How I almost drowned -- twice

[Seya]

Thanks for the write up and I'm glad you're fine. Keep on having fun diving and stay safe

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[Centrals]

I would like to see more operators offering bigger tank instead of the standard 11L(80cu.ft) in SE Asia.
I would rather use my bare hands instead of reef hook.
Up and down currents are very difficult to handle and I do feel sorry for your experience.
Hope you and your wife enjoyed the rest of the trip.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

CuzzA I am not saying that Pony's don't have a valid role to play for some divers. I am saying that it is better to know your limits and plan your dive by your consumption and not RELY on a Pony. I will admit I haven't used a Pony myself and have only ever dived with one person who carried a Pony. It just is not commonly done where I have dived. I actually did check into it at one point but getting a pony set up here was going to be very expensive.

I know the unexpected can happen and I could tell a few stories of my own but I have never been close to OOA myself in spite of that. I'm not saying it couldn't happen tho.

I am wondering in the situation the OP describes can you describe the mechanics of deploying the Pony. I am not being argumentative here. I genuinely would like to know how much task loading. How free could you keep the hands to deploy the reef hook, grab coral or whatever. Since I have already said I have never used one, I would really like to know exactly what is involved in switching to one. I have always thought of ponys mostly as a back up for equipment failure.

 

[charlier]

Bill, sorry you got to meet the Indonesian Throughflow - I thought I sent you that link, if not I apologise and suggest you may find it worth reading. I know exactly the sweetlips spot at Kri you are talking about from my last trip there a few months ago when the current was actually rather benign on that dive but the afternoon dive that day which I couldn't dive that day after my second ever underwater migraine coming on at Mayhem a couple of hours later the current was ripping and reef hooks were out. Chicken the day before was a thrill a minute express ride too - its an area subject to currents that can change in a second due to the throughflow.

I am not a dive professional just an average diver with a little bit of experience in the area and have had my Ehhhh whats going on here moment in a downcurrent that took me to 43m then an upwelling that spat me back to 7m in seconds and then back down again so I do understand that it is a terrifying experience and when the current changes are rapid as they are it is WTH is happening..i happens before you process it which is the part that makes our hearts race and of course our breathing rate go up. Some places they are known - My personal experience with this sort of current was a spot in N Sulawesi Batu Gosoh. You don't have warning to sort yourself out so it is that horrible dawning that you are completely at the mercy of the ocean. Learning to handle that - and you have experienced it now so thats a big start - wont stop it ever happening again but I suspect you may recognise whats going on and remember you survived it this time. It may never happen again, to either of us, I hope so, but theres no guarantee - the ocean does what it wants.

I will be completely honest and say No I didnt have time to swim across the current and inflate and do this or that because it happened in seconds and was one helluva shock....i was having a lovely dive until that moment. How did I deal with it.....survival instinct kicked in and I crabbed up the wall like..and I apologise to anything I squished and any coral I killed but that was the only thing I could do.

To the best of my recollection I have never seen a pony bottle being used by a diver on a liveaboard over in the neighbourhood.

No dive plan could have countered in this, it suprised and caught the dive guides too if i read your OP properly. Dampier Strait currents are tricky and can turn up down sideways in seconds - the guides cant know that before they descend. Id bet your dive guide was as shocked as you were and the stress of having divers in trouble while he was also in trouble is a testament to his skills and hes probably thinking the same as you are....phewww that one was close.

ETA Tippytoes - the sweetlips gang at Cape Kri are a regular highlight so I'd hazard a guess that particular dive has been done by almost every LOB that plies those waters -

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...b7lA2IQ_AUIBygC&dpr=1.1#imgrc=SKmsASa8j2JMdM:

Glad all worked out well in the end, take pride in that and learn from that that no amount of skills practicing or fundies or training is going to guarantee the ocean isnt going to decide to give you a reminder of our fragility down there.

If you would like I can send the Flowthrough information through to you again. Good on you for getting back in the water.

