Lessons to be learned-Death in Palau

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I've never seriously considered a second mask but I guess it could save your life in certain circumstances. Hell, even a pair of goggles, I know that sounds really goofy but still, it might make the difference....
 
menemsha43:
I've never seriously considered a second mask but I guess it could save your life in certain circumstances...

Exactly. Same is true of 2 knives. If you ever really need your knife, there is always a good chance you will drop it.

I have a small knife, blunt tip, that I have mounted on the back of my SPG. I have a larger knife that I wear on my upper arm when in the tropics. They are both accessible.

For tropical travel, the knives need to go into the check-in luggage. I usually also wrap mine in aluminum foil together, with my mini took kit, and O2 analyzer, and my reef hook, so that the metal appears as one blob, and no one screening it will get paranoid.

A good reef hook for non-drift diving is great. If you are going to do photography, you don't have the option of merely holding onto it. I have seen many many DMs in the tropics snap (as in bolt snap) their reef hook line to a BC D-ring. I would not get too upset about that. It all depends on your perspective however.

What you do in a ripping current is a different matter. Probably best to abort the dive, if you cannot find a sheltered spot on the reef somewhere.

These accident reports are helpful because they let us visualize the situation and plan in advance for ourselves. I am glad I always bring an extra mask with me. My friends know it and sometimes they bum it off me when their own mask is not working, and that bothers me to no end. I wish everyone were taught to bring a spare mask always.
 
A good reef hook for non-drift diving is great. If you are going to do photography, you don't have the option of merely holding onto it.
Kill what you go down to see and photograph....thanks. Hope the pictures come out good, before long, that's all we'll have.....

Jason
 
Jason B:
Kill what you go down to see and photograph....thanks. Hope the pictures come out good, before long, that's all we'll have.....
Jason
Theres actually plenty of Lifeless rocks down there to hook onto without bothering the corals, sponges and other inamimate life forms.

Palau has some fierce currents, and whilst I havent dived the site in question I have hooked on at blue corner. I was diving with "Sams" and we spent a couple of days building up to blue corner to make sure all the group were up to this type of dive and what was going to happen. People should be aware before booking trips like this that they will face some advanced diving and unfortunately not all are capable enough divers, and they should be either buddied by a DM or asked to miss out the dive.

To those reef hook nay sayers, I have to say you are missing out on some excellent dives. Both Palau and PNG have some great dives which require you to be in current on the top of ridges and without a reef hook you will either be blown away or ripping your hands and or coral to bits. It allows photographers to free up both hands, and in some cases prevents damage due to divers trying to get close to something finning like mad and kicking the **** out of everything. It goes without saying if you are hooked on and tied to your BC then you want to consider a cutting device.

As to the accident itself, panic and lack of training / experience were primary causes. She lost her mask but still had air, that wont kill you, she was only at 40 feet, worst case she could have abandoned her scuba gear and ascended. The bump on her head is suspicious, she could have been trying to do this and was thrown around by the current.
 
cudachaser:
MAJOR SHAME is hooking (AKA DESTROYING) reef.
TOOL like a sawed off shotgun in a 7/11.
ADVANTAGE - puts $$ in someones pockets and smiles on the faces of selfish murderous morons.
DISADVANTAGE -hooking KILLS reefs, the very thing we divers LIVE for. Stop killing reefs. Go play on a mountain with your tools, big man. You are not a waterman so trade in your tanks for something more suitable to your mentality. You and your like give shame to all divers.

Posted by cudachasers wife, Cheryl.

I wonder how you feel about divers kneeling and crawling on the bottom with dangling consoles and octos, unclipped hoses and misdirected fins, just like those in YOUR photo gallery. Reef hooks are only used in certain locations, but divers trained like this can cause worse damage anywhere and anytime they get underwater.
 
As to the accident itself, panic and lack of training / experience were primary causes. She lost her mask but still had air, that wont kill you, she was only at 40 feet, worst case she could have abandoned her scuba gear and ascended. The bump on her head is suspicious, she could have been trying to do this and was thrown around by the current.
__________________albion

So what could a diver have done differently? Was it just panic? Was it water up her nose?
 
Matthew:
I wonder how you feel about divers kneeling and crawling on the bottom with dangling consoles and octos, unclipped hoses and misdirected fins, just like those in YOUR photo gallery. Reef hooks are only used in certain locations, but divers trained like this can cause worse damage anywhere and anytime they get underwater.
priceless, pot calling the kettle black

pilot fish:
So what could a diver have done differently? Was it just panic? Was it water up her nose?
Well I wasnt there and neither was anyone else so its speculation really, but losing her mask in current she may have got water blasted up her nose, she needed to get her **** together and breathe first. If anything the reef hook would have been a benefit at this point as she wouldnt have been flying up or down but just held in place. As long as you can breathe your still living and have time to fix things. I dont know the actual current but i have been hooked on fairly tight in fast currents, and every now and then the current will surge and drop and release you. in fact the worst thing is when it drops when your not ready and your hook drops free and you go flying off.

Even if its not your chosen path i would suggest try doing a intro tech course where you get severe stress testing, no mask, mid water, valves turned off, fins removed, now make an ascent. :11:
 
A good indication of panic, aside from the terrrible results, was dropping her weights while still hooked in. Do I remember it correctly that she was hooked in near the RN, or did she limply float by?


Albion:
Well I wasnt there and neither was anyone else so its speculation really, but losing her mask in current she may have got water blasted up her nose, she needed to get her **** together and breathe first. If anything the reef hook would have been a benefit at this point as she wouldnt have been flying up or down but just held in place. As long as you can breathe your still living and have time to fix things. I dont know the actual current but i have been hooked on fairly tight in fast currents, and every now and then the current will surge and drop and release you. in fact the worst thing is when it drops when your not ready and your hook drops free and you go flying off.

Even if its not your chosen path i would suggest try doing a intro tech course where you get severe stress testing, no mask, mid water, valves turned off, fins removed, now make an ascent. :11:
 
Albion:
...............

Even if its not your chosen path i would suggest try doing a intro tech course where you get severe stress testing, no mask, mid water, valves turned off, fins removed, now make an ascent. :11:

I have, and that's why being locking into an object underwater with a reef hook is complete BS. You can overcome all of the issues you mention by ascending. You can ever replace your mask. If you can't ascend, you're in deep deep trouble.
 

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