DM? Using a non-certified assistant as an assistant in training is an absolute no-no.

I agree with your list of lessons learned but they should have been taught to you so you didn't have to learn them the hard way. You really lucked out. Your son was lost from the group on a training dive. Every one (especially the instructor who lost ALL of his students) should give this some seriouse thought.