Missing diver in Monterey, CA area

[scubadada]

For me, this has been a good thread. I spent the first 10 years of my diving doing mostly shore diving in Southern California in LA, Orange, and San Diego Counties. I was as young and healthy as the diver reported in this thread.

I was knocked down by waves many times going out or coming back in from my dives. I always had my mask on, regulator in and fins on or clipped to me. I also had a weight belt. Fortunately for me, I was never badly injured or knocked out on a rock during these falls and was always able to recover, sometimes with a lot of effort. I did bail on several dives after getting knocked down one or more times on the way out.

I am an older man now and would not attempt many of the dives I did a lifetime ago. However, the advice to drop one's weight belt if really struggling to recover from a knockdown is good advice. Without the 20 or more pounds I was carrying on my weight belt, recovering would have been much easier.

The outcome reported in this thread continues to make me feel very sad. How many of us could say, that could have been me?

 

[Bob DBF]

I am an older man now and would not attempt many of the dives I did a lifetime ago. However, the advice to drop one's weight belt if really struggling to recover from a knockdown is good advice. Without the 20 or more pounds I was carrying on my weight belt, recovering would have been much easier.

Although, diving the North Coast, I always planned my exit before getting in the water, however, as I get older it gets to be much more important. The energy needed to make an exit is considerable when one is cold and tired. The area from where the swell breaks to the high water mark, is the most dangerous part of the dive on the North Coast, whether going in or coming out.

 

[Bigbella]

Although, diving the North Coast, I always planned my exit before getting in the water, however, as I get older it gets to be much more important.

Much the same.

I have found myself waiting out wave sets when conditions have changed while on a dive, even over the course of an hour or ninety minutes, sometimes spending twenty minutes or more, especially during Winter, hanging out along the kelp canopy, until a beach entry looks a bit less punishing -- and have frequently done so, ironically, at Fanshell Beach; Asilomar; the well-named Boneyard, not far from there -- most of which is experiencing 6-7 meter surf this weekend; and both Carmel River and Monastery Beaches . . .

 

[Bob DBF]

The extreme focus on ditchable weights some people have, I imagine, comes from diving in areas where redundant buoyancy is not a thing, and where people tend to use far more weight than they should.

Ditchable weight was the original redundant buoyancy, back before there was a BC. I still use a weight belt, usually with minimal weight, because I found no reason to give it up as a safety tool, as I dive wet. Although I was trained to ditch the rig, if necessary, there is a larger downside to that than dropping 5 or 10# of lead and a belt.

 

[scubadada]

I have not dived with a weight belt for quite a while. Nevertheless, I have always thought highly of Mako's policy, they have nice belts.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I have not dived with a weight belt for quite a while. Nevertheless, I have always thought highly of Mako's policy, they have nice belts.
View attachment 769078

The Sea Divers dive club in Southern California has a similar policy that if you dump a belt for any reason the club will replace it for free.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Although, diving the North Coast, I always planned my exit before getting in the water, however, as I get older it gets to be much more important. The energy needed to make an exit is considerable when one is cold and tired. The area from where the swell breaks to the high water mark, is the most dangerous part of the dive on the North Coast, whether going in or coming out.

I’m finding myself more and more just crawling out on all fours onto the beach and unkitting up away from the drama.
Jennifer always wants to jump off the point at Gerstle to save the surface swim, which would be fine going out, but coming back in for a landing on those rocks! I think I’ll stick with the cove, thank you.
I had my hip replaced about 6 years ago and while I no longer have pain and can hike tanks again, getting fins on and off in the surf zone and full mobility is a challenge. There are a lot of conditions I know better than to attempt now as opposed to when I was a young lad going out in anything for a meat run of abs.

 

[Bigbella]

Ditchable weight was the original redundant buoyancy, back before there was a BC. I still use a weight belt, usually with minimal weight, because I found no reason to give it up as a safety tool, as I dive wet. Although I was trained to ditch the rig, if necessary, there is a larger downside to that than dropping 5 or 10# of lead and a belt.

I am about fifty-fifty when it comes to weight belts or ditch-able weights from a BC.

Of the two that I use most often, a heavy-duty Zeagle Ranger and a more minimal / travel version, Zeus, both feature easily-ditched weights -- the former, a ripcord gadget (which looks to be a bitch to rethread), and the other, just a handle which opens a simple velcro weight pocket, neither of which I have ever used.

If I hike in somewhere remote, a soft or conventional weight-belt usually comes along -- not that I get much use for it nowadays, since abalone season is still a few years off (if ever again), and frequent free-diving in 10˚ C shark-infested water no longer makes the bucket list . . .

 

[scubadada]

I’m finding myself more and more just crawling out on all fours onto the beach and unkitting up away from the drama.
Jennifer always wants to jump off the point at Gerstle to save the surface swim, which would be fine going out, but coming back in for a landing on those rocks! I think I’ll stick with the cove, thank you.
I had my hip replaced about 6 years ago and while I no longer have pain and can hike tanks again, getting fins on and off in the surf zone and full mobility is a challenge. There are a lot of conditions I know better than to attempt now as opposed to when I was a young lad going out in anything for a meat run of abs.

Hi @Eric Sedletzky

I just turned 69, I'm reasonably fit but I am also pretty beat up. I've had both hips replaced and was doing extremely well. I recently had a fall and broke my left femur. I'm still recovering and will be there in another month. As we get older, we need to realize that we are no longer invincible. We need to adjust our activities accordingly. I am going back to Malpelo for a second visit this July, before I am too old to do it

 

[Bob DBF]

I am about fifty-fifty when it comes to weight belts or ditch-able weights from a BC.

Until I went to a BP/W, I never had a rig where one could put on non ditchable weight without modifications, so a weightbelt was normal. With the BP/W , getting most of the weight off the belt and onto the rig was nice, and 5 to 10# on the belt, depending on the tank, I hardly notice. If I went to warmer water and used less thermal protection, I wouldn't worry if I didn't have a belt.

I think it's more a choice that a diver has to make for the way he dives, rather than a right answer for every situation.