Feb 19 2017 Cozumel diving fatality

[Dan]

She had her own gear

Then she was familiar with such leaky BCD hose connection problem and knew how to work around it. That problem would not make a difference if she fell unconscious during safety stop as she would be in a neutrally buoyant or slightly negative with slight finning up to control her neutral buoyancy. Once she passed out, then the slightly negative buoyancy would slowly take her down to the bottom.

 

[MMM]

Then she was familiar with such leaky BCD hose connection problem and knew how to work around it.

What leads you to that conclusion?

 

[Dan]

What leads you to that conclusion?

@GrandCODiver said that she used her own gear. I would be familiar with my own gear problem and understand how to work around it, if I don't want to get a rented one.

 

[Scott]

Where are folks on the issue for requiring divers to carry SMB's or DM's carrying a donatable extra? As I understand it launching a buoy has become part of the PADI OW course. My personal opinion is that they should be encouraged but not required and not donated unless the donor is very sure the recipient understands and is experienced in their use. From personal observation my view is that many recreational divers are not practiced at launching one.

Launching a buoy in the PADI OW course has two options. DSMB and surface marker, you can teach either or both.

Here's my POV
I've taken a number of groups to Cozumel to dive. Many years ago we had a diver have issues and surfaced about mid dive. Surface conditions were not calm, surface current ripping, and had they not had a marker we would have spent quite some time locating him and his buddy.
For years before every trip it is required each diver have a DSMB and line. I even offer a night in the pool to teach how to deploy from depth and encourage them to use them and not the DM's marker.
Some do and some do not.

 

[MMM]

@GrandCODiver said that she used her own gear. I would be familiar with my own gear problem and understand how to work around it, if I don't want to get a rented one.

That does not mean she did.

 

[crabbyfiddler]

What leads you to that conclusion?

My thoughts as well. What's to say she didn't get sand/grit in it on her previous dive, and in reality have no experience dealing with that issue?

I would think, if there was a health issue, be it heart or something else, even panic attack, it could seriously hamper someone's ability to manually inflate. I recently saw two full blown, completely debilitating panic attacks on land, both that ended with the sufferer's bp dropping to the point of passing out. Certainly a heart attack could inhibit the ability to orally inflate. Stroke, absolutely.

Women often don't have the same kind of preliminary symptoms as men, and it can be difficult to detect a health issue.

 

[DandyDon]

So a DM whom I'm diving with along with my family will not be there in time if need except for pointing out wildlife? Then why am I tipping $60 and up depending on the situation? He/she gets paid right?

You should post sarcasm spoilers or alerts.

And why did I waste my money on Search and Rescue certification?

Well, depending on the dive op, you are tipping, or not, depending on the service they offered like setting up your gear, serving you snacks on the boat, dropping you exactly where you needed to be on the reef, finding interesting things for you to look at, ensuring you maximize your bottom time, giving you towels, jackets etc. to keep you warm, and break down your gear. If you, as a single diver, are tipping $60 per trip, then you are over-tipping. But maybe you are tipping for several people...right? I don't get the comment about wasting money on search and rescue cert. Why do you feel you wasted that?

Thanks

 

[Dan]

That does not mean she did.

What would you do if you know you have such problem with your BCD?

 

[DandyDon]

What would you do if you know you have such problem with your BCD?

If it's one I cannot control, ditch it and swim without it. That is if a medical even doesn't knock me out.

 

[Christi]

And you have all the answers, do you? Shoot the messenger often when what you read doesn't fit your business needs, do you?

The safety of those who'll visit us in the future and who put their lives in our hands (or so they are led to believe by amazing website promises...) and entrust us to supervise them as they visit our great reefs would be better served should you direct your curiosity at why practically every "local" diver fatality official investigation ends with sweeping a chain of greed, poor training and impunity under the seedy carpet of "local" tourism operators.

Or, with blaming a diver who can no longer defend him/herself, instead of valuing their lives at the next $100 USD kerching-ed for their two-tank dive (plus the $2 of hardly ever paid back marine park fee)...

Wow - that was quite a stretch to get all that from my question that was quite clear.

And thank you Dave, no there has been no offline communication. I actually don't have the time to sit on Scubaboard all evening - just logged on now because I was notified of this post.

I don't have all of the answers to anything actually. But I have been in the industry and running a safe, legal and successful shop here for 15 years - with the same crew for 13 of those years - so I kind of know my way around.

No further response necessary.