Drowning at Lake Rawlings

[amaxey]

DA Aquamaster, check this out. I got certified in about 24 hours. Maybe longer, we'll say 36 hours. That's from walking into the shop to leaving with a C-Card. (this was a few years ago)

I bought the DVD Tuesday night, watched it at home, went to the shop Wednesday, waited around most of the time, bought some gear, took a written test, waited some more, did pool time that evening. Passed my test and all my skills the first time, so didn't really need to practice or review much...and I didn't. Thursday morning, zero-dark 30 got on a boat, did my dives (snorkeled around the boat, did two tanks worth of diving) had a C-card by noon. I was on the airplane Saturday morning with my new gear and temp card.

My first real dive: the little corsair wreck on Oahu. That was like 110 feet, I burned through all my gas really quick because I had 22 pounds of lead in my shiney new BCD. I shared air with the DM at my safety stop, and got a few extra minutes of rest on the boat before everyone else got back....wonder why I got done first?

Had I panicked at 110 feet, I would have killed myself and the DM who (I think) would have tried to save me. God Bless the people who put themselves in that situation and dive with divers like me on my first dive! I was upfront with the dive operator about my experience (didn't know my training situation was that far out of the norm or would have mentioned it). I don't think they were wise to put me on that dive as my first dive with a C-card, but in the end I'm the one that agreed to do it. It was just one more paragraph for the accident report. There was lots of material for the accident report, most of the stupidity was mine, but just because I didn't know better, but the instructors, agency, and dive operator would have all had their names in the report.

I'm not saying these folks at lake rawlings weren't cautious, they probably just didn't know they weren't prepared. We can practice for any one emergency and think we're prepared, but throw two or three problems at once and we are not be ready. One problem at a time, when we know it's coming is easy. One problem for real, like suddenly losing a mask or reg, is more serious. Add a complication like the octo strapped down under a strap or stuck in the holder, or mouthpiece pops off....and it's suddenly more serious for a new diver.

My training was more marketing than actual training. The DVD was riddled with advertising. I learned all about my training agency and the next steps I could take with them, also saw lots of brand name gear and the importance of buying it. Lots of images of the fancy cards they wanted me to go and earn, and the fancy stuff that makes me an cool looking diver. I never once got a warning about NOT using my new C-Card with just anyone, or any guidlines on how to dive next. So long as I had a buddy, I was told I could dive within my limitations....but what were my limitations? 130 feet?

Maybe the problem is that we wouldn't purchase training if an agency said we wouldn't be ready to dive right away without an instructor or divemaster. It's our "get it now" attitude that has caused the training agencies and the instructors to respond. Price is not the decisive issue, it's a matter of "how quickly can I become a diver".

How many weekends do I have to blow on this training....especially if I'm not sure I'll even like it?

Left to their own, the instructors and dive shops will HAVE to move divers through quickly so they won't go to the next dive shop....or worse....just not pursue scuba diving.

NOBODY wants to hear "it will take 6 weeks to get your C-card; we have a class starting next month".

I guess the lesson is: if you see a pair struggling to gear up, and they are new....dive with them or match them up with a group, it might mean you don't have to go look for them on your second dive. This is a dangerous sport, and most likely someone dove with us when we were new....it's time to return the favor.

~Al

 

[openmindOW]

Wow. There is some shoddy teaching going on.

 

[telemonster]

Wow I didn't know about this event, although I go to Rawlings often.

I'm interested to hear the details, perhaps there is something to learn.

When I showed up for my open water class some 3 or 4 years ago, I was the only one who had cracked the book. I ended up buddied with a Navy fella who was very calm and comfortable in the water. Some of the other class members were not, and I remember a girl freaking out and going for the surface in the pool a few times. My bud and I just kind of hung out and messed around while the instructors worked with them. We did a full set of dives at Lake Rawlings, over a period of two days, for the final dives.

I'm not the most fit guy, but like to think that the big issue is the mind. I can see how in the event of a failure panic could set in.

I have an idea on something that could really help with training, but haven't figured out how to approach it yet.

 

[JimmyC]

Amaxey - Wow 50 -99 dives and you are an expert on the industry and instruction...I'm impressed. My OW class took 4 weeks. You had a class that was a bootcamp and it didn't sound good at all. Shop around for your AO class. To clarify a few things:

1) diving in your limits and comfort zone means just that. If you don't feel comfortable or you think a dive is out of your league then don't dive.... This is how divers get hurt.

2) "On a plane to Oqhu and dove 110ftburned through my air and had to share air with the DM" - What can I say other than STUPID IDEA! I hope you read your book and regardless of the training agency, 60 ft is your limit as an Open water diver. Can't say that Ranger Rick is going to come riding up with the scuba police and bust you, but you should know better. 110 ft is an advanced dive at a minimum. Tell me... you planning on doing the Doria next month too?

The lady that died was practicing drills with her fiance' in approx 22 ft of water, and things went bad. Well the final word is not out on the investigation so DON'T speculate and talk about who what when where and how. when you were not there Yup, you stuck your foot down your throat to the knee newbie. and maybe you can use a few more dives at Rawlings too.

BTW, the DM on your Oahu trip did his or her job well, they got you home. You had to share air...hmmm translation, you ran out of air! Good job at being unprepared!

