Really? In OW and AOW I was never taught how to use an SMB and never had it suggested to me to own one.
That's a common enough deficiency in most OW and AOW curricula. I wasn't either, but I
did know that getting separated from the group was a very real possibility, especially on drift dives. And from there it's not much of a step to realizing that I needed to be carrying an SMB. Did you not understand that being separated was possible? How did you plan to deal with it when it happened?
I'm surprised this is considered common knowledge. I have only seen a few other recreational divers carrying one, and they have typically been DM's themselves or rescue divers.
Or, they had them and you didn't know it. Mine typically sits in a mesh pocket attached to the bottom of my backplate. It's big (30lb lift, so it doubles as redundant lift), but you aren't likely to notice it, even if you take an unusual interest in my backside.
I see now that it's a good idea though and I will definitely invest in one and learn to use it.
Excellent idea.
As far as a light, I use one when I anticipate being in a low-lit area, but I had no reason to think I would that day. I'm used to doing swim throughs without needing one.
Expect the unexpected... That's how we stay safe in this hobby.
Pretty much every reef dive has at least the possibility of a swim through. Or a critter back in a hole. Or under a ledge. Even if you don't actually NEED a light, they're good to have.
I understand that my safety is my responsibility, but had I known more detail about this dive, I would have known that I would not feel comfortable doing it.
If you knew that you'd be uncomfortable in close or low light situations, then you should have asked specifically if those condition would pertain.
Note, one of the other divers had been certified just a few days before. I guess I naively assumed a DM wouldn't take that person on an advanced dive.
Different people reach different skill levels at different rates. Kim (the brunette in my picture) is the newbie of our little group, with about 100 dives. But she took to diving instantly, with a SAC rate I will never match along with excellent buoyancy and trim right from the start. She did the Devils Throat with less than 20 dives under her weight belt, and was more "ready" for it than others on the boat with considerably more dive time.
I obviously should not have assumed anything, but that leaves me questioning dive ops...just how much information do I need to gather about a dive site before I agree to it?
You said that you already knew you'd be uncomfortable in tight, low light conditions. When the Dive Guide made it clear that you were going to be exploring a complex of underwater tunnels (it's obviously impossible to spend a planned 20 minutes in a simple swim through...), you should have asked about the specific conditions that would make you unable to execute the dive.
Or does this speak to my inexperience and I need to hone my skills before diving again? OR Should recreational divers even be allowed to attempt this site?
I think mostly it speaks to the far too common attitude that it's OK to do "trust me" dives. In this case, you clearly knew what to do when you were separated from your group, but instead you did a 25 minute, deep, solo dive - well beyond your training or experience - rather than follow your training.
You didn't utterly panic, and that's good. But you didn't do what you KNEW you should, either.
Frankly, you were far more at risk during the 25 minute, deep, solo dive than you could ever have been if you'd followed your training and surfaced. After all, assuming this was your first dive of the day, a 25 minute dive at 90' would put you in deco. Given that the Devils Throat lies between 90 and 130FSW, your NDLs would be a major issue.
It was the only thing that was keeping me calm.
