Lessons I have taken from Recent Accidents

[SparticleBrane]

Hmm...
Last time I did the USMC PFT I did 3 miles in 21:30, 55 crunches in 2 minutes, and 6 pullups.

Then again I had essentially broken my ankle a month and a half beforehand, so I wasn't in the best of shape. Last cross country race of the season I rolled my right ankle and heard/felt a really nice pop. Waited 3 weeks to have it x-rayed, turns out the ligaments pulled off the tip of my leg bone...
That plus I wasn't, and have never been in the USMC.
*shakes fist at USNA for not letting him in* Darn you for deluding me to the last 1,950 "officially qualified" people and then letting in 1,400...
...I'm not bitter.


As to diving--I've found that the best practice comes about in the form of the most realistic training you can get to what the actual situation would be like. ex: For my NCSU rescue class, right in the middle of some critiquing of our skills we suddenly had a few TAs "drowning" in the quarry that we had to go pull out.

 

[Cacia]

Catherine: Yes, the USMC program is: 3 miles in 18 minutes, 100 crunches in 2 minutes, 20 dead hang pull ups = max score. The mins are 3 miles in 28 minutes, 44 crunches in 2 minutes, and 4 dead hang pull ups.

I can't do one I am pretty sure I watched him do 18...

dead man pull ups are brutal.

Marines make excellent dive buddies, BTW. Actually, they are excellent in all kinds of ways, wish somebody would have tipped me off to that years ago. Most of them have this integrity thing, I have noticed. Any women divers...my advice is drive directly to the closest Marine Corp base and look for one, don't even waste any more time. Your odds go way up of getting a good one.

 

[sea nmf]

Back to thoughts on accidents.

If the overwhelming cause of death is a heart attack caused by physical exertion while diving, then, yes, being in good physical condition is paramount. No doubt about it.

The problem is, we don't know for sure (at least I haven't been able to gleen that from the reports).

What I seem to see is that PANIC kills. How do you train yourself away from panic?

Just my observation.

 

[miketsp]

why didn't I think of that?

Of course I have a spool. A stainless steel one. hey, I have been wanting to use that crotch ring for something and never have...since I don't have a scooter. see, these are the pointers I need for my night dive with the Borg.

We generally try to avoid doing any sort of stop on night dives firstly because there are just too many small animals attracted by the lights at shallow depth and secondly there are just too many larger ones that you don't want to bump into.
Also if you can't get back to the upline for any reason you don't want to be drifting away in the dark while doing an obligatory stop.
So whenever possible we avoid any deco obligation & just do a very slow final ascent which means that the use of a Jon line at night would be limited.

 

[aic007]

Thanks for all the tips and info,

Not planning on doing anything other than 30-50ft dives in mild conditions in Mexico for now. Just want to relax and take some pics of the reefs and fishies. but as I get more comfortable and want to try something a little more challenging I will definately get my self in better shape for that. But for now just want to enjoy the view and try and take some of them home with me.

 

[lamont]

1. yet more respect for CO2 buildup and the possibility of a CO2 hit...

2. rough deco + jon lines

3. all kinds of concerns about wreck penetration (incidents conveyed in wreck class + drmike's near fatality awhile back)

4. increasing awareness of boat traffic hazards and treating a lot more of my diving like its 1/3rds

 

[Cacia]

CO2 build-up..yes I need to know more about the CNS effects. (what is a CO2 "hit"?)

So whenever possible we avoid any deco obligation & just do a very slow final ascent which means that the use of a Jon line at night would be limited.

well, I usually never use the ascent line, myself. BUT the times I do, is if I am waiting with divers on the 3 minute shallow stop and the swells here can get very tough. Holding a stop perfectly in current on a wreck with surge generated by big swell is why I though maybe a jon line could help me take less aggitation physically. Sometimes the swell is a big issue at 15ft whereas quite easy to deal with at deeper depths. Also..diving in a group restricts your ascent profile.

 

[TheRedHead]

CO2 build-up..yes i need to know more about the CNS effects.

CO2 build up also increases narcosis which can lead to panic and acts of stupidity.

 

[Cacia]

oh, that is what I thought...

Co2 retention also causes you to become acidotic...I always wonder what that does to your gas physics. (the lower ph)

okay..here is a question.

If you are ascending in heavy current (DIR-style), and you are avoiding "stops" and favoring the sloping ascent profile.... do you take into account the exertion involved in staying in place (not a drift) by finning? I know I have done free ascents with deco, where I had to gently fin into the current to stay on location of the boat. Maybe not clear...I am wondering if the ascent style has the drawback of requiring a more physical ascent, exertion wise, and does that increase your DSI risk?

 

[lamont]

oh, that is what I thought...

Co2 retention also causes you to become acidotic...I always wonder what that does to your gas physics. (the lower ph)

there was some theorization that CO2 buildup can lead to heart attacks and that this might be behind BJDs accident.

okay..here is a question.

If you are ascending in heavy current (DIR-style), and you are avoiding "stops" and favoring the sloping ascent profile.... do you take into account the exertion involved in staying in place (not a drift) by finning? I know I have done free ascents with deco, where I had to gently fin into the current to stay on location of the boat. Maybe not clear...I am wondering if the ascent style has the drawback of requiring a more physical ascent, exertion wise, and does that increase your DSI risk?

technically i think you offgass better when you're engaging in light excersize (according to dr deco, iirc) so gentle finning is probably good. for DIR style high-current deco you should have a scooter rather than engage in heavy excersize...