highest probability emergency situations?

[RJP]

I disagree that all leaking inflators are easy to find on pre-dive checks. I've had a number of occasions where a dry suit inflator was very slowly leaking, and I only realized it halfway through the dive, when I finally figured out that I kept dumping gas I hadn't put into the suit

Yup, that's why I didn't say "easy to find" or that they can "universally be found" but either way I don't think I'd put an undetectably slow leak in the "emergency situation" category.

 

[Omisson]

Let's break it down:

Can a stuck inflator actually "happen suddenly" or "without any warning"? Practically speaking, no. At a minimum for it to be "stuck" it needs to be depressed... so it can only happen when you are activating it. This makes the amount of time underwater where one might encounter a stuck inflator exceedingly limited.

Does a stuck inflator "leave almost no time to react"? Well, if you are depressing the inflator you are by definition in the process of adjusting your buoyancy and should be very cognizant of what change you are making. There is no reason to have "no time to react" because you are already in the process of reacting to a buoyancy change at that time.

Sudden difficulty accessing your dump valve? Such as... ? Again, that's a different problem. Would suck if you had a stuck inflator valve while you were experiencing whatever additional problem is currently making it difficult to access your dump valve. Figure out what problem THAT is... and fix it.

Trapped air? That's another distinctly separate issue from a stuck inflator hose. To build on what Rich K says above, two nuisances = 1 problem. If your wing/suit traps air and cant be vented properly... fix that issue. This way, if you ever have a stuck inflator... it will only be a nuisance and not a problem. Also keep in mind, that since you'll almost certainly be in the process of adjusting your buoyancy if/when you experience a stuck inflator... would you be venting and adding air at the same time? A little bit of stuck air - whether due to a gear issue or diver orientation - shouldn't be a problem. If you've got a lot of air already in your wing (trapped or not) while you're in the process of ADDING more air, perhaps you're overweighted?

Ultimately, what are potential causes of a stuck inflator hose? Typically it's either poor maintenance (gear not being rinsed, stored, serviced in an appropriate/timely fashion) or a piece of debris such as sand getting lodged in the mechanism. Proper gear maintenance, service, and pre-dive checks will virtually eliminate the first set of issues. Even a slowly leaking, rather than "stuck" inflator can be identified and corrected during the most rudimentary pre-dive check. The second can be largely prevented by taking care where and how your gear is placed before and during a dive. Don't throw it on the ground, drag it through the parking lot, or crawl around on the bottom and the likelihood of debris causing your inflator to stick approaches zero.

I suppose that theoretically speaking your inflator could produce a run-away inflation if you experienced a free-flowing first stage, but with downstream demand valves in both your primary and backup regs that's where all the air from a free-flowing first stage would go.

Long way of saying... don't put major focus on what little things might happen. But do put a little focus on things that can help ensure that nothing major ever does happen.

You obviously haven't done a lot of ice/cold water diving. Free filing bcds is a very common problem- just as an example...

 

[Storker]

1. Free flowing regulator - will occur at some point

This is kind of interesting. I dive in conditions that supposedly are freeflow country. Yes, I've seen bunches of 2nd stages freeflowing. No big deal. Usually it happens after ascent, so we don't care until we're aboard or ashore and can close the tank valve. If it happens pre-dive, you just cover the mouthpiece with your thumb to stop the freeflow. Never had or seen it hapoen underwater, at least not to a degree that just putting the reg in your mouth couldn't stop it. Never seen a 1st stage freeflow.

Also, running low on gas has been pretty undramatic the couple of times I've seen it. Maybe I've only been diving with buddies who have a decent control of their tank pressure. They've known they're low, so when they've had to start sucking the gas out of their tank, they've just cut their SS short & surfaced.




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[RJP]

You obviously haven't done a lot of ice/cold water diving. Free filing bcds is a very common problem- just as an example...

No ice diving... but plenty of cold NJ diving. Never had that problem. Is it common to occur in that setting other than when the inflator is being actuated... ie "suddenly and without warning?"

That said... if it goes along with the environment it is something to be considered during the dive plan, equipment check, and to be on guard for during the dive. Accordingly it should not "happen suddenly and without warning" unless you jumped through a hole in the ice with the assumption that the water is 85F.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere but could not find anything via search.

I completed my OW course a few months ago and of course we were taught how to deal with emergency situations like out of air, free-flowing regulator, entanglement, etc., but without any mention of what are the most likely emergency situations we might face (not counting "simple" things like mask or regulator knocked out of mouth, ear squeeze, etc.) The main comment essentially was, if you prepare properly, any emergency will be unlikely. But what I would like to know is, what are the most common emergencies that beyond-novice divers tend to face? What are the highest probability emergency issues one might encounter? And how common are they?

As strange as this may sound, I think the surface zone (i.e. the surface and just below) can often be the most dangerous phase of many dives. We think about the dangers on deep dives, running out of air, etc., and sure those are real dangers that require diligence, but I've been guilty of getting very complacent when I'm at the surface.

The emergencies I've personally seen, meaning situations that could have resulted in a sudden life-threatening incident, occurred in this "surface zone". We tend to forget that even with a full tank and functioning regulator, it is still possible to drown at or near the surface.

