Most dangerous newbie mistakes

[diver 85]

Greetings,
I was certified approx. 25 years ago - back when I was bullet-proof. During my last check-out dive I had a block and perfed an eardrum. Between the ear probs and the fact that I didn't have any diving friends or family, I never dove again.
Since my nephew is newly certified, I would love to give it another go if cleared by an ENT.
Now that I'm no longer bullet-proof (48yo), I'm more that a little anxious about the safety of the sport especially since my wife may give it a go also! We are both starting to have some memory problems which is scary! Is seems OOA, uncontrolled ascent/decents are big issues. But I'm also worried about panic. Do people actually rip their reg out and bolt for the surface?
What do you all feel are the most dangerous newbie mistakes, and how can one mitigate the chance of same happening? Does anyone have any info on the panic cycle? All comments welcome...Thanks,
Ben

I would not worry a bit-I'm 57(not CLOSE to bullet proof), cert. in '85 & things are EXACTLY like they were 'back then'---never hold your breath, watch you gauges(air & depth), don't ascend to fast.......Will always remain that away...

BTW, you a lawyer by chance??....

Thanks,
Ben[/quote]

 

[DropkickMurphy]

The big newbie mistakes that I see over and over are poor buoyancy and poor buddy skills; come to think of it, those are not limited to newbies by any means.

I agree with poor buoyancy, but my distaste for the "no buddy = unsafe under any circumstance" approach is kind of well known. Sometimes have another diver in the water makes things more dangerous. Example: One of the last dives I did with a buddy, I was assigned this new diver as my buddy. He proceeded to rip the regulator out of my mouth because he had sucked his tank dry within 20 minutes of entering the water on a very shallow dive. It took me grabbing him by the throat to get him under control. I would rather rely on my own skill, training and redundant systems than put my faith in some schmuck I don't know from Adam. Granted, on the flip side, the dumbass would have probably drowned or given himself an AGE if I had not been with him so I agree that new divers should not dive alone. However, maybe the answer to that is more experience with instructors before turning people loose and more practice for emergencies during the training. New divers are a perfect example of the old adage "A little bit of knowledge is a very dangerous thing in the wrong hands".

But back on topic, the "most dangerous" mistakes I've seen in new divers are:
-Poor buoyancy control over a precipice (wall dive)
-Inadvertent or intentional entry into overhead environments
-Inattention to depth, bottom time and air supply
-Panic when they discover they are low on air or near their no-decompression limit
-Poor skills on the surface

 

[gcbryan]

To the OP, I think being concerned enough to start this thread is a good indication that you are a thinking diver. Of course a diver shouldn't be comfortable when they don't dive often so dive as often as possible. Start with a few experienced buddies as role models and add some dives with newer divers as well. Take baby steps so that you are comfortable at each step along the way. Don't get into a habit of expecting anything from a DM. You won't have a DM locally anyway.

Stay shallow until you are comfortable and have made your share of newbie mistakes. Anytime you find yourself feeling uncomfortable or unsure of yourself just back off and make it an easier dive. Most people don't get their driver's license and then take a 3,000 mile road trip the next day and it's the same with scuba. Baby steps.

 

[diver 85]

To the OP, I think one(could even be the #1 ie most common) mistake made by new divers(not their fault @ all--the instructors fault really) is wearing too big a bladder in their BC........In the long run, this adds to their pour buoyancy control........just my thoughts------get those BCs(wings) down......

 

[halocline]

I agree with poor buoyancy, but my distaste for the "no buddy = unsafe under any circumstance" approach is kind of well known. Sometimes have another diver in the water makes things more dangerous. Example: (edited)

I think this response reinforces my observation about the poor buddy skills. Your perception (accurate, unfortunately) about some new divers being more of a liability than a benefit to you is a strong statement about the nature of their buddy skills.

BTW, I never said anything about "no buddy=unsafe..." that's an entirely different topic. If you are diving solo, you plan, train, and equip yourself accordingly. If you are diving with a buddy, that person is an integral part of your safety. We're in agreement that badly trained buddies are potentially a danger. In fact, that's why I listed poor buddy skills as a dangerous newbie mistake.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

I think this response reinforces my observation about the poor buddy skills. Your perception (accurate, unfortunately) about some new divers being more of a liability than a benefit to you is a strong statement about the nature of their buddy skills.

