I am disappointed in myself...

[jeanne001]

Went diving today. Even though it was cold, rainy and slightly windy, I had a great time. Until the end of the dive that is...Once I had surfaced, I am kicking to stay afloat while I am putting air in my bc by using my LPIH. I heard a pop and I immediately thought that I must have over inflated the bc and I thought to myself "how could i have over inflated it, I have only been pushing the inflate button for about 2-3 seconds." I tell my buddy that I can't inflate my BC and he says that there is bubbles coming out of the bladder. I tell my Instructor (who was on this fun dive with us) that I am having a problem with my BC. He looks and immediately drops my weight belt and begins towing me into shore. As he drops my weight belt I look over and my buddy is talking to another member of our dive group! (that is a whole other problem to be dealt with tonight). Anyway, after I am in shallower water i see that where the LPIH has come completly detached from the bladder. Which is why is wouldn't hold air.

Getting to my problem... I am really PO'd at myself for not realizing that the problem had elevated to the point where i should have released my weight belt myself. Someone else had to do it for me. I am really dissappointed in myself, especially since it was my instructor that had to do the dropping of the belt. I don't know I'm just really disappointed and just wanted to vent.

 

[Rhone Man]

Only time in my life I nearly died whilst diving it was at the surface and it never occurred to me to drop my belt. You train and you train and you train, but until it actually happens....

But I suspect that you, like me, would never make the same mistake again. Hard lessons can be good lessons.

 

[RJP]

I am really dissappointed in myself, especially since it was my instructor that had to do the dropping of the belt. I don't know I'm just really disappointed and just wanted to vent.

Hey, how much MORE disappointing would it be if instead of YOU posting this, someone ELSE was posting about it in "Incidents and Accidents" or worse yet the "Passings" forum?

Cheap lesson for you to learn, and thanks for having the humility to post it here for all to benefit from!

 

[james croft]

Many accidents happen at the surface. Many divers do not remember to drop weights when having a problem.. Now you will be better prepared next time as you have learned a good lesson.

 

[ruready7]

Your lesson hopefully has been a lesson for others too. Glad you still around. I would be venting like you too if happened to me.

 

[spectrum]

jeanne001,

I wouldn't beat yourself up too much over this.

It sounds like you were on the surface, having a hard time getting positive and sorting the situation out. You do not speak of panic and if you were having trouble catching air could always go back on your regulator. In short you were not feeling threatened enough to jump to the stage of ditching weight. You had air breathing air options making the rest a mere inconvenience. Your instructor had a complete view of your gear and was able to make an instant decision based on more information.

This of course assumes that somewhere down in your process you would have resorted to the ditching of weight. To me a refreshed awareness of this life saving technique is what you need to take away from the incident. With any luck you will never need it again.

I'm sure most of us have been in situations we could have handled better.

My definition of a good dive is:
1. Nobody got hurt
2. All of the gear came back (I assume someone retrieved your belt)
3. You learned something.

So there you DID have a good dive.

Pete

 

[sporket]

Yea glad your OK and have learned from this. Best of luck & happy diving.

 

[Oriskany Divemaster]

LIke Spectrum said, don't beat yourself up over it. These things happen, but the difference between a tragedy and a learning experience is if the victim can learn from it. So gear up; go down; be safe. I'll bet it'll never happen again to you.

 

[Prostar]

Wow! A learning moment. Those are the best.

 

[RonFrank]

You learned a good lesson, and it cost you... little. Honestly, the instructor did not NEED to drop your weight belt (I guess depending on how heavy it was). He could have kept you buoyant, and towed you to shore. Once he did drop the belt, he still should not have needed to tow you to shore as you should have been very buoyant at that point.

In any event, lesson learned, and you will dive another day!