How often do you abort dives and why?
- Thread starter Dogbowl
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
AdivingBel
Diver
Not sure what you need to work on...comfort in the water, maybe?? I understand being inquisitive about others in regard to the topic, but I'm not comfortable keeping a count or figuring a percentage. If you need to thumb a dive, you thumb the dive whether it's one in a million or three in a row. Then you sort out the problem and prepare for the next dive. I guess if you get to the point of aborting every dive the idea of diving becomes rather senseless unless you just like setting up gear and lifting heavy things. IMHO I would approach each dive independently unless you discern a pattern causing the failures. Have fun. Safe diving.
Any dive, any time, any reason. Its supposed to be recreational not competative. Coming back alive is the first priority. Besides, towing in a diver in an emergency is a much bigger drag than missing a dive.
I once thumbed a dive because I didn't prep properly, let someone else pack my gear and they didn't grab the right accessories. I had to borrow some stuff and it was just all messed up in very cold conditions. I could have done the dive but felt it was just 'off' because I didnt give it the attentiion it deserved. No reason to compound several minor issues.
I once thumbed a dive because I didn't prep properly, let someone else pack my gear and they didn't grab the right accessories. I had to borrow some stuff and it was just all messed up in very cold conditions. I could have done the dive but felt it was just 'off' because I didnt give it the attentiion it deserved. No reason to compound several minor issues.
Stoo
Contributor
- Messages
- 3,506
- Reaction score
- 3,804
- # of dives
- 5000 - ∞
I've logged about 5500 dives and I can't recall ever calling a dive once I was into it. I have called numerous dives BEFORE I began the dive. Mostly those were due to weather (stupid currents, too rough etc.)
Damselfish
Contributor
When you haven't done a lot of dives, just a few aborted dives (however you want to define that) comes out to a high percentage. I don't think that's so unusual when you're new, and I wouldn't sweat the numbers. Stuff happens. I probably had a rate of aborted dives that high early on, some combination of crappy conditions I wasn't ready for and other things going pear shaped. In the 20+ years since, rarely or never happens. If you're mostly diving cold water, you're probably going to have a higher bag rate at this stage than someone diving in warm.
Perhaps your dive choices are a little aggressive for 24 dives? In particular, when you don't yet have weighting nailed, clearing your mask isn't second nature, and you may still have an tendency to panic, probably a cenote dive wasn't the best choice. Maybe dial it back where possible until you get a grip on some things.
Perhaps your dive choices are a little aggressive for 24 dives? In particular, when you don't yet have weighting nailed, clearing your mask isn't second nature, and you may still have an tendency to panic, probably a cenote dive wasn't the best choice. Maybe dial it back where possible until you get a grip on some things.
Called a couple due to bad O-rings on tanks. Noticed faster than usual pressure drops on the SPG moments in. Headed back to shore, swapped tanks and back at 'er. I check O-rings with more scrutiny pre-dive now.
Called one way down south on Bonaire. Crazy surf. Tried and tried to get past the breaking waves. Could not even get to the point of getting the fins on. Crawled back to shore. Waited out the waves.
Called one early on. Shore dive, still shallow, maybe 15ft over sand. Saw a shark. He saw me. Got spooked. Got out.
Called one way down south on Bonaire. Crazy surf. Tried and tried to get past the breaking waves. Could not even get to the point of getting the fins on. Crawled back to shore. Waited out the waves.
Called one early on. Shore dive, still shallow, maybe 15ft over sand. Saw a shark. He saw me. Got spooked. Got out.
Out of almost 1,000 dives, I have called 3. One due to viz, one due to change of current (down current), one due to current and viz. (FYI I don't dive in quarries, but I do remember my first drysuit dive being pretty awkward) Considering your skill level, I think you made the right decisions. You are way ahead of the game by actually admitting that you were in over your head. Better to be a little embarrassed than to be a statistic.
lamarpaulski
Contributor
Shows good judgement.
I'm curious...how often do you abort dives and why?
I've aborted 2.5 dives in a mere 24 dives. That's about 10%. I think that's ridiculously high, but perhaps a function of my beginner status.
Instead of counting the numbers of dives you have aborted, you should focus on what forced you to abort the dive. Could you have presented the events that led to the dive termination. When you recognized the inevitable, could that situation have spiraled into something un-controllable.
Don't worry about the number. Worry about your pre-dive and in-dive procedures. All of us commend you for having a good mind to call it quits. Many don't and have less desirable results.
Similar threads