Right, and I don't disagree with you that it's a lack of skill. However, I do disagree that it's not a lack of skills working as a team but rather skill in general. To be quite honest (and this catches me hell when I say it), the only way to remedy this issue is to increase the training standards and allow for more practice with an instructor both in the setting of pools and open water. For the sake of increasing accessibility of our hobby to the masses, we hand certifications to people who probably are out of their depth in the deep end of the training pool (pun entirely intended).

Yet, we turn around and go "I don't know why this diver died! This should not happen so frequently! How can we make it stop?" whenever someone dies from a medical condition that should have been screened out (the fat guy in my OW class who almost passed out after barely completing his required distance swim comes to mind), thorough unfamiliarity with their gear (buoyancy control problems leading to exceeding bottom times, etc) or just good old fashion brazen stupidity ("I wonder what's inside this cave?"). These are things you will never entirely eliminate the risks from, but if you increase the training somewhat and be more selective at whom you deem fit to dive it decreases the risks not only to that diver but also to those diving with him or her, the business with whom he or she may seek to dive, and the public safety divers who have to go fetch his or her carcass off the bottom.

BTW, I never said anything about "no buddy=unsafe..." that's an entirely different topic. If you are diving solo, you plan, train, and equip yourself accordingly.

True. I was not aiming my comment at you. It was a general comment because just about every post I've made on here regarding my preference to dive alone has earned me at least one nasty private message.

If you are diving with a buddy, that person is an integral part of your safety. We're in agreement that badly trained buddies are potentially a danger.

This is one of the reasons I dislike diving with tour operators since I have no idea about whether the doofus they assign me as a buddy is going to require me to throttle him to get my regulator back again or if he is going to do something similarly stupid. I plan, train and equip like I'm diving alone even if I technically have a buddy since I trust no one with my safety other than myself nor should I.

In fact, that's why I listed poor buddy skills as a dangerous newbie mistake.

And I think your doing so illustrates that you are more insightful than many who take part in our hobby.

 

[paddler3d]

Why not simply teach in OW the use of actual redundant air sources and more emphasis on dealing with 'emergencies' at the self level and not the buddy level?

When you teach someone how to drive a car, they don't learn to do it with a buddy. They learn how to drive the car themselves.

Why not teach diving in this manner?

Diving, like many activities, is always more fun with a buddy (and it give that shark a snacking option), but it is best not to count on your buddy in an emergency.

Chris

 

[bfisher]

Has anybody noticed that this thread was started over a year ago? While I won't negate the importance of the information here I just got to wondering how Ben Ayers is making out.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Why not simply teach in OW the use of actual redundant air sources and more emphasis on dealing with 'emergencies' at the self level and not the buddy level?

When you teach someone how to drive a car, they don't learn to do it with a buddy. They learn how to drive the car themselves.

Why not teach diving in this manner?

Diving, like many activities, is always more fun with a buddy (and it give that shark a snacking option), but it is best not to count on your buddy in an emergency.

Chris

Exactly. Thank you.

 

[boulderjohn]

I would like to address the panic issue a bit.

By sheer coincidence the latest issue of DAN's Alert Diver has an article on panic. It reinforces some of the key concepts that have been discussed in other threads that focused on panic.

It is important to recognize that panic is not just a mental reaction to a situation. It is also a physical reaction to something happening with the body. Highly experienced divers have experienced panic when the situation is right in large part because of this.

You know how you get a panicky feeling if you hold your breath long enough? Well, you've just found the physical part of it. You don't feel that way because you need oxygen. You feel that way because you have an excess of carbon dioxide. Excess carbon dioxide will create a sense of panic in just about anyone.

Whe you are feeling mentally panicky, you often alter your breathing. You breathe in short, rapid breaths, without every fully exhaling. That leads to a carbon dioxide buildup, which brings that true feeling of panick. That includes a feeling that you are not getting any air, so sometimes part of the panic response is to discard the regulator that you don't think is working.

The research in the DAN article cited hyperventilation during diving as a cause of panic. This can come when the diver is subjected to some kind of stress. And, yes, it can lead to that rapid ascent, wherein lies the real danger.

Psychologists who deal with people prone to panic attacks use something called diaphragmatic breathing to help them control it. They have the patients take long slow breaths, using their diaphragms (think stomach) to initiate the breath. The most important part is exhaling. Make sure you blow out all that bad air!

The same thing works in diving. Are things getting tense? Stop! take a couple of long diaphragmatic breaths to get your breathing under control. that will usually be all it takes to control that feeling.