Filmmaker Rob Stewart dies off Alligator Reef

[tursiops]

In past years I taught stats at the University level.

I'm glad I was not one of your students.

 

[MarkFlory]

Good read

Eliminating The Helium Penalty - Shearwater Research

 

[lionfish-eater]

I'm glad I was not one of your students.

I was only trying to make the point that without a large pool of relevant data it is difficult at best to apply fatality stats towards individual cases such as this. The claim that 1 in 200,000 dives ends in a fatality may be true, but does not help much to understand what happened. That is all I am trying to say.

Thanks for the snarky response, I hope you have the day you deserve.

 

[tursiops]

I was only trying to make the point that without a large pool of relevant data it is difficult at best to apply fatality stats towards individual cases such as this. The claim that 1 in 200,000 dives ends in a fatality may be true, but does not help much to understand what happened. That is all I am trying to say.

LOL! You are slowly backing away from your silly statement in post 769. Keep going.

 

[mmadiver]

There is some science about this - the French military study (discussed way upthread) had a 94% survival rate of loss of consciousness which they attributed in part to the gag strap. I'm a new CCR diver, haven't changed my rebreather's stock configuration yet, but I'm wondering if the use of a gag strap implies the need for a BOV? This would eliminate the concern about the gag strap impeding bailout, right?

BOV's are one of those hot button topics, as you're likely aware if you've spent any time on the forums. BOV + gag strap is considered the optimal solution by many, but has it's downsides.

I choose not to use a BOV based on my personal experiences, mostly because of my time in the Navy where we didn't use bailouts for CCR diving and there are remarkably few casualties. Why? Adherence to strict standards, training, excellent equipment, and meticulous maintenance of that equipment. There are still casualties however, and similar to the civilian world, they are almost all associated with operator error - a BOV would not have saved them.

 

[doctormike]

BOV's are one of those hot button topics, as you're likely aware if you've spent any time on the forums. BOV + gag strap is considered the optimal solution by many, but has it's downsides.

I choose not to use a BOV based on my personal experiences, mostly because of my time in the Navy where we didn't use bailouts for CCR diving and there are remarkably few casualties. Why? Adherence to strict standards, training, excellent equipment, and meticulous maintenance of that equipment. There are still casualties however, and similar to the civilian world, they are almost all associated with operator error - a BOV would not have saved them.

Hah! Well aware of the controversy, I'm grappling with it right now for my own diving. Basically, the appeal of the BOV is for hypercapnia, since I have heard a number of stories of people simply being unable to make the switch from DSV to OC regulator once they get a hit. I just figured that the BOV would address that to some extent.

Other than complexity and cost, what do you consider the downsides of the BOV+gag strap? I would also have an OC reg available in case of something like a mouthpiece failure. Trying to get as much information as I can!

 

[RainPilot]

My decision was to go BOV with a FFM. One benefit to the BOV is that my buddies (mostly OC ) can flick a simple lever if they see me displaying any weird weirder than normal behaviour. They are briefed to make eye contact, ask ok and if no response or any doubt, turn the lever.

I'd rather take a couple of dil breaths unnecessarily than have a buddy stuck with the option of having to get a loop out of my mouth and a reg in, or worse do nothing.

YMMV etc etc

 

[doctormike]

My decision was to go BOV with a FFM. One benefit to the BOV is that my buddies (mostly OC ) can flick a simple lever if they see me displaying any weird weirder than normal behaviour. They are briefed to make eye contact, ask ok and if no response or any doubt, turn the lever.

I'd rather take a couple of dil breaths unnecessarily than have a buddy stuck with the option of having to get a loop out of my mouth and a reg in, or worse do nothing.

YMMV etc etc

Yeah, a FFM always seemed a bit much for me, but maybe I will reconsider..!

 

[RainPilot]

I've enjoyed my KM48 so much I'm now using it for OC diving as well

 

[lionfish-eater]

Friends that dive FFM's also add communications as well. They feel it has enhanced their diving.