My bad dive...first time I've been really scared on a dive (sort of a long post)

[Mo2vation]

My Background:
· PADI OW in Summer 1999.
· Casual, occasional diver. Dive in Summers only (May - October) 1999 - 2001 = 20 dives
· Recommitted to diving in 2002 - Tune Up class, SSI AOW, 30 dives since July this year
· Found ScubaBoard in October 2002! (hey, its important to me)
· This is my first winter dive season
· Got about 8 DrySuit dives - this weekend first time in my new suit
· First time to this site



The Day:
Out yesterday in San Diego to do a 3 tank dive in Wreck Alley. Yukon, El Rey, The Tower. left at 9:00 AM - some swell, pretty mild, moderate wind. Tagging along with a group of instructor-students. My first time in the Alley.

The Good Dive:
Dive 1 - Yukon. Vis not bad. Some surface swell, a little surgey on the wreck. Ascended, checked it out, loved it. Will return. Dive way too short, but leader had some students who sucked gas. Hit topside with 1200# Grumble. Next time, EAN and more bottom time.

The Bad Dive:
Dive 2 - The El Rey. After the surface interval, and travel to the site, its now mid-day and the wind is whippin. The swell has increased the boat is really pitching. I have some Bonine in me and I'm still getting a little urpy... Cap'tn says the markers have blown off in a recent storm, so we're on the site by GPS...he states we could be a little off the wreck (maybe 15 - 30 feet) and we should see it once we're down (77 fsw). The plan is to ascend the anchor line and hunt for it. Uh, OK.

Suit up, my Buddy strides in and signals OK, and then I check reg, and my rig and stride in. (MEMO TO SELF: CHECK THE LANDING ZONE) The boat was on a big upward swell as I stepped off...I fell much (and I do mean much) further than anticipated. I immediately notice as I start kicking for the anchor line that my mouthpiece is 99% bit through on one side (did I hit that hard and chomp...?!)

My mask is fogging. It never fogs the second dive. Damn. I gotta hold my mouthpiece in with my lips, I need to clear my mask, I got a new suit, the sea is throwing me all over the place - there's a lot going on for me at this moment.

We (wife/buddy and I) meet up with the people that have actually dove this site and start down the anchor line. The bow is really heaving, so we free ascend near the line for the first 15 ' so we don’t get a skull full of keel, then grab on (MEMO TO SELF: IN THIS KIND OF PITCH...A LOOSE GRIP TO THE CHAIN IS IN ORDER...NOT AN ARM-TEARING "NORMAL" GRIP)

My buddy is clearing, so I stick with her...the other two just drop down the line - and as the line is pulled at a very steep angle, we quickly lose their bubbles. So its just us - never been here before, pitching sea, looking for a wreck that we have no idea the location of. OK - I can do this...I’ve got 49 dives in.

We get to the hook (77 fsw) and its sand in every direction. No problem - we pick a direction on the compass and head out. Viz is not great - maybe 15 feet (Cap’tn said vis was "probably 50' " when we stopped...a great argument for anchor-line vertical viz vs. horizontal on the bottom viz...) We kick out a ways - see no people, no wreck and simply kick back to the hook.

Two people meet us at the hook. We shrug - they shrug and they take off. (MEMO TO SELF: STICK WITH THE MORE EXPERIENCED DIVERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE) So its me and my buddy again at the hook.

We point the compass in another direction and kick off to find the wreck. We see nothing but sand. But the current is behind and to the side of us...so I'm sort of crabbing on my way out. When we turn to go back to the hook, its a face full of current (MEMO TO SELF: PAY CLOSER ATTENTION TO THE CURRENT DIRECTION. NO KELP MAY MAKE THIS TOUGHER...BUT KNOW THE DIRECTION BEFORE SETTING OFF)

So we're kicking back and we can't find the hook. By now I'm getting a little worried. I can feel my breathing increase, and I check my gas. I'm at about 1100#. WHAT??!! I went in with 2750 in an LP Steel 80. I never go through gas that fast...NEVER. I check the watch - it hasn't been 30 minutes yet…not even 20. What gives? I signal my buddy to have her check my rig, because I'm sure I must have a slow leak - BC, Valve (I replaced the O-ring shread that was in this boat-provided tank before I even got in...so the ring is new…chock up one right thing in this adventure). She signals no leak... I'm just sucking gas like a muthah (MEMO TO SELF: STRESS LEVEL = INCREASED GAS CONSUMPTION)

So I start breathing harder, and the reg isn't delivering. I can feel me over breathing my reg. I've never over-breathed a reg... read about it, have the book-knowledge of it, but it’s never happened to me. It was totally freaking me out. I was sea sick, lost, getting tired and I wasn't getting all the gas I wanted. I check my buddy's SPG, and she's got about 1150# I'm down to about 850#.

Where the hell is the hook and chain. We hunt a little more. There's the hook and chain. wow.

I grab on and I scramble up this thing. Way too fast. I get to about 50 and can feel in my ears that I'm moving too fast. I slow down the ascent, but I'm still really scared, still breathing way too hard and I can't get a grip on myself.

We hit the top and I am really relieved. We kick back to the swim step and I get on my knees. Man. The DM is on the boat already with one of the students.... "Don't feel bad. You're not the only ones who couldn't find it..." the Cap't says. Nice.

We get on deck and I'm really feeling seasick. We look back, and about 50 yards from the stern people start popping up. The rest of our group - all together. The DM pulls rope off a spool and tosses it to the group. It drifts back to the group (who is drifting away from us) and they pull themselves in. 2 more pop up off the bow on the port side. They let themselves drift back to the boat. The two off the bow found it…but used so much gas they saw (better, glanced at it) and had to head up.

