Forgot to hook up inflator - near miss

[oly5050user]

I’m actually glad this popped up. My 10 year old will finish his last open water dive this weekend and this gave me some great discussion points with him.

He has done some one on one diving with his instructor due to other students dropping out while in the water. I asked, “Has your instructor ever showed you how to dump his weights or how his gear works.” Answer, “No, why do I need to know that.”

Classes are not taught the way they were years and years ago. After reading this thread it reinforces what I was planning on doing on our first dives together.

Emergency weight drop is a required flexible skill usually done in confined water but standards can be met in open water. I would be sure that this is done, have a discussion with this instructor

 

[rduquesnoy]

Dropping weights was not something I was taught... Saw a diver once who tried to take of his weight belt at a depth of 20m. Just in time the DM prevented him from doing that. I can't think of a situation where dropping weights seems like a good idea?? Especially not at greater depths.

However I did learn to use a BCD without the hose connected (swimming pool training during winter months). During our exams in outside water we connected the hose just in case, but we where only allowed to inflate the BCD manually.

 

[Marie13]

The OP hasn’t been on the forum, at least logged in, since October 26.

 

[M-Cameron]

Dropping weights was not something I was taught... Saw a diver once who tried to take of his weight belt at a depth of 20m. Just in time the DM prevented him from doing that. I can't think of a situation where dropping weights seems like a good idea?? Especially not at greater depths.

However I did learn to use a BCD without the hose connected (swimming pool training during winter months). During our exams in outside water we connected the hose just in case, but we where only allowed to inflate the BCD manually.

If I recall correctly, we were taught to drop weights only at the surface to help establish positive buoyancy...usually on a panicked or unresponsive diver we were assisting..... we were also taught to manually inflate the BCD in case of an out of air scenario

If you are properly weighted, I can’t think of a scenario where you would want to ditch weights underwater....as you should be able to swim to the surface without relying on a bcd..... and ditching weights would cause you to bolt to the surface uncontrollably

 

[rduquesnoy]

If I recall correctly, we were taught to drop weights only at the surface to help establish positive buoyancy...usually on a panicked or unresponsive diver we were assisting..... we were also taught to manually inflate the BCD in case of an out of air scenario

If you are properly weighted, I can’t think of a scenario where you would want to ditch weights underwater....as you should be able to swim to the surface without relying on a bcd..... and ditching weights would cause you to bolt to the surface uncontrollably

My thoughts exactly .

Would still be a shame though to drop your weights at the surface, especially if there are other ways to stay afloat. They can be pretty costly and it would be impossible to retrieve them with the bad visibility and muddy bottoms here.

 

[mcohen1021]

Not only can you manually inflate your BC, you can also attach that hose with your air on or underwater.

 

[Storker]

Would still be a shame though to drop your weights at the surface, especially if there are other ways to stay afloat. They can be pretty costly and it would be impossible to retrieve them with the bad visibility and muddy bottoms here.

Our Diving Association refunds ditched weights, no question asked, for any member of an affiliated club. All you have to provide is a short incident report and a receipt for new weights.

Because people have died from waiting too long before ditching.

 

[CT-Rich]

This “no ditching”, Perfect trim should never have to ditch lead argument is poo. Ditchable weight is a form of redundant buoyancy. You start every dive over weighted. If you are diving wet, suit compression is going to make you over weighted at depth.

At the end of every dive you should go home. I know divers, with way more experience than me who have dropped lead. It so freakin’ easy to say never, he should.... never panic.... never run out of gas.... pre-dive check.... it is so easy to give free advise, which is worth just what was paid. I decided to drop weight on a dive because the collar on my drysuit was too tight on my neck during a long surface swim. How about giving me advice on that moment? The objective on every dive needs to be to get out of the water alive, not to provide opportunities for someone to critique the incidence on the Internet.

I have been on the surface of the ocean in a lot of cold water gear with the sensation created by CO2 build up in the brain. Panic and tunnel vision are the physiological symptoms, they are not a personal failing of the diver. One of the things I tried before dumping my weights was to pull my collar open to get more O2 to my brain. How stupid is that in a Drysuit in April? That is what happens. You can die in this sport and the open ocean does not give a sh*t about pre-dive checks, perfect trim or whether you should or shouldn’t panic.

I panicked, but I had the experience and the training to do the right thing so I got to go home. Sometimes you get your ass kicked. That doesn’t make you dangerous, that makes you experienced.

 

[Storker]

Ditchable weight is a form of redundant buoyancy.

This.

I've never needed my redundant buoyancy (doubly redundant as I dive dry and carry ditchable weight) just as I've never needed my redundant light during a night dive. Does that mean I don't need it? I may well never need any of that any time for the rest of my life, but there is a non-zero probability that Murphy will kick my arse on my next dive.

Ditchable weights is just another tool in the toolbox. Why should I throw that tool out when I see absolutely no advantages to bolting all of my weights to my backplate? On the other hand, by doing so, I'm removing my ability to:

• Take off my weights and hand them to the boat hand before climbing up a steep and narrow ladder
• Take off my weights and hand them to the boat hand before climbing aboard a RIB with no ladder
• Take my weights out of their pockets and hand them to the boat hand to ensure that my rig is still buoyant if I ditch it to haul it aboard after I've climbed aboard myself
• Ditch my weights on the surface to float 5-10kg higher instead of with my mouth only centimetres above the surface if there's a situation and a bit of chop
• Ditch underwater if a truckload of manure has hit an industrial-scale fan and poo is flying all over the place. Unlikely, yes, but a non-zero probability

 

[Storker]

One of the things I tried before dumping my weights was to pull my collar open to get more O2 to my brain. How stupid is that in a Drysuit in April?

On a scale from one to ten, I'd give it a ten and a half