I think the emphasis might need to be "IF you are buddy diving you need to be close enough - and watching one another often enough - that you will NOTICE if either of you have a problem". I have learned to keep a much closer eye on my buddy after reading some of the harrowing stories here.
Maintain your gear, and be FAMILIAR with how to use it
- Thread starter Darcimus
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I think the emphasis might need to be "IF you are buddy diving you need to be close enough - and watching one another often enough - that you will NOTICE if either of you have a problem". I have learned to keep a much closer eye on my buddy after reading some of the harrowing stories here.
lamarpaulski
Contributor
It also seems the scenario of "milking" a tank for two dives instead of getting a new full tank for each dive comes up pretty regular in Near Disaster/Disaster stories. Obviously not the cause of this launch but like the Diver said it could have made a terrible difference in other circumstances. Lot's of lessons.
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Very similar to rebreather divers contemplating more diving on a finite scrubber
Perhaps they're members of the special secret society
of stable people making unstable people appear stable
Perhaps they're members of the special secret society
of stable people making unstable people appear stable
OP
Darcimus
Contributor
I see your point, but we planned on a short dive anyways. Had we decided to go deep I definitely would have swapped out the 100 for the 130. Then again....had we gone deep I might not be typing this response.
Griffo
Contributor
I've seen a fair few uncontrolled ascents from depth, you'd have to be pretty unlucky to get seriously bent on a rec dive. But, that doesn't excuse the fact that you would probably do well with a skills update and a rescue course. Hell, you might even consider the deep dark depths of and agency that promotes standardised gear so that you can practice these failure skills until they become automatic.
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OP
Darcimus
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Was more concerned about an AGE, that's why I made damn sure I remembered to exhale on the way up.
Hoping for a rescue course next year. Don't happen often around these parts. Problem is.....my CPR/AED training doesn't come with a certification from a recognized agency (we train every year at work but that's in-house....all I get is a mark on my HR training report) so I guess I'll have to buy a course on that also. Kinda sucks but at least it'll be easy because I'm a former first aid/CPR/AED/O2 admin instructor.
Would love another GUE Fundies course to come around. Missed out on the last one because I'm too new at this, and I'm not sure one's gonna come. There's a TDI instructor a couple of hours away from me, but I've checked and his availability didn't match up with mine over the summer. Had planned on sidemount but it didn't happen.
Maybe I'll just concentrate on getting more lake dives under my belt for a while. Probably better that way.
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
I don't have a problem with starting a dive on a less than full tank. If there's enough gas in the tank to do the dive, then it doesn't matter. For us a typical two tank trip will net us 4-8 dives depending on depth and time. Sometimes we'll burn a tank on one spot, but if we're bouncing patch reefs we'll get a few 20 minutes dives on each tank. I should note we dive larger capacity steel tanks where the fill guy at the shop wants to make sure you have a lot of gas.
1. THANK YOU for posting your experience. Sharing this kind of first-person information, and the feedback you have received, is very helpful to other divers. 2. You received some 'spot on' feedback in the PM. I would emphasize the importance of the last point - 'Your stated lesson of learning to never rent gear, is NOT what you should be concentrating on.' That is sound advice. Renting gear is reasonable. Yes, don't necessarily expect it to be superbly functional in all cases. But, the situation you encountered is safely manageable, with the right responses. 3. You had an incredibly valuable learning experience. It brings to mind Nitezsche's famous quote, 'That which does not kill us makes us stronger.' Frankly, some of the most valuable lessons we learn in life come about as a result of a mistake, which could have been serious, even fatal, but which we managed to survive. So, you survived, and have the opportunity to learn.
We ALL make mistakes - ideally we have the opportunity to continue to make new mistakes, rather than repeating previous errors. So, you are not alone. What you learn from it (and I sense you are already on that steep learning path) is the point. 4. Several posts pointed out a not uncommon problem in diving and dive training - basic skills supposedly 'mastered' during training are not practiced again after certification, or practiced infrequently to the point that any muscle memory is lost. Your experience emphasizes the need for continuing to practice skills. Make EVERY dive a training dive of some sort.Again, thank you for posting.
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