Was this as hairy as a lot of the stuff I read on this board? Heck no. With a clear mind, I should have made a simple slow ascent with my buddy, got positive and kicked back to the boat. But its honestly the first time I've been scared underwater. I mean really scared. Surely not the mild victorious celebration I envisioned my 50th dive having. HOWEVER - I'm really glad it went this way...man I learned a lot about myself, what pushes my buttons and how I can do things better in a real L & D situation someday.

I've never considered 60 fsw, 75 fsw, even 100 fsw to be a considerable distance. I mean, its 60'6" to the pitchers mound...only 90' to first base, c'mon. I know all of the issues of being under that far (pressure, physiology, gassing, etc, etc.) ...but I never thought about the actual DISTANCE as being considerable. I'll tell you this - that 77' up that chain was a long damn way. I can throw a rock with my left hand 77'...but when I was crawling up that chain, straining to breathe and trying to remain in control....it was a long, long way.

Cap scuttled the third dive and we all went in. It was rolling so bad he stated he was concerned about the safety of people getting back into the boat . No doubt - I can totally see someone taking a swim step to the chin in that roll.

Anyway - Now that I've had a day to reflect, there are a hundred things I could have done better. But the number one thing I could have done better was to remain calm. Get a grip, get calm, get positive, get back to the boat. I have a renewed respect for vertical distance.

I don't know the proper procedures for locating a wreck that you "know" is out there.... I would presume you tie off a reel to the hook, make a big circle and when you find it, tie to the wreck so the rest of the divers can go from anchor chain to wreck and back without all the underwater Braille the entire group went through. Whatever – that’s another thread.

Bottom line: I freaked - I know it. Looking back, it scares me MORE to be that scared than anything else. I mean, I can’t be in control of even a mild situation like we were in if I’m scared and over breathing and freaking. What if my buddy was OOA and I’m getting all weird. I needed this. I wish I didn’t – because all my dives have been so mellow and perfect – so I’m glad this happened. I understand accidents happen to two types of people – those who don’t prepare for them, and those who don’t prepare for them and don’t know it. Now I know it.

K

 

[MechDiver]

Very good post. You both got back, you didn't leave your buddy and handled the situation, you found the anchor line and ascended safety (well, mostly), and hit the surface with air remaining and a cool head.
Yea, there were some mistakes along the line, but

I'd say you did okay.

Phil

 

[yknot]

How much did the fact you bit thru mouthpiece have to do with your comfort level? Did you determine any other cause for gas shortage other than overbreathing? I try and remember there is no shame in turning a dive at any time, including on the surface.

 

[Mo2vation]

I bit through the opposite side of the hose (left) - so it was sort of pulling a little weird. I think I bit through - maybe it got ripped as I was putting the rig on, maybe someone stepped on it...who knows. I didn't notice it until I hit the water and got a mouthful of seawater when I came up from my giant flop entry.

It was a distraction, more than anything else. That and the mask - just more distractions, you know? Kinda bugged me.

K

 

[MechDiver]

Mo2vation once bubbled...
I bit through the opposite side of the hose (left) - so it was sort of pulling a little weird. I think I bit through - maybe it got ripped as I was putting the rig on, maybe someone stepped on it...who knows. I didn't notice it until I hit the water and got a mouthful of seawater when I came up from my giant flop entry.

It was a distraction, more than anything else. That and the mask - just more distractions, you know? Kinda bugged me.

K

I hate mouthpieces with bite wings. I only use Aqualung ComfoBite as you don't have to chew on them to keep them in.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Good post. I hope I would have done as well.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Surely not the mild victorious celebration I envisioned my 50th dive having. HOWEVER - I'm really glad it went this way...man I learned a lot about myself, what pushes my buttons and how I can do things better in a real L & D situation someday.

You survived a learning experience... as Phil said, you did OK.

Most stuff you can work through and even if you make mistakes come out OK if you keep your head. Sounds like you did fine even though the panic was trying to sneak in on you. Good job.

And it is good to write the experience down like you did... go over it and look for things you would and could do different/better.

BTW: I like Seacure mouthpieces... you'd have to have a serious set of chompers to bite through them!

 

[canuckdiver]

good post!

Sounds like you had a definitely scary dive! Not common, but it does happen to all of us
Now, when you boil it down, the important thing were that you kept your head in a rough situation, and got back to the boat with air left, and nothing more serious than a bruised ego. All of the things you label as *Distractions* would have contributed to excessive air consumption. The basic thing is, the more comfortable you are, the less air you are going to use, inversely, the more anxious you are, the more gas you are going to use. You had a lot of obsticles to overcome on that dive, and you would have been fully justified in calling the dive right at the beginning when you noticed the mouthpiece (or even before). But, you continued with the dive, confident in your ability, and finished successfully. Chalk it up to experience, make the mental notes, keep up the good diving!

 

[Mo2vation]

This morning I found your post regarding the valve issue. While not remotely similiar in scope, I thought it would be a good idea to be upfront and say I blew it and just get it out there. Writing through it brought back to me so many different ways I would have handled it. The purpose of my post isn't "look how good I handled this"...I totally blew it.

Panic was knocking at the door for sure.

I appreciate your post.

 

[raybo]

that a good dive is sort of like a good parachute jump. Any one you survive is good. And then there's the other one about what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Sounds like you learned a lot from it. Someone posted somewhere in one of the other threads that getting your O/W cert qualifies you to learn to dive. My guess is this situation was one of your better lessons, and won't be soon forgot.

Thanks for posting.

We're considering a weekend to San Diego sometime this year. I'll keep some what you relate in terms of conditions in the backof my mind. I know it's not always like that, but reading about your experience adds to that internal knowledge base we all use to survive.