My first dive incident (long)

[s7595]

wijbrandus
you handled that perfectly.I thing I do is in water buddy check at shore ,as I dive a cold mountain lake .we swim out a few feet and do buddy check were one diver must put head in water and breath off reg and check your rig. the next time you dive with lady make sure she can breath okay and rig is not to tight ,I do that check all the time .I also swim on back with air in bc ,as we do a 100 meter swim to bouy we take it nice and slow.do not feel bad about weight belt ,the only other thing you could of done was a bc remove and replace at surface .I doubt lady would have done it .

 

[Randy43068]

All things considered, you made the correct choice and acted properly on the choice. Good job!!

The other two divers need more experience in better dive conditions. Low viz diving isn't the best environment for one to 'cut their teeth' with... (so to speak)

You did a very good job! Now take the rescue course. It's hard work, but fun.

Randy

 

[Bubble Blower 479]

Anyone around Denver willing to take on a rookie diver for local water?

I'm not in Denver, but I am in Utah. If you want to dive here in Utah I would be glad to dive with you.

I do think diving in a threesome with newer divers is not the best situation. If all three are experience or at least two of them then I have no problem with a threesome. When I take my kids out diving (ages 14 and 17) I dive with one at a time. I did the threesome with them once and decided I would never do it again. They even fight underwater.

A good idea would be to get your own weight belt and lead. I always carry extra belts and enough lead to provide for another diver if they have to drop theirs. I also suggest getting the less expensive belts that are less "painful" to drop. If you spend lots of money on a belt you might not drop it when you should. I think of extra lead and belts as part of my save a dive kit.

 

[pammyk]

I've really enjoyed reading all these posts. I think you did absolutely teriffic! I just got my owc in June in ft lauderdale and did my aow in cabo san lucas in july. I had one experience in ft lauderdale that was not a good one...high swells...difficulty getting to the line...water in my mask...hyperventilating...etc. I aborted the dive after 15 minutes due to not being able to clear my mask due to my hyperventilating. It was not a big deal. I was a little upset with myself at first but I dove back in on the next dive...45 min later and did a drift dive. My instructor was with me the whole time so I really didn't panic at all. It really sounds like you know what to do in an emergency. I would dive with you any time and feel safe. I'm about to start my rescue diver class tonight. I'm excited about it. We're supposed to go to Grand Cayman in November but with the hurricane I'm not sure what's left there. Good luck to you and post again. I look forward to reading some good stories.

Pam

 

[MSilvia]

Nice job Robert! It sounds to me like you did a fantastic job of managing the situation, and your friends should be grateful they had you with them. As for the weights, the only one who should be feeling bad about it is the guy who thinks lead is worth $1.70 a pound.

For what it's worth, I'd be happy to dive with you. It sounds like you have a good attitude, and can make good decisions under pressure.

 

[scuba_diva]

Brad;

I can relate to your frustration on the cert process issue. The cert process & the LDS I was involved with encouraged you to sign up for AOW 'before you leave the shop after obtaining your OW.' I realize they are trying to keep people interested in the sport, and for some the only way to get dive experience is to take courses. I really appreciate clubs, magazines and boards like this one, as well as more advanced divers that have put up with me when new. I have learned so much since my initial cert, and I am very grateful that there is a strong community out there that focuses on safety and who are willing to share information.

Maybe I was quick to attack you when it wasn't warranted. It sounds like you did the right thing be helping your friends. You're all really "green" and fortunately you were able to step up and possible save the life of one of your friends. <Pat yourself on the back>

I have anger towards the certification process more than anything. I can't friggin believe the certifying authorities don't require experience (logged dives) to move on to more advanced certifications. PADI for instance only requires 20 logged dives for Dive Master. I think they should have 20 logged dives minimum for AOW. I know opinions on the board differ for this, but I think divers should be required to get experience to perfect their skills before moving on. Having been diving for 17 yrs and recently (3 weeks ago) decided to get my AOW. The time I was in the water with the newbie’s in my class I was afraid for my own life because they had absolutely NO bouyancying control (among many other problems). Some people had problems even submerging themselves (how can someone call themselves AOW and can’t even submerge??). I don't know how many times these retards kicked me in the head, submerged themselves on top of me (obviously not looking down) and submerged underneath me hitting me in the private parts (not looking up). I was scared for myself every time I was in the water with these fools. Fortunately my buddy and I spend more than half the time dry on-shore waiting for these morons to complete the exercises (stuff I considered basic). Maybe my experience is a bad example, but in my opinion these people didn't have the experience to have an OW cert, let alone AOW.

Sorry for bashing you, as it seems you did the right thing. I just encourage you to get more experience before continuing your education, for your own safety and the people in your class.

 

[kelseysmith]

The other two divers need more experience in better dive conditions. Low viz diving isn't the best environment for one to 'cut their teeth' with... (so to speak)

You did a very good job! Now take the rescue course. It's hard work, but fun.

I want to say "well done" and "good job".

You handled a very difficult situation very well.

I just finished my rescue class, and it sounds like you already have a good handle on some of the skills needed. I would dive with you in a heartbeat.

