How easy we forget our basics.

[Torgo]

So I finaly done it. Made a BIG error of jugement and i mean BIG.
Out on a course, tying lines to outside of wreck I forgot to check my guages.
So pre occupied in what i was doing and a little narced i'd say.
Yes you guessed it OOA at 20m, but the shock was my guage was still reading 30bar.
Bit of a shock and thanks to Buddy and the rescue diver course that was still fresh in the system all ended up well ok no safety stop so no diving for the rest of the day.
Evaluating the situation now i see where things went wrong.

1: Faulty equipment.
That has been replaced the dead one hangs in testament.

2: Complacency.
Forgetting simple yet important skills and tasks while diving.
I know i'm no expert diver this has shown me I have a lot to learn and only continuing to practice these basic skills will i improve.
I know we all com complacent on certain dives we all must have a favorite "simple" sive site with all those pretty colours and fish and the likes where we have big bottom times and still com out with 50bar or such. But what i learned was that forgetting the basics can be fatal.

3: How to explain to the folks?
Still havent done this yet.

So on this going to go practice basics with the O/w students and others who want to refresh their skills on a regular basis.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Well I'm glad you're OK. You know what you did wrong so no need to preach. I'll bet that doesn't happen again!

 

[Cacia]

Nice Avatar! Lose a cat...gain a cat!..right dennis/

but you did not share any of the drama about the incident...thats why i stay up late..to read gory details. Glad you are okay. Why must you tell the folks? I think you might not want to do that.

 

[Torgo]

no real gore just brown trouser type stuff lung fulls of air and the such. And well my old ma has always been told what i do. including all those silly stunts i did as a teen and then in the navy.
The first thought was s!!! i've got to go back to work tomorrow and i've jsut come off leave their going to think i'm chcuking a sicky.

 

[Cacia]

well, how deep were you? in feet? and did you not get any pull sign? what type of reg is it?

 

[Torgo]

'bout 120(rough calculation).
Yeah it got had to pull on reg about 95'.
Sherwood regs.
And it was only my spg being stupid and faulty.

 

[Diver0001]

2: Complacency.
Forgetting simple yet important skills and tasks while diving.
I know i'm no expert diver this has shown me I have a lot to learn and only continuing to practice these basic skills will i improve.
I know we all com complacent on certain dives we all must have a favorite "simple" sive site with all those pretty colours and fish and the likes where we have big bottom times and still com out with 50bar or such. But what i learned was that forgetting the basics can be fatal.

You know, I think there might be another lesson to be learned here. Most people tend to focus too much attention on the task at hand and end up forgetting simple things like you did. I wouldn't describe this so much as "complacency", which is not caring, but as "tunnel vision" or "perceptual narrowing". In my experience, this is often caused by trying to do things too fast. Usually the key to keeping your marbles together, especially deep, is to slow down and even pause regularly when performing tasks to take stock of your own status and the status of your buddies. The goal you really want to reach is to never lose track of your (or your buddy's) status while performing tasks but slowing down is the first big step in that.

So.... a bit long winded but next time you have a task to perform, go slow.

Didn't your instructor say something like this to you already?

And don't tell your folks. They can't do anything about it and it will only make them worry.

R..

 

[Diver0001]

20 metres = about 66ft.

R..

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Torgo, I'm glad you came through it okay. I agree with others too: Maybe best not to tell the folks, huh?

 

[TSandM]

A nice reminder that gauges may not be not accurate in the lower ranges -- hence the reason we are advised never to use a pressure below 500 psi as our minimum gas.