Indiana Instructor drowns in Keuka Lake NY

[ianr33]

You wouldn't be able to if you went the fashionable route and had all your weight in the form of a SS backplate. But that obviously wasn't the case in this tragedy, as in such cold waters he would have needed far more weight than that.

So why mention SS backplates at all?

I may as well say: He may have been suffering from narcosis. But that obviously wasn't the case in this tragedy as he was only 13 feet deep.
Not very helpful is it?

 

[peterbj7]

I only thought of the cold water after I'd started the post. In warm water I've seen it to be a real issue. But yes, it wasn't very helpful.

 

[flots am]

Another reminder to practice & drill on actually dumping weights so if you ever need to, it will be easy. I would not want to dump weights until surfacing, but would if I had to.

I'll drop weights in a heartbeat at depth or on the surface on a no-deco dive if I think there's any chance I'll have trouble getting to the surface or staying there.The risk is minimal, and certainly less than being underwater with a problem and no buddy.

flots.

 

[FinnMom]

Very sad. My condolences to the family.


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This is going off-subject, but since someone brought this up here I guess there is no place else to reply.

You wouldn't be able to if you went the fashionable route and had all your weight in the form of a SS backplate. But that obviously wasn't the case in this tragedy, as in such cold waters he would have needed far more weight than that. To do what he was doing he may well have been deliberately very heavy, often preferred by working divers.

Interesting about a working diver often prefering to be quite negatively bouyant: I didn't know that but it makes sense.

I'm not so sure why cold water would rule out a no-weight belt configuration. I find it hard to believe you need a weight belt to have adequate weight for cold water, even if you wish to be significantly negative. I don't use one, and I know relatively few tech divers who do. A 6mm SS plate is about 10 lbs, between twin steel tanks you can get up to 7-8 lbs more, and along the inside spine of the backplate you can get at least 7 lbs more if you really need it.

 

[flots am]

Interesting about a working diver often prefering to be quite negatively bouyant: I didn't know that but it makes sense.

I'm not so sure why cold water would rule out a no-weight belt configuration.

It's possible to dive in cold water with a drysuit without ditchable weight, but isn't common since it requires selecting hugely negative equipment and bolt-on weights for the BP (if he was using a BP). If he was using a jacket BC, there's no way to carry that much non-ditchable weight.

In fact, the biggest weight problem that cold water divers face is weight-belts that fall off. Many opt for a weight harness.

Wetsuits are not recommended for deep dives in very cold water because they lose buoyancy on descent and the diver can become tremendously negative. This probably wouldn't be a big issue at the depths mentioned here.

I find it hard to believe you need a weight belt to have adequate weight for cold water, even if you wish to be significantly negative. I don't use one, and I know relatively few tech divers who do. A 6mm SS plate is about 10 lbs, between twin steel tanks you can get up to 7-8 lbs more, and along the inside spine of the backplate you can get at least 7 lbs more if you really need it.

A drysuit with thick underwear can easily require 32-36Lbs. If you want to be negative, 40+ isn't out of the question.

Tech divers opt for non-ditchable weight because ditching weight in a physical overhead is non-productive and dangerous and ditching weight in a virtual overhead can be fatal.

However on a recreational SCUBA dive, ditching weight underwater is a last chance to remain with the living when everything has gone wrong. It ensures that even if you can't tell up from down or are losing consciousness, no matter what happens you'll end up on the surface and stay there.

This is why recreational divers are supposed to carry enough of their weight in a ditchable format to make them positively buoyant if necessary.

The difference is that tech divers are taught to deal with problems underwater, no matter what because surfacing can be fatal, while recreational divers are taught that surfacing is the safest thing to do in an emergency.

I don't know if it wasn't posted or I just missed it, but I have no idea what the victim's equipment configuration was.

flots.

 

[peterbj7]

Tech divers opt for non-ditchable weight

Some do, under some circumstances. Remember that weight harnesses have the facility to dump weights. But I agree that the biggest weight-related hazard a tech diver (any diver) can face is unintended loss of weights.

 

[AwkwardSwimmer]

To do what he was doing he may well have been deliberately very heavy, often preferred by working divers.

"Working divers" prefer a lot more than just a lot of weight. Things like constant communication, standby divers, lines...etc etc. I understand cleaning zebra mussels in ~15 feet of water seems simple but so much can go wrong. I hate to see accidents happen when it is something that should have been done by actual working divers.

 

[psiborg1812]

Do we know if he was wearing a drysuit or wetsuit? If he was hypothermic when they pulled him out of the water, he could have had heart issues if they weren't gentle enough with him.

Stuff like this makes you step back and think. Condolences to the family.

 

[Bombay High]

Working dives on SCUBA are just dangerous.
I know a lot of people do it and have no problems, but a disproportionate number of working divers killed, are on SCUBA.

 

[DandyDon]

Ok, since I originated the thread with the news story, I was contacted by an informed source who wants to stay anonymous with some information - which might be accurate. If so, it sounds like over confidence for a seemingly simple dive may have been involved with forgoing the use of a buddy, backup divers, etc. For whatever it's worth...

He rented 2 cylinders & a wetsuit, said he was diving in NY. The owners of the the vacation home were witnesses on the dock. It seems the diver did have a free flow at depth. He went to the surface & got things settled down. The people on shore tried to get him to come out of the water to warm up or at least change cylinders. He refused, saying he had only a little bit more to do. He dropped back down & after that descent he shortly ran out of air. Witnesses said that he was wearing about 40 lbs of weight. He just made it to the surface & called out for help before slipping back under. No one else was prepared to go into a glacier lake to help him. As was mentioned he did not remove his weights. The wetsuit,of course was cut off & disposed of. He rented 2 cylinders & a wetsuit, said he was diving in NY. The owners of the the vacation home were witnesses on the dock. It seems the diver did have a free flow at depth. He went to the surface & got things settled down. The people on shore tried to get him to come out of the water to warm up or at least change cylinders. He refused, saying he had only a little bit more to do. He dropped back down & after that descent he shortly ran out of air. Witnesses said that he was wearing about 40 lbs of weight. He just made it to the surface & called out for help before slipping back under. No one else was prepared to go into a glacier lake to help him. As was mentioned he did not remove his weights. The wetsuit,of course was cut off & disposed of.