Manatee Springs SP cave fatality

[halocline]

Discipline is the best trait one can find in a cave diver.

Definitely this is true, although I would also say patience is a very good and important trait. You just have to build good habits and keep reinforcing them. There are so many levels to that, it's one of the things I love about cave diving.

 

[Addison Snyder]

He has a habit of controlling how much whiskey he consumes in one sitting by scratching a line on the whiskey bottle with his diamond ring stating "This far, and no farther."

You might also recall that it was that practice which led to his downfall

 

[mdwalter]

But at least in Florida there are no Ts that one can easily get to within the Apprentice limits. Little River you are likely to hit gas limits first. The Peanut T is like 1,900ft, well beyond the 1,000ft limit. There are no Ts on the Ginnie line in the first thousand feet of mainline. At Manatee you have the Sue Sink T, but that is 700ft into the system, even if one can make it within the gas limits it is a good turn point.

At Manatee you also have the Friedman Sink T, which is right at the bottom of the hole (about 50' straight down)

 

[rblackburn]

https://nsscds.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Manatee-2022.5.14.pdf

 

[boulderjohn]

https://nsscds.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Manatee-2022.5.14.pdf

This is a nice, well-written report. I hope it is an indication of what will happen in future incidents.

 

[rblackburn]

This is a nice, well-written report. I hope it is an indication of what will happen in future incidents.

The CDS guys are really interested in doing these and doing them right.

 

[mdwalter]

Not really surprising.

A little surprising that a dive computer was recording heart rate.

I may disagree getting themselves in this situation, but he deserves respect for this.

I would have more respect for thinking with his brain and not his heart. Had he conserved his own energy by not propelling the son forward, he may have made it to the exit himself. And since the son ended up getting out with 1500 psi, he would almost surely have made it out without the assistance from his now-late father.
Also, I'd have had more respect for the son waiting for his helpful dad at the Friedman exit tee, rather than the surface, since he clearly had plenty of gas at that point. From here, they could have shared the son's gas, as needed, to complete the ascent to the exit together, and both lived.

Privated, hopefully to reconsider the narration.

Appears so.

 

[rblackburn]

A little surprising that a dive computer was recording heart rate.

My Garmin MK1 records heart rate

 

[ginti]

My Garmin MK1 records heart rate

On your wrist or via chest belt?

 

[harvalen]

On your wrist or via chest belt?

Either works, at least on Garmin MK2i. I use a chest strap under my dry suit when diving at home and when diving a wet suit in tropical waters I pull back the arm a bit so the wrist is visible to the optical sensor.

The chest strap can't send information under water so you have to download the heart rate to the watch after the dive. With the optical sensor you can add the heart rate to one of the screens and get live feedback.