• Entering and exiting a boat, especially if it is a bit rough, can create unexpected emergencies in a heartbeat if you let your attention waver at all.
• Entering and exiting from the shoreline, again if it is a bit rough, can also create unexpected situations.

Best wishes.

 

[Colliam7]

But what I would like to know is, what are the most common emergencies that beyond-novice divers tend to face? What are the highest probability emergency issues one might encounter? And how common are they?

A reasonable set of questions, that are almost impossible to answer absolutely. Part of the challenge is agreeing on what constitutes an 'emergency'. Lynne (TSandM) provided what I consider the most appropriate definition. And, if you accept that characterization, then your last question is the easiest to answer: How common is any emergency? Very, very, UNCOMMON - rare / virtually unheard of. You have gotten a number of good examples of problems that might occur during a dive, many of which might / should cause the reasonably prudent diver to terminate the dive, and surface. But, with the possible exception of a true out of air situation, occurring at depth, without a buddy nearby - which is also rare - it is heard to describe them as an emergency. Catastrophic equipment failure is quite rare. And, even when it occurs, if you have properly planned a dive, the chances of even that creating an 'emergency' are quite small. A regulator starts free-flowing, breath off the free flowing second stage. (I tell students that a free-flowing regulator is NOT an emergency, it is an annoyance and an inconvenience.) Your buoyancy system fails, swim the unit to the surface. You get separated from your buddy? Search for one minute and surface (or execute whatever alternate plan you and your buddy have agreed beforehand). Perhaps, the one example of what I would consider an emergency is the situation described by DeputyDan, where a diver in the water is hit in the head by a falling cylinder (and diver) from above them, and rendered unconscious / unresponsive. And, that is also very, very uncommon (although I think about the possibility every time I dive a site like Oil Slick, where a diver is exiting via a ladder ahead of me, and I forcibly remind myself to stay out of the way. Perhaps, the most common 'emergency' is diver panic - not the instigating event (regulator free-flow, entanglement, etc), but the diver's reaction to the event. While I subjectively believe that panic is more common than catastrophic equipment failure, or gas management problems, or entanglement, I have no data to say how often it actually occurs.

In 10+ years and 1000+ dives, I have never personally experienced any situation that I considered an 'emergency'. I have witnessed a diver die, after they apparently became separated from their instructor on a technical training dive, and were subsequently found unresponsive on the bottom at 165 feet. But, what exactly happened was never determined, and it is hard to say what the 'emergency' was. Perhaps, that was a matter of panic, but it was impossible to determine if that was the case. I have witnessed a diver bolt to the surface from 50 feet, after getting water in their mask, and up their nose. That is a situation that I considered to be panic. The outcome was psychologically negative, although there was no physical harm.

The main comment essentially was, if you prepare properly, any emergency will be unlikely.

And, that guidance is probably more helpful than any summary of emergencies, and their numerical probabilities, that we could offer.

 

[TSandM]

I have had a full free-flow underwater. It's definitely one of the more unsettling of underwater problems. I was not prepared for being unable to see, or for the horrendous NOISE. It is also important to recognize that a full free-flow will empty a tank in about 90 seconds or less, depending on tank size and how full it was when the issue started. However, if your buddy is where he should be, and has respected minimum gas reserves, the "urgency" only lasts as long as it takes you to get to him and accept his donated regulator. At that point, ending the dive is just an inconvenience.

 

[Yoyodyne-88]

Almost the only "emergency" that can hurt you, is to panic. That is the biggest risk in any situation, especially among less experienced divers.

The equipment itself, and good training, provide multiple levels of redundancy. People who have an "emergency" are usually already three or four steps into a chain of mistakes. Rapid breathing is the first indicator Divemasters and Instructors watch for, and often precedes (and actually causes) a panic reaction. Almost any situation can be fixed by remembering to "Stop. Breath. Think." Then identify the source of your stress, and rectify it.

There is no reason for a dead diver to be found on the bottom with their full weights still in place, but they often are. That is the death-spiral of "perceptual narrowing" that begins with some simple easily solved problem. Practice staying on top of your emotions, and solving your problems where you are - before they accumulate and avalanche.

 

[oly5050user]

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere but could not find anything via search.

I completed my OW course a few months ago and of course we were taught how to deal with emergency situations like out of air, free-flowing regulator, entanglement, etc., but without any mention of what are the most likely emergency situations we might face (not counting "simple" things like mask or regulator knocked out of mouth, ear squeeze, etc.) The main comment essentially was, if you prepare properly, any emergency will be unlikely. But what I would like to know is, what are the most common emergencies that beyond-novice divers tend to face? What are the highest probability emergency issues one might encounter? And how common are they?

i read this as where is the most likely emergency will occur for beginners? Without a doubt it is on the surface either before or after the actual dive. People do not think and establish positive buoyancy while on surface.

 

[Omisson]

No ice diving... but plenty of cold NJ diving. Never had that problem. Is it common to occur in that setting other than when the inflator is being actuated... ie "suddenly and without warning?"

That said... if it goes along with the environment it is something to be considered during the dive plan, equipment check, and to be on guard for during the dive. Accordingly it should not "happen suddenly and without warning" unless you jumped through a hole in the ice with the assumption that the water is 85F.

Yes - free flowing first stage forces it into low pressure inflator...