Fun safety stop

[Shiprekd]

I**just shaking my head**

Yup, just have to shake your head at all the reasons why professional diving insurance is skyrocketing. I can't image why, after all, they're only taking un-certified people out on night dives and sending new divers off 30ft away that are puffing more air than usual.

I guess I was taught to notice details and not condone ignorance of safety....

 

[iflylow]

Wow. :11: A DM with one of his customers low on air and he stays below... A husband with his wife low on air and he stays with the DM down below. What may have seemed like 25 feet away (remember everything is magnified in the water) might have been 30 or 40. Why is that important? When the reg stops working and you have to go to your buddy to get gas (oops, not nearby) and your first reaction is to jet to the surface to get air, holding your breath all the way... Definitely a bad call on both the DM and the hubby. When my wife and I dive we are always close by. When my buddies and I dive, when the first guy hits our turn pressure, we ALL go up. Probably all will be OK, but it only takes once to make a REALLY bad day!

Not trying to flame anyone here and the jellyfish sounds really cool! I love all of the critters that I get to see on my safety stops, and the zen like meditation of the blue water safety stops! Diving is a hazardous sport and I don't think most divers are trained on everything that can go wrong. Too much of an emphasis on speed of certification rather than capability of the diver. Glad that you enjoyed the dive but hope that you take the right lesson from these posts. Not a "phrew, close one. Let's do it again" but an attitude that training and planning can mitigate the risks and make for a lot more enjoyable diving!

 

[Giggi]

You're right. Thanks for the constructive criticism.

 

[scubamate]

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.

And again, instead of enjoying a post from a member, we have to abraid and criticise. I figure everyone that has responded to Giggi has never run low on air, has never gotten more than an arms length away from their buddy, has never mored a little silt, etc., etc.

Giggi,
I'm really glad you enjoyed the safety stop. I've seen similar things and they sure help pass the time.

 

[Detonate]

It's common in Cozumel to ascend while the DM is still below.

While I don't recommend splitting up from your buddy, Shiprekd you could use a lot of practice on your counceling skills.

 

[deadend]

So I see a thread entitled "fun safety stop" and clicked on it thinking it might be something good to read and a little different. Instead, it goes downhill just like EVERY other thread on this board with knowitalls, naysayers, and doomsday prophets. Not every dive ends in death or catastrophe as some wish they would to prove their point. Sounds like no danger to me, but a fun time after all.

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

I think it's standard practice in the resort diving community to go back alone if you are cold, tired, low on air, trouble with ears, e.t.c. I've seen all of the above. I haven't seen anyone in serious trouble yet. I was glad to read the positives in this thread. Sounds like a really cool saftey stop, hope I get to see some cool stuff like that.

 

[Diving Lore]

I think it's standard practice in the resort diving community to go back alone if you are cold, tired, low on air, trouble with ears, e.t.c. I've seen all of the above. I haven't seen anyone in serious trouble yet. I was glad to read the positives in this thread. Sounds like a really cool saftey stop, hope I get to see some cool stuff like that.

Standard practice! I think perhaps not, while I know diving has some grey areas especially concerning what the right thing for a DM to do is in some situations, letting divers wander off alone back to the dive boat, mooring line etc if they suffering from cold, tired air is a definate no-no. Some divers are so used to being shielded and guided (holiday divers especially) that this courts disaster. The diver becoming lost disorientated, panicking then a runaway ascent could become a possibility.
Unless the diver who wishes to do this is familiar with the dive site and then with a buddy then fair enough, theres a back-up system there already if trouble occurs. A good move would be on the briefing for the DM to establish what should happen if those things take place and so on.
Shipwrecked is right in what he says albeit coming across over strongly.
I think a lot of DMs need to sharpen up their act and need to shake off this impression of just being and underwater guide when a DM is actually responsible for the lives of his divers. DMs need to be careful out there, more so in tropical conditions where overconfidence and a lassez faire attitude can and have spelt disaster.

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

Does everyone have to read so much into every dive description? When I said i've seen people go back up without a D.M. I never said we were at depth & could not see the line E.T.C., We were in the tropical waters of Maui and vis was 70'. we were about 45'. No-one was "wandering off" and going back to the boat WAS covered in the predive briefing. I'm really sorry I wasn't exact on my description.

 

[Diving Lore]

Does everyone have to read so much into every dive description? When I said i've seen people go back up without a D.M. I never said we were at depth & could not see the line E.T.C., We were in the tropical waters of Maui and vis was 70'. we were about 45'. No-one was "wandering off" and going back to the boat WAS covered in the predive briefing. I'm really sorry I wasn't exact on my description.

Yeah and I hear you wrecker when you say that, BUT with the line 'I think its standard practice in the resort diving community to go back alone when cold etc' does not exactly bring forth images of well-being, responsibility of the dive professional and following a diving plan does it?
I never said that YOU were at depth and could not see the line either I was stating a 'for instance situation' speaking rhetoricaly at what could and does occur.
I'm not having a go at you personally, the post I made was on the whole original situation of the girl who was on the safety stop whose DM should taken steps to do the right thing.

By golly its amazing the way this thread is going!