Lost sight of buddies - tank came loose

[John C. Ratliff]

Blue,

There are only a few posts here which were really helpful. You did the right thing by simply surfacing to sort out things. The equipment issues are ones which you can deal with. This critique of your not trying to correct this situation at 50 feet in open water is a @#@#$. You surfaced, and that was fine.

On my dive log sheet, I have a place for "Special Problems and Proposed Solutions." I always have an entry. Diving is a complex activity, and there are always things which don't go quite as you would expect. This is a part of diving. Keeping a level head, working through the problems, assessing what happened afterwards, and applying them to the next dive is what diving (and logging dives) is all about.

My recommendation--just get back in the water and enjoy diving. You did well, and don't let any of those critiques go to your head.

SeaRat

 

[warmwaterturner]

The Dive Op were very determined that we *shouldn't* check: I tried on several occasions and the local guys were saying that it was their job and we should relax. I felt I was offending them if I insisted......

This to me is very scary. I appreciate that it is their job BUT it is my a** So, thank you very much but I am going to check my gear for my safety sake before I go in the water.

 

[DevonDiver]

In which case, I would seriously question the professionalism of the dive shop concerned. If they were putting pressure on customers not to safety check their (rental) gear, then they are not encouraging safe diving practices.

 

[farsidefan1]

Wow, deja vu all over again. My first dives after my OW cert was to Belize. My first dive we dropped down and the divemaster entered a long swim through. Long as in I had no idea where they would come out. It was more of a tunnel. I had a light in my pocket so I thought about my situation as one after another of the divers disappeared into the hole. Hmmm, I don't know where the boat is, I mean it is somewhere up there but I don't know where, wave were pretty signifigant and at that time I did not yet have a smb. I was thinking, no overhead enviironments. What is the greater evil. I pulled out my light and followed them through. Part way there was a hole in the "ceiling" where light came in, pretty cool. Then out we popped, below 60 ft. I was not happy about being put in that situation, there was no dive briefing save "follow the divemaster". Oh, I was single on that trip so the divemaster was my buddy. Oh the lessons I learned. By the way the next day I had the same situation where my tank was not properly fastened, after my backroll it was floating beside me. From that point on I realized I and only I was responsible for my gear being properly set up. I was responsible to call a dive if I felt things were not "right" for me. Lots of good lessons from that first trip.

 

[underthedeepblue]

My divemaster aspirations were very *pie in the sky* and having seen some of these cowboys at work i wouldn't fream of it now

 

[DevonDiver]

You did the right thing by simply surfacing to sort out things. The equipment issues are ones which you can deal with. This critique of your not trying to correct this situation at 50 feet in open water is a @#@#$. You surfaced, and that was fine.

Yes and No.

Making the decision to abort the dive was good. Given the OPs' relative experience and capacity, it was a sound decision.

However, in terms of the OPs development as a diver, it is wise to accept that certain problems can easily be resolved underwater. This was one of those problems. Without doubt, a more experienced diver would have resolved this within seconds, without asistance and without aborting the dive...

Novice divers often don't understand what issues are and aren't safe to deal with underwater... and which issues should lead to an immediate dive abort. In the interests of safety, the best advice is err on the side of caution and end the dive.

That said... in order for experience and skills to develop, a diver must take a critical look at their performance. They must assess how they did things. Those provide the basis of understanding where and what they need to improve.

I was not happy about being put in that situation, there was no dive briefing save "follow the divemaster".

The Dive Op were very determined that we *shouldn't* check: I tried on several occasions and the local guys were saying that it was their job and we should relax.

My response to either of these scenarios would be an unequivocal..... "please return me to the jetty, where we can arrange a full refund of the money I paid you."

I don't tolerate unsafe dive operations or unsafe dive staff.
I don't pay money to unsafe dive operations or unsafe dive staff.

For any diver: always bear in mind what you learnt in your scuba training. If a dive operation acts in a way that disregards that training.... then don't dive with them.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

DevonDiver,

I would agree with you IF this diver had been wearing a weight belt; he was not, and instead had an integrated BC. Expecting a new dive to take off the scuba unit, with the weights integrated into the unit, control it and his buoyancy (while floating away from the unit because of the buoyancy differential), maintain the mouthpiece in his mouth, pull the scuba unit up through the unit, re-attach it with the strap/band system (whatever it is) using one hand, then don the unit and catch up with the "buddies" who were not there, is expecting a bit much. He surfaced, got a fix, and is alive today because of his actions. Now, he may want to try doing this in a pool to see how it may have gone under more controlled circumstances. But to do it on one of the first dives is not really advisable. The ergonomics of this situation show numerous potentials for a fatal outcome.

Please note that he was in California, probably using a fairly thick wet suit, thus had quite a buoyancy differential. He was not in the Phillippeans, where the use of minimal weights and wet suits is probably the norm. When I dove in the tropics, we wore a very thin "shorty" wet suit (kinda like the one you are wearing in your avitar), and no weights at all. That would make the manouver you are talking about much easier than in a more temporate water with a full wet suit.

One of the main questions here has to do with the buddy system failure, whereby a buddy should have recognized this problem and been able to assist in seconds. This diver was a solo diver in a group dive, away from the group and therefore more vulnerable than if a strict buddy system, or a solo dive, had been in force (solo divers usually check their equipment quite thoroughly).

SeaRat

 

[flots am]

I would agree with you IF this diver had been wearing a weight belt; he was not, and instead had an integrated BC. Expecting a new dive to take off the scuba unit, with the weights integrated into the unit, control it and his buoyancy (while floating away from the unit because of the buoyancy differential), maintain the mouthpiece in his mouth, pull the scuba unit up through the unit, re-attach it with the strap/band system (whatever it is) using one hand, then don the unit and catch up with the "buddies" who were not there, is expecting a bit much.

Have you ever actually tried it?

I demo this a few times a week in a WI BC and can tell you quite definitively, it's not difficult or complicated, and students who have only been in the pool for four sessions do pretty good the first time they see it.

If You + WI BC are neutral, when you take your arms out of the arm holes, you + WI BC are still neutral.

The BC tends to sink and you tend to float, however as long as you don't let go, you're still neutral

It doesn't fly away, nothing gets ripped out of your mouth, and in reality, once you get over the shock of being underwater staring at your BC instead of wearing it, it's pretty much a snooze.

In the case of a loose tank strap, all that's required is to tighten it up a little and re-fasten the tank.

flots

 

[knowone]

Complete BS given the OP's description of the situation and inability to handle it more satisfactorily than it was.

In the case of a loose tank strap, all that's required is to tighten it up a little and re-fasten the tank.

ON THE BOAT.

BEFORE THE DIVE.

Without, if having shown a lack of confidence,
BEING PRESSURED BY IMBECILES.

 

[Bob DBF]

I demo this a few times a week in a WI BC and can tell you quite definitively, it's not difficult or complicated, and students who have only been in the pool for four sessions do pretty good the first time they see it.
flots

The point is that you are advocating a diver, untrained in this procedure, should try this @ 50' mid water in new gear for the first time during his first unintentional solo dive, Maybe its just me.

My rule is "more than one major problem and I head for the surface". The OP made a good call, Buddy separation and gear malfunction with unfamiliar gear, meets my standards for calling the dive and starting over.

Bob
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