Hope this reply stings a little, you deserve it, you are way off base on this. Get somemore experience before you rip into a situation blindly.:no

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Amaxey - Wow 50 -99 dives and you are an expert on the industry and instruction...I'm impressed. My OW class took 4 weeks. You had a class that was a bootcamp and it didn't sound good at all. Shop around for your AO class. To clarify a few things:

1The lady that died was practicing drills with her fiance' in approx 22 ft of water, and things went bad. Well the final word is not out on the investigation so DON'T speculate and talk about who what when where and how. when you were not there Yup, you stuck your foot down your throat to the knee newbie. and maybe you can use a few more dives at Rawlings too.

Hope this reply stings a little, you deserve it, you are way off base on this. Get somemore experience before you rip into a situation blindly.:no

Please refrain from personal attacks. Please point to a specific statement he made and offer a valid reason why he is in error. Your training was 4 weeks. He states his training was very short and he had a card ASAP. Was this lady's training 4 weeks like yours? Or was jiffy quick Mrs Wiggins? If her training was jiffy quick then it would seem perhaps she needed more. We all learn different tasks at different speeds. His post goes more toward making a case that perhaps people need more training. Do you think she would have done better with less training?

The only thing he said about the lady is that perhaps she was unprepared and did not know that she was not prepared. I think that is a fair statement. She was either unprepared or prepared but an able to respond. We know that because for whatever reason she was unable to respond in a way that allowed her to live.

In the class I took, we had some folks who took to it like a duck in the water. Some who needed a bit more. And then some, God bless my instructor, he took extra time on his own dime to invite some of them to his own pool at his house to work with them one on one. And even with that, those folks struggled. One of them bolted to the surface in class even with all the extra one on one help. I bumped into them a few months after cert one day in town and they hadn't been in the water since and had to no plans to return. They were glad to be certified, but still not comfortable diving.

 

[NancyLynn]

Hope this reply stings a little, you deserve it, you are way off base on this. Get somemore experience before you rip into a situation blindly.:no

You might want to slow down and re-read the post.

I think the suggestion is a good one. When we come across apparently new divers struggling with their equipment it wouldn't hurt if it crossed our minds that they may have had inadequate training - and that they may not have a clue (because they are new) that their training and skills are inadequate. Strike up a conversation with them, offer to dive with them, help mentor them into our community - we'll all be safer if we keep an eye out and lend a helping (teaching) hand.

Unless I'm seriously misreading it, amaxey just used the example of his own inadequate (as he now recognizes) training and risky (as he now recognizes) first dive to illustrate the point that its pretty easy to get in over your head when you walk into a dive shop and have no idea what the norms and expectations are.

 

[openmindOW]

Jimmy C, your personal attack on the diver is uncalled for and unprofessional. This board is for learning, not flaming.

 

[livinoz]

You might want to slow down and re-read the post.

Unless I'm seriously misreading it, amaxey just used the example of his own inadequate (as he now recognizes) training and risky (as he now recognizes) first dive to illustrate the point that its pretty easy to get in over your head when you walk into a dive shop and have no idea what the norms and expectations are.

I agree; I thought the use of sarcasm in amaxey's post highlighted the poor training he received.

I think you can sometimes "misinterpret" things written on the 'net.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Strike up a conversation with them, offer to dive with them, help mentor them into our community - we'll all be safer if we keep an eye out and lend a helping (teaching) hand.

You are exactly right. I try to do that, especially at the quarry where you often find new divers trying to build experience.

I do admit I am much less likely to do that on an offshore trip where the dives cost me $100 plus each, but then you are also less likely to find a newly minted diver in that situation.

I know it can get old to mentor new divers, especially after you reach a point where you feel you have "paid your dues", but you have to ask yourself if you don't who will? The DIR/tech diver tendency to never dive with a buddy you can't trust has I think made it even harder for new divers to find potetnial buddies with experience.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

I know it can get old to mentor new divers, especially after you reach a point where you feel you have "paid your dues", but you have to ask yourself if you don't who will? The DIR/tech diver tendency to never dive with a buddy you can't trust has I think made it even harder for new divers to find potetnial buddies with experience.

I am not DIR, but DIR curious. I have had several DIR folks willing to help me as a still new diver. One of them even dove with me in my yellow twin jets. He drove a long way to dive with me on his own dime. We did feed him hot soup. I by far got the better end of the deal. He showed me his gear and how it worked. Oh and I was wearing a Scuba Pro Pilot jacket too, mask with purge and a giant knife on my leg. I have since purchased new gear in line with DIR or the HOG guys. It was a teaching dive to help me understand the system. It made sense to me and I am moving that direction. I have even had some of the big wig GUE people respond directly to my emails.

Please don't turn this thread into a DIR is good or DIR is bad thread. I have met nice divers and not so nice divers. Most divers I have met are very nice people willing to help with what they know regardless of cert agency. I have had many divers help me---some DIR some not.

There are people who will help you in life and people who won't. The agency has little to do with it.

We don't know what agency Wopsushi was certified by and it seems Pirate 7979 isn't even a diver and yet they along with many other folks gave it their all trying to save this gal. It would be interesting to see how many different cert agencies were represented. I will bet more than one.