Fun safety stop

[Giggi]

This goes back to just how clean and clear the water around Cozumel is. On our last day of diving, we were diving as a group and because I had been finning all over the place and annoying my dive buddy (hubby), I was running low on air quicker than usual and it was time for me to ascend. Hubby was close to the DM and rest of the group, so we (me, hubby and DM) decided I would ascend alone and wait for the boat, as there were others who were already ascended and/or not too far from it themselves. DM reminded me of the usual 3 minute safety stop, and as I was just about at 15ft., I saw what I thought was a cellophane candy wrapper in the water (like a Smarties wrapper).

I was reaching out to grab it so I could take it to the surface and dispose of it properly when I saw it pulsating and realized it was some kind of tube shaped jellyfish out there by itself. Fortunately, I didn't touch it. It was right there at mask level. It was really exciting to be so close to such a beautiful creature (fortunately not in a school of them) and have the opportunity to just observe it. I felt almost hypnotized, and definitely tranquil while I was hanging out with the jelly.

When I surfaced, I was so excited and told everyone on the boat that I hung out with a jelly on my safety stop. (A few of them thought I was nuts.) I only wish I had my camera on that dive.

 

[Shiprekd]

Gig,

The most memorable dives you'll have will be the few minutes you spend interacting with an animal or silently watching one. Every one of us here can attest to that. Congrats and thanks for sharing :O]

BUT, I'm a DM and after reading your night dive post, I WOULDN"T EVEN dive with your DM! Your life was put at risk for the sake of a few minutes of THEIR air time! A simple scenario below:

On ascent, your first stage decides to malfunction (take a vacation, etc..) after you exhale. Now, your lungs are empty and no air through the reg. You pull the reg out and go for the Octo, you try to purge but get nothing. You stick it in your mouth an blow what you had left and poof.. still no air. Now NO ONE is within striking distance. You're lurching/heaving for air and your only way is up.... - While first stages rarely malfunction, it does happen! Even if you make it to the surface and inhale a small amount of water, but you seem fine a few minutes later, Guess what??? There's a thing called secondary drowning. One of its results is/can be DEATH occuring hours later!!!

See my post here; 9ft Sand Tiger, a cough, and progressive care...

Even Solo divers dive with back-up air systems/tanks. That DM needs his head examined (a CAT scan would be a start) and his insurance cancelled. We're looking out for you, not bashing you :O]

While diving is serene, it's a dangerous sport. Around 700 Scuba related drownings occur in the US per year! Being too complacent will sooner rather than later cause trouble.

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
On our last day of diving, we were diving as a group and because I had been finning all over the place and annoying my dive buddy (hubby), I was running low on air quicker than usual and it was time for me to ascend. Hubby was close to the DM and rest of the group, so we (me, hubby and DM) decided I would ascend alone and wait for the boat, as there were others who were already ascended and/or not too far from it themselves.
..snip..
DM reminded me of the usual 3 minute safety stop,
..snip..

If your hubby was your buddy then he should have ascended with you OR you could possibly have ascended with some other diver that was low on air. You should not ascend alone other than in an emergency.
We had a case of an instructor acting as DM that had a reverse blockage on ascent, extreme difficulty to ascend, tried several times, blew something, had severe labirintite, had absolutely no control when he surfaced, (the horizon was tilted 90degrees he said), had to be towed back to the boat and spent the night in hospital. This was a guy with thousands of dives and no previous problem, ever. It just happened.

..snip..
BUT, I'm a DM and after reading your night dive post, I WOULDN"T EVEN dive with your DM! Your life was put at risk for the sake of a few minutes of THEIR air time!
..snip..
While diving is serene, it's a dangerous sport. Around 700 Scuba related drownings occur in the US per year! Being too complacent will sooner rather than later cause trouble.

Where did she say it was a night dive?
This sounds about par for a tropical tourist location DM. For me the irresponsibility was all with the supposed hubby-buddy. He should know you can't count on a DM looking after a group in these situations. Most tropical DMs will stay down until the last member of the group is ready to go up.
I'm surprised he even reminded her of the safety stop.

 

[Giggi]

Yikes! I'm starting to be afraid to post anything, although I do appreciate the constructive criticism and concern for my well being and safety. (You guys would probably freak if I told you about my aborted first dive on this trip.) I've read Chuck's account of getting bent (same time we were down there) and frankly, it scared the bejezes out of me.

