Life Threatening

[Michael Schlink]

In a recent thread the OP had a his 2nd stage come off his lp hose (while diving) and the question of the responsibility of the dive shop and service tech is still being debated. In several posts this problem was refered to as "life threatening". I don't consider a regulator failure as "life threatening". Damn inconvenient to say the least but with at least several options available as to how to deal with an OOA, and in this case it wasn't abrupt, my question is; What is life threatening? Are the problems that occur while diving really life threatening, and if that is the case then are we as prepared as we should be if these problems are in fact "life threatening". Over the span of my diving "career" I have encountered numerous problems while diving and on the surface. Never once did I feel as if I was in a "life threatening" situation. Regulator failures, light failure while cave diving (more than once), surface with the boat gone, down current, blown off the reef, masked kicked off, etc. etc.
What do you think is "life threatening" and are you properly trained and experienced to handle these "life threatening" situations? JMHO-M

 

[SparticleBrane]

While many of us might not consider that life threatening--for someone with substandard training and zero experience, I believe a situation like that could be considered life threatening.

 

[String]

Life threatening no. It shouldnt be.

Also depends on what checks the diver made on the kit before using it. Nobody to blame but himself if he just picked the reg up and jumped in with it for a dive without checking it on land and shallow first.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Note--I believe a situation like that definitely shouldn't be life threatening...just saying that for people with substandard training, it could be.

 

[NJMike]

Hmm. Regulator failure...OOA....not life threatening?

There are cetain things intrinsic to diving that without, are life threatening. Since a successful dive is based on breathing air....I would think that ANYTIME when that air is compromised, the situation is life threatening.

Can we breathe underwater without air? No. That makes the loss of air life threatening. And since we breathe through the regulator...a regulator malfunction is indeed life threatening. If it weren't, you wouldn't have to surface immediately while using someone elses air!

It is true that we have ways, procedures, safety checks, etc. for dealing with and/or preventing a loss of air situation. I would think that a regulator failure with loss of air would be right up on the top of the list of "life threatening" situations.

 

[String]

Proper checks should eliminate it.
Proper training also deals with the issues if it does happen.
It shouldnt be any more than a scarey moment for any properly trained diver.

 

[Michael Schlink]

String and SBrane, my point is if it's life threatening then we aren't properly trained or skilled to handle the problem. An equipment failure shouldn't be a life or death situation, it obvious these problems are occuring more often then some may realize. The video in the thread where the reg comes of the hose showed a pretty good example of how to deal with a problem. If it was life threatening I think there would be a bit more excitement.

 

[Carribeandiver]

let's suppose that individual was properly trained but he was diving solo at,,, oh, say 100 feet when his hose popped off. Now is that a life threatening situation? You bet it is.

 

[Walter]

I agree, it shouldn't be life threatening. Unfortunately, situations like that probably are life threatening more often than not. It's not because they received substandard training, it's because they received standard training. Standard training (I would define standard training as the type of training typically received and does not violate agency standards) is inadequate. Standard training teaches divers to be overly dependent on equipment. Standard training teaches divers someone else will always be there to take care of them. Standard training does not build confidence in the diver's own abilities. Standard training sets divers up to panic when things go wrong.

 

[Walter]

let's suppose that individual was properly trained but he was diving solo at,,, oh, say 100 feet when his hose popped off. Now is that a life threatening situation? You bet it is.

Not if the diver is properly trained. A free ascent from 100 feet was once commonly taught to entry level divers. In this case, the diver would likely be able to get to the surface or close to the surface before running out of air even if he didn't shut off his air and turn it on only when breathing. If he managed his air supply with his valve (an easy task for a properly trained diver), he should have air left after reaching the surface.