Major Freak Out - What should I have done differently?

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I may catch from flak for this... but you said earlier that "everyone can panic". That is certainly true, but there is a BIG difference in panicking at the mere thought of something and panicking when the s#$@ actually hits the fan. In your case, nothing ACTUALLY happened. You only had anxiety because your brain went wild. You DO have the right to cancel the dive, and you didn't do anything horrible like bolt for the surface, which is commendable. If this happened to me though, I would seriously re-evaluate the type of diving that I do. I would probably keep it shallow and bright for a while and work yourself back down (if that is what you want to do).

You may also start becoming a more independent diver. Learn how to plan how much gas you will need on a particular dive and then check at the end to see how close you came. Learn to identify tank size and what that means for you. 1500 PSI in a AL80 and 1500 PSI in a LP 95 are two very different things. Try doing easy dives without a DM to build confidence in yourself.
 
What size tank were you diving? 25 minutes on 1100 lb in an AL80 at the entrance to Devils Throat is pretty good! Of coarse, 25 minutes below the entrance of DT is pretty good too. Those guys must have been pretty deep into deco unless they were diving 32% beyond its 1.4PP limit. My wife and I have opted out at the DT entrance twice. Once because we were already too close to deco and once because we were on 32% and I didn't want to test it at 130. Both time we followed the bubbles and came out over the exiting divers. Didn't take 25 minutes though!

A reputable dive shop gave you a 32% Nitrox bottle and took you to the Devil's throat? The MOD at 32% is only 107' at 1.4 PO2 on my Cobra; so this is so unwise i almost think you must be mistaken and could be a recipe for disaster. You were very smart not to attempt this.

I've done this dive twice, with experienced divers only, and I am TDI Cavern certified. It is far from the best dive on the island, but remains popular and is considered iconic, which is unfortunate. It can be done safely without deco obligation on an AL80, even on my Suunto Cobra, as the swim-throughs get progressively deeper and you are not at 130' for an extended period. Nearly all shops use AL 80's for this dive unless otherwise requested, with a few notable exceptions. You may get very close or go into a 4 or 6 minute deco on a Suunto that will evaporate as you slowly ascend, leaving you with just a safety stop. I personally do not consider it to be a full cave dive, and I do not recall any sections that are completely dark, although some are pretty dim. I do consider it to be a cavern dive, and while overhead training may not be a requirement for this dive maybe it should be and it is certainly helpful. I always carry a light and DSMB, along with a storm whistle (that thing HURTS if you blow it too hard without dipping your ears in the water) and signal mirror everywhere, but many of these are especially important for drift diving in Cozumel or similar drift diving locations with significant current. This was taught to me in OW, but I had a particularly attentive instructor, and I had made it clear we were planning our first dive trip to Cozumel. We took several practice dives and completed AOW before that first trip due to the nature of the dives we would be making. I did not do (and would not have attempted even if offered) Devils throat on that trip - not until a trip a few years and about 150 dives later. I will say that the dive shop I use will not bring anyone there with whom they do not have extensive experience, and make both that and the deep, dark, and overhead nature of the dive extremely clear up front to anyone who requests it. Needless to say, NITROX is not on the menu. To answer the OP's basic question, yes, I think recreational divers can be brought here, but only with the specific conditions of the dive clearly known up front and only if they are properly equipped and experienced.

That said, based upon the OP's report and responses, he did pretty well to manage a difficult situation, and has realized he needs to modify his kit for drift dives. As others have said, an DSMB or SMB at minimum is required and it does not hurt to carry a light on all dives (I use one at least a few times on most). Adding surface signalling options is a must for all drift dive locations, most especially deep sites like Devil's Throat or even more so for the more remote, less frequented northern fast current sites in Cozumel like Barracuda. If you can't signal your boat there you have a slow one way ticket to Cuba.
 
While many will disagree with me, I am not a fan of spools if you are already task loaded with a camera or speargun, as those are entanglement hazards. A good spool, such as those by Manta Ray, will serve you much better. Entanglements are not fun.
 