To clarify, we were only in about 40' depth, about 80' vis, I was surfacing right above the group, next to the sausage, and the group was together, and there were one or two divers not far behind me who were just starting their ascent as I was counting off the last of my safety stop. I could see the other divers and the DM was keeping his eye on me, as well as the rest of the group and we did occasionally flash each other the "ok" sign (when I wasn't keeping my eye on my new little friend).

As for my dive buddy, he had been ragging me the entire trip about my air usage, since this was my first time with the camera, and I was finning everywhere. It was our last dive of the trip and I didn't want to cut his dive short because I was so excited about seeing everything and finning everywhere like a typical newbie. (We watched a ray interacting with some kind of jack for a good 10 minutes, a nurse shark, and a sea turtle at Santa Rosa.)

Seriously gang, I do appreciate your constructive criticism, and I am NOT taking a know-it-all or it-won't-happen-to-me attitude. Thanks for your input.

 

[Giggi]

And before you get on hubby's case about ragging me for air usage, we have exactly the same number of dives and same level of experience. It's friendly competition, banter, and loving teasing between a happily married couple who also happen to be dive buddies.

:07:

 

[Uncle Pug]

Giggi... I love watching the stuff in the water at stops. I made an U/W magnifer so I could watch the really small jellies. Some of my favorites here are Ctenophores and Pteropods.

BTW: Glad you didn't die a horrible death as you floated 25' above your husband and the DM.

 

[Shiprekd]

Where did she say it was a night dive?

Mike -

I was noting about her earlier post in another thread - "The night dive from hell". Seems the same (I'm assuming) DM took them out on a night dive without being OW certified. The whole point I was making that they both sent her off on her own. The DM's at fault for the obvious (tropical DM mentality or not) and her buddy was simply being selfish. Just clearing up any confusion I might have made :O]

Gig - We've (wife and I) have been married 20 yrs, diving for 10yrs, and she's the air hog. I don't care how much air or time I have left, she goes up, I go up. Tis that simple. As a DM, I value life and admit, my assets, over bottom time. Guess I'm just different...

Pug - I had someone bolt on me when they were only 3ft away and it took everything I had to latch on to them, I'm sure you read the post. 25' away could very well have spelled disaster :O]

 

[Giggi]

BTW: Glad you didn't die a horrible death as you floated 25' above your husband and the DM.

Thanks Uncle Pug. I'm glad I didn't die a horrible death too because I'm a big wuss when it comes to horrible deaths!

I might just go home and kick my dive buddy in the seat of his pants for letting me surface without him. (Do you think that since my life insurance premium was paid up just before the trip, I should be concerned?)

 

[Wristshot]

I just find it amusing that the idea of her having a safety stop at 15 feet without her buddy in immediate reach (even though there were others nearby) is viewed as tantamount to suicide, but no one expresses concern about her boarding a plane and flying in it! **dripping with sarcasm**

Yeah, yeah, I know; Stuff can happen. She was at 15 feet for goodness sake.

She is not a certified Solo Diver, and she didn't have a complete set of redundant gear, so she needs to be flogged and her buddy needs to be disemboweled! **just shaking my head**


W

 

[Wristshot]

Giggi,

Glad you had fun and glad you had a good safety stop. It seems to me that everytime I have a safety stop someplace with good viz, I see things that make me wish I had just a little more air (or time or whatever) to go check it out.

I have seen some little tiny jellies also. It is weird to just look right through them, and to see the organs and juices etc.

Once, on a safety stop in Cozumel, two of the women in my group, Julie and Helene were holding hands to stay together (drift dive). Soon, they started to "dance". I think Julie was leading. Swing dance I guess it would be called. Holding hands, come together, push away (with a flourish), spin and pull closer, repeat. [ever try to describe a dance??] Hopefully you get the picture. It was quite comical. They loved it and the three minutes just flew by for all of us watching.

In Monterey, you often can't see beyond your buddy, and if you are not in the kelp, it is just a bright green void all around you. When you are in the kelp, you can inspect the "leaves" for critters. Some very bright irridescent snails hang out there, but you never know what you will find. Also bass etc hang out more near the kelp. Those kinds of experiences just add to the dive!


Wristshot