Lessons to be learned-Death in Palau

[O-ring]

http://home.swipnet.se/~w-42581/palau99_pics/reefhook2_b.jpg

http://www.samstours.com/kevin/hook2.jpg

http://www.samstours.com/kevin/hook1.jpg

Here's a pic of the likely CFs that happen when this stuff goes down..

http://users.rcn.com/clonk/bubbles1.jpg

Note: These are all from Palau

Edit: I just had to add this...this picture is one of the biggest CFs I have ever seen captured on film. It's kinda hard to tell what is what, so look at it for a second. Note the diver in pink clutching the reef with both hands hanging on for dear life. Then look at the jumble of fins and bodies all lying on the reef and grasping at hand holds. This is diving at its worst..

 

[detroit diver]

O-ring once bubbled...
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-42581/palau99_pics/reefhook2_b.jpg

Like a kite in the wind.....and you're the kite.

Cool, until you don't want to be the kite anymore!

 

[WreckWriter]

O-ring once bubbled...
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-42581/palau99_pics/reefhook2_b.jpg

http://www.samstours.com/kevin/hook2.jpg

http://www.samstours.com/kevin/hook1.jpg

Here's a pic of the likely CFs that happen when this stuff goes down..

http://users.rcn.com/clonk/bubbles1.jpg

Heh, those should be in the same gallery as those frogkick.nl stroke pics!

 

[O-ring]

WreckWriter once bubbled...


Heh, those should be in the same gallery as those frogkick.nl stroke pics!

Note the pink force fins...a great accessory to have in any CF.

 

[O-ring]

http://www.fishnfins.com/photos/Blutoon.jpg

From http://www.fishnfins.com/sites.html

The Reef Hook Experience

What is a reef hook? It is a metal hook approximately 4" (10cm) long attached to a 6 foot (2m) rope and a snap ring. You secure the snap ring to one of the D rings in your BCD.

Why use a reef hook? Some of the dive sites in Palau (such as Blue Corner, New Drop Off, Peleliu Corner, etc.) have strong currents (which attract the big fish and sharks). The reef hook enables you to secure yourself to the reef without any effort and without damaging the pristine reef.


How does it works? While reaching the desired spot on the reef to observe the action, we locate a rock or dead coral and literally hook the reef hook to it. The current will keep the line stretched and both our hands will be free (ideal for photographers).

 

[jepuskar]

Check out that 1st picture! Hell no!!!

You can tell by his posture that the current is heavy..I wonder how much strength it takes to pull yourself towards the line to unhook yourself.......before you do this though, take a fin off and lose your mask.

I'm with DD on the reef part though....in Bonaire I saw our divemaster hold onto part of the reef as he pointed out a creature to us...I'm looking at him like wtf are you doing man. nice example.

sheesh


WW, why do you think PH is responsible for this accident?

 

[donacheson]

jepuskar once bubbled...
I have never heard of that kind of a practice . So what happens, the divers get hooks to dig into wherever they find a place too and then what?

I almost positive I would not have been a happy camper with current that strong.
:wacko:

From the original posting, it seems the divers planned to hook in to watch the shark action.

Given the description contained in the original posting, I imagine that the victim hooked in, found herself in a frightenly strong current, lost her mask and/or was unable to control her attitude and perhaps was even slammed into the reef, panicked, tried and failed to get out of her BC to which the line to the hook was clipped, and drowned.

Clipping the line to the hook into one's BC made me feel very uncomfortable the one time I tried it. Since then I've used a reef hook with a T-handle. I suspect that had the victim been hooked in this way, she'd have let go and only experienced the loss of a reef hook.

However, the last two paragraphs are conjecture.

 

[WreckWriter]

jepuskar once bubbled...
WW, why do you think PH is responsible for this accident?

Because the basic dive plan was dangerous and stupid and the conditions were too harsh (at least for this diver, obviously). Its the captain's call wether or not to splash divers.

WW

 

[detroit diver]

O-ring once bubbled...
http://www.fishnfins.com/photos/Blutoon.jpg

From http://www.fishnfins.com/sites.html

She kind of looks like chum bait for that shark!

 

[WreckWriter]

O-ring once bubbled...

Note the pink force fins...a great accessory to have in any CF.

Those are the big long "combat" style too, the ones the rest of us supposedly can't keep up with

WW