I may catch from flak for this... but you said earlier that "everyone can panic". That is certainly true, but there is a BIG difference in panicking at the mere thought of something and panicking when the s#$@ actually hits the fan. In your case, nothing ACTUALLY happened. You only had anxiety because your brain went wild. You DO have the right to cancel the dive, and you didn't do anything horrible like bolt for the surface, which is commendable. If this happened to me though, I would seriously re-evaluate the type of diving that I do. I would probably keep it shallow and bright for a while and work yourself back down (if that is what you want to do).


You may also start becoming a more independent diver. Learn how to plan how much gas you will need on a particular dive and then check at the end to see how close you came. Learn to identify tank size and what that means for you. 1500 PSI in a AL80 and 1500 PSI in a LP 95 are two very different things. Try doing easy dives without a DM to build confidence in yourself.

I recently dove in Bonaire with no guide, and I did feel like it made me a better diver (no dark swim throughs there though!). Perhaps I rely a bit too much on my dive computer. Interestingly, my bf was certified OW a few months ago and HE had to teach the instructors how to use dive tables. They basically said, just use your computer! (I'm not condoning this btw)

I'm very interested to learn about various tank sizes and how they differ. Am I completely alone in that I never learned anything about this in OW, AOW or Enriched Air training?? I've never rented tanks or dove with an operation that used anything different than (I suppose) AL80's or even asked me if I wanted anything different. Obviously, it's something I need to learn, but Is it safe to assume that most recreational divers don't know much about this?
 
While many will disagree with me, I am not a fan of spools if you are already task loaded with a camera or speargun, as those are entanglement hazards. A good spool, such as those by Manta Ray, will serve you much better. Entanglements are not fun.

I disagree. If you are spearfishing and you can't shoot a bag you should stop spearfishing until you can handle that. (Ever been wrapped by a fish?) The same with diving to 130'. If you can't manage a SMB you probably can't manage something unexpected occurring. Shooting a SMB is not second nature, but it is a series of actions, and if you know these and are calm, you can implement them and deploy the marker.


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When I had the opportunity to DT last fall, I only had 16 dives under my belt and decided to pass on it. However, it was briefed as being basically a Cave dive through a narrow tunnel, and two lights were a requirement to go with the group. ISTM very likely that you were also a bit narc'd at the time you hit the dark section.
 
Deploying a DSMB is a skill that can be self-taught (especially in the YouTube era). You can "rehearse" on dryland until the steps become second nature then try it in a controlled environment, pool or protected shallow open water. It is best to deploy while in horizontal trim with your buddy facing you and watching the process so he/she can react quickly in the event of an entanglement. Depending on the size of the DSMB it's not a bad idea to vent a little air out of your wing to compensate for the momentary increased buoyancy when the bag inflates. Don't forget to look up before you deploy to make sure no one is hovering above you...that will ruin their day!
 
I am not a fan of spools if you are already task loaded with a camera or speargun
A camera can easily be clipped off to a D-ring and forgotten. If you can't do that, you've no business to carry a camera while diving. If you can't shoot a dSMB while carrying a camera, you'd better get in the water at a benign site and start training.

A speargun? I'm quite familiar with (topside) guns, and I know a bit or two about safe gun handling. Been doing that since I was a kid. If you want to carry a pole spear, that's fine. If you want to carry a speargun, don't count on me buddying up with you. Spearguns are for freedivers who don't have to think about where their buddy is.
 
That was true even just a few years ago. But now PADI does require you to deploy an SMB at the surface for OW certification.


...

A SMB was only mentioned in passing in my AOW, and we were never even shown how to deploy it, let alone needing to demonstrate it. I learned by watching the DM deploy his when I was in Cozumel.
 
If my diving knowledge was limited to what I was taught in OW, I would be in pretty sad shape. As others have said, OW and AOW are only "permits" to learn and continue advancing your knowledge and skill as a diver. The responsibility to continue learning is yours and yours alone.
 

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