Hi Bill
Thank you for posting your Raja Ampat experience. My personal feeling is that near OOA experiences are not always solved by equipment (e.g., pony bottles or 15l tank), but with experience, training, and mentorship. That said, I know of many very experienced divers that use 15 l tanks. So next time, a larger tank might be helpful. It takes time to learn to breath calmly after getting slammed with a strong current or in a rapid negative entry with currents. Situational awareness and getting comfortable with task loading comes from experience. To be completely honest, your experience at Kri will help you make better diver. Next time, deploy your smb after ever dive and get comfortable deploying the a smb in currents. I

A few thoughts that go through my head are, I always look around and watch the fish, soft corals, anemone, and the micro-topography of the reef structure. Watching how fish move around and how they face the current(s) and the details of reef topography helps me understand my environment. This gives me a spatial and situational awareness that might give me a "heads up" when the currents might change. Looking for the sweetlips, or groupers/sharks at 28-30 m is part of the experience diving in Raja Ampat. Next time, ask your DM a few more detailed questions that cover "what if", so you have a more complete dive plan. As Windy said, "good for you getting back in the water". best, charlie

 

[Kairoos]

I would definitely second the pony bottle. It can be a hassle, but it's definitely worth it in a situation like you experienced. We never know what can happen so it's definitely better to be vastly over prepared. Travelling would complicate things for sure, but I would imagine wherever you go you can probably rent a 40cf pony, if not a 19 or 30.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I guess it depends on where you travel. I have never seen a pony available for hire where we have dived in the coral Triangle. I'm really curious now. I will have to ask some of my contacts.

 

[charlier]

I seem to be in the minority on a pony bottle. Of course, its a personal decision, but training, experience, and fundamental skills key skills for safe diving in the coral triangle or similar remote locations with strong currents. Only through experience, did I become more aware of my limits and abilities. Situational awareness, comfort in the water, and the ability to calmly task load when the situation goes 'south" will go a long way to make a safe diver.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I agree that knowing your gas consumption and how to manage it is fundamental to diving safely. Building skills and extending your comfort level in sensible stages is as well. IMHO too many divers do "trust me" dives where they follow the dive guide or dive plan presented to them without knowing how it will fit with their SAC rate and skill set. Of course we have to rely on local knowledge to some degree but we should never just accept it without question. We need to ask enough questions or do enough research prior to choosing the dive destination to be pretty sure we aren't setting ourselves up for trouble.

In the end I honestly believe the single most important skill a diver needs to learn is how/when to say NO I WILL SIT OUT THIS DIVE!

 

[billt4sf]

I agree that knowing your gas consumption and how to manage it is fundamental to diving safely. Building skills and extending your comfort level in sensible stages is as well. IMHO too many divers do "trust me" dives where they follow the dive guide or dive plan presented to them without knowing how it will fit with their SAC rate and skill set. Of course we have to rely on local knowledge to some degree but we should never just accept it without question. We need to ask enough questions or do enough research prior to choosing the dive destination to be pretty sure we aren't setting ourselves up for trouble.

In the end I honestly believe the single most important skill a diver needs to learn is how/when to say NO I WILL SIT OUT THIS DIVE!

Thanks for all your comments. I'm glad my experience was thought-provoking. I, too, am convinced that we each need to know our limits and follow them. I would only add that, had we known what we would face on this dive, I don't think *any* of us would have done it, not even the DMs.

That is not to excuse my own errors of judgement -- I did get too close to my limits, it was partially because I simply do not know the basics of gas planning. Frankly I don't think most divers do. Most of us seem to go along based on previous experience and relying on those around us who may be perceived to be "better" divers -- often they are. But it's an area I need to take better control of myself, and who knows maybe after I learn the material I will decide I need to always have a pony bottle.

After this dive I took a little poll of my diver friends and asked them "How much gas pressure do you need to ascend safely from 80 feet in benign conditions?". Many talked simply about not hitting their NDLs, and then answers ranged from 700 lbs to 1000 lbs. Only one mentioned that he would also need to think about the environment at the surface. None mentioned that they might also need air for a buddy or how far they need to swim back. To some extent the question was ill-posed, but I wanted it that way, just to see what people would think about.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Kairoos]

I seem to be in the minority on a pony bottle. Of course, its a personal decision, but training, experience, and fundamental skills key skills for safe diving in the coral triangle or similar remote locations with strong currents. Only through experience, did I become more aware of my limits and abilities. Situational awareness, comfort in the water, and the ability to calmly task load when the situation goes 'south" will go a long way to make a safe diver.

What made me decide to carry a pony was the fact that I mostly dive with insta-buddies. It's just an extra safety net that I believe for the money, is worth it. Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes. A full pony set up (tank, gauges, reg) costs me about a day and a half of work, and that's worth my life imo.