Incident at pool today

[TheRedHead]

Are you saying that I caused the rapid ascent? That is a mighty big accusation.

Seriously, I'm saying there is no reason to drop a diver's weights when he has a regulator in his mouth and is breathing and not obviously struggling. I think helpiing him with his tank was a good thing, but as simply a rescue diver, you really don't have any business acting like an instructor and making judgements about how OW divers are diving. Dropping someone's weight can be very dangerous and will usually lead to a bouyant ascent to the surface. I understand that you are trying to help, but you come across as looking for a victim to rescue, rather than thinking about the well being of that diver.

 

[Packhorse]

Think about it, a weight belt is there to keep you neutrally bouant. Once removed at depth it would be very hard to stop shooting to the surface. There are very few times that weights should be dumped at depth. I dont belive this was one of them.

 

[JeffG]

I understand that you are trying to help, but you come across as looking for a victim to rescue, rather than thinking about the well being of that diver.

Kinda reminds me of the instructor that came out to "save" us in the middle of a lake when we launched a SMB to do ascent drills. LOL

 

[Sideband]

Are you saying that I caused the rapid ascent? That is a mighty big accusation.

LOL You sent the guy from 6 pounds over weighted to 4 pounds under weighted in under 15 feet of water and you don't see the obvious cause and effect thing happening here? If you drop weights that shallow you almost gurantee an ascent especially if they are wearing a suit. Weights get dropped at the surface to help you stay there. Drop my weights at the bottom and there is going to be words.

Joe

 

[TxHockeyGuy]

I would have tried to assist, I'm hopeful if someone saw my tank had come loose they would too. I was not there so I can't say for certain what I would have done. We are all looking at this with 20/20 hindsight and without the benefit of having seen what happened. That being said I doubt I would have released his weights. Even with no air in my BC if my weights were released I would be taking a rather quick trip to the surface. I *probably* would have tried to signal for the diver to stop while I tried to fix his tank, *probably*. After that I *probably* would have signaled up to ask about the weighting.

I did in fact have this happen to me recently, me being the one who had the tank come loose. I did wet my BC before hand and did check to make sure the bands were secure, I remember doing so because my buddy specifically asked and I remember picking up the BC and shaking it, the tank was secure. I'm not sure what happened but I assume I didn't wet the straps well enough. I had used a water bottle rather than taking it down to the lake as that was a bit of a walk (insert hindsight here). Well sure enough the tank came loose at depth. I was on an AOW dive and the DM noticed it and signaled me for stop. Khacken you actually know the DM, it was Sean. He fixed it for me at depth and I for one was quite thankful for the assistance.

 

[TheRedHead]

TxHockeyGuy, lots of divers have tank slippage (I even helped with a couple as an OW diver). I've not seen it happen with 2 tank bands. On boats, wetting the tank band is pretty uncommon. Just ratchet the buckle until it takes a lot of pressure to snap it closed.

 

[EastEndDiver]

Are you saying that I caused the rapid ascent? That is a mighty big accusation.

If you Remove someones weightbelt at depth what will happen? Even if it is "only" 12 feet.

 

[Dave_Rapp]

If you Remove someones weightbelt at depth what will happen? Even if it is "only" 12 feet.

They will become positively buoyant and ascend, however unlike a normal ascent, the diver in question will not be able to control the ascent by venting air from the jacket/wing.

At depth it's a bad idea because of nitrogen loading and the inevitable super-saturation that occurs. In shallow water, it's dangerous because of the risk of a lung over-expansion injury lets say that at twelve feet a diver has just inhaled and his or her lungs are full to bursting with four litres of gas. The divers weight belt is removed and they start to ascend, the air in the lungs expands and if they are holding their breath the gas in the lungs equals around five litres by the short time they reach the surface.

So if the lungs are "full to bursting" with four litres, what happens when the air expands to five?

 

[Packhorse]

What happened to the OP?

 

[EastEndDiver]

They will become positively buoyant and ascend, however unlike a normal ascent, the diver in question will not be able to control the ascent by venting air from the jacket/wing.

At depth it's a bad idea because of nitrogen loading and the inevitable super-saturation that occurs. In shallow water, it's dangerous because of the risk of a lung over-expansion injury lets say that at twelve feet a diver has just inhaled and his or her lungs are full to bursting with four litres of gas. The divers weight belt is removed and they start to ascend, the air in the lungs expands and if they are holding their breath the gas in the lungs equals around five litres by the short time they reach the surface.

So if the lungs are "full to bursting" with four litres, what happens when the air expands to five?

I know that.......I was hoping that Khacken could figure that out,and see why it was a bad idea to remove the persons weightbelt.