General Vortex Incident Discussion

[ktomlinson]

I think the sound is a regulator honking...it happens at the same spot in his breathing cycle each time. I wonder who the other people in the video are?

 

[Cave Diver]

Do you feel people have already bashed? Or are you trying to head off the onslaught that could come?

Just trying to be proactive and head off this thread getting off the rails. There are some pretty obvious issues to a lot of us, but there are a lot of people that it won't be obvious to as well. This could be a great teaching opportunity for those interested in learning.

I just think that if we're going to dissect the dive, we should qualify our observations with why it's bad or how it could be improved.

 

[ktomlinson]

Just trying to be proactive and head off this thread getting off the rails. There are some pretty obvious issues to a lot of us, but there are a lot of people that it won't be obvious to as well. This could be a great teaching opportunity for those interested in learning.

This has been a great learning opportunity. I am completely sincere when I say that this incident has personally driven home the idea that if you value your life, training is incredibly cheap.

 

[tomfcrist]

This?

YouTube - Ben McDaniel @ Vortex Springs

Is that the sound of his tank banging the bottom?

Not alot I can say here.....wow!
do you think these fellers were born dumb, or did a dramatic event in thier lives make them that way?

 

[Cave Diver]

Not alot I can say here.....wow!
do you think these fellers were born dumb, or did a dramatic event in thier lives make them that way?

I think it's more a case of not knowing what they don't know.

Ok, at about the 1:05 - 1:20 mark in the video, you see the lead diver using a very inefficient kick that looks like an attempt to do a modified flutter. You also see quite a bit of sculling with the hands. They probably aren't aware that in some environments that sculling can stir up the bottom and cause a loss of visibility. Regarding the kick, if they were never taught how to do it properly and critiqued by someone who knows, they have no idea it's being done wrong.

It's not just limited to these guys. If you review the other three videos I posted previously, you'll see similar issues among all of them.

 

[Docc]

I think it's more a case of not knowing what they don't know.

Give me a second to review and I'll give you an example.

Tank boots on cylinders can catch on things or be an entanglement hazard to the line, also why split fins are not preferred in overhead environments.

 

[TommyB]

Is that one cat laying on the bottom on his back ?

 

[cruiser]

I am speechless. You couldn't make a better what not-to-video if you tried.

My, oh, my!

Is that a warm water cave? One of the guys had bare arms and legs.

 

[TommyB]

Is that a warm water cave? One of the guys had bare arms and legs.

I thinks it's 68 or 70 degrees

 

[boulderjohn]

I think that is the sound of his tanks hitting the ceiling.

I think what struck me most about the video was I thought that the people involved, especially the man with no thermal protection, were showing off for the camera, displaying what they thought was their highly advanced levels of scuba skill.

If there is anything cave training will teach you, is a little humility at that level, an embarrassment at thinking that what you think is advanced skill is really, well, what it is.