To elaborate on what Randy said above, I would add that "low-vis" diving can be an excellent way to cut your teeth if you have a very good instructor.

To share a little bit of my OW training, my certification dives were done in Rhode Island with 7mm, gloves and a hood. Vis was about 1-2 feet. I found that being able to do a compass dive in that level of vis and swim right into my instructor's face (he was right on the line at the destination of the compass dive) was a HUGE confidence booster.

Combine that with the bad vis, uncomfortable gear and all the rest, I feel much more confident in being able to handle myself in carribean diving, or any other diving destination for that matter. If you can dive in New England, you can pretty much dive anywhere. (at least that's my opinion based on the conditions when I got certified)

Basically what I am saying is that tough training builds confidence and experience.

Practice, practice, practice. and go take your Rescue class. you will have some good experiences to share in the class, and it sounds like you already have some of the skills.

Kelsey

 

[Jeddah Aquanaut]

You sound like the people I took my AOW training with 3 weeks ago. The have no experience, but their OW training.

These people were clueless and dangerous to themselves and others.

I think you need to find a real instructor and start over again.

Since I got ceritified in 87, the certification process has gone downhill big time. It's a pretty much a paid for certification these days. Your wife doesn't feel comfortable diving in thick neoprene, and you're all AOW????? Can't assemble your equipment???

You're going to do Rescue Diver now? Dude, in all seriousness you need to get some experience before you buy your next certification!

I would also question the instructor these people used for OW in the first place. If these divers are as clueless as it sounds, it's as much the blame of the certifying instructor who gave them their cards. I don't necessarily agree that c-cards are all just a matter of paying the money. A good instructor will not just pass everybody. If people who get certified feel they weren't properly trained, that's what the PADI (for example) questionnaire is for. Complaints will be acted on if so called for. If the instructor was not at fault, then people like the ones in this thread should stay dry (as in on land).

 

[newt]

Robert when I first read your post I thought you did a good job, and I have read nothing to think otherwise. As mentioned earlier, five feet of vis is really not a beginner dive. Here in Utah we have a number of clear, warm diving areas to cut your and your wife's teeth on. Why not come out and dive the crater (90 degrees, thirty feet vis) and blue lake (70 degrees, 15-20 feet vis) ? Both of these have platforms at 20 feet which you can practice your skills on, and the crater has underwater lights at the platform. I would be happy to show you both. If you want to do reserviors out here in the west, you need to start gradually, and get a drysuit. They are often very technical dives, IMHO.
And have fun!!

 

[Diver_A]

Hi! I AM the infamous Diver A, and after stumbling across this
post I have several comments/observations to make. First, Robert
was absolutely outstanding that day. I would dive with him anywhere!
Second, my wife and I went on
to Roatan, and REALLY took our time getting comfortable with our gear,
(as our confidence was shattered after this incident), and had
a great dive vacation!Third, many of the people who responded
had good advice, and many of you projected an awful lot into what
you read. Don't let your imagination get the best of you! Here is
a list of what I believe went wrong. Keep in mind that it usually
takes more than one thing going wrong to create an incident.
a. We were using rental gear and were unfamiliar with it.
b. We were rushed at the dive shop and tried on the BCD's sans 7 mil wetsuit,
and what fit fine at the dive shop turned out to be far too small
once we were suited up.
c. Because of the 7 mil suits, we were wearing 31 lbs of weight,
on a belt (not integrated), which had to be tighted up so
much to keep it from dropping off, that it also restricted our breathing.
d. The top half of Diver B's wetsuit got "Switched" to a smaller size.
e. Our dive plan did not take into account "the current" that was present.
f. My wife and I had each taken a psudephed sp? to help clear our ears. I am
not sure if this helped make us anxious or not. Been taking them since while diving,
with no ill effects.
g. We did not have the "snorkeling skills" necessary, hadn't practised the
exhale hard enough to purge CO2 from the pipe.
h. I got an absolutely splitting headache after switching over to tank air. This
has not happened again since that day, and I wonder if I got a bad
tank. I have been carbon monoxide poisoned before when
a heat exchanger on a furnace cracked, and this was the same bone
splitting headache.

That's a pretty good list of the comedy of errors. Now I want to add
some clarification to the sequence of events. Who would have thought
there would be such a current in a still body of water?
As we headed out towards the buoy, I was
having to take a 90 degree turn to the right every 3 kicks or so. Robert
and my wife following. I realized we were not making progress so I
ditched the snorkel, put in my reg, and started seriously using my fins!
After only a couple of minutes I was already
getting winded and we were still nowhere near the buoy which was probably
100 yards from shore. Robert and Cindi were still paddling along,
unaware that I had been taking regular sightings and gradually turning
away from them. I got to the buoy, put some air in my bc, pulled
out my reg and hung onto the buoy. I was beat! I couldn't catch my breath
and my heart was pounding like a jack hammer! But I made it to the buoy!
All I had to do was rest and wait for Robert and Diver B to get there.
But there was no relief. Being vertical in the water only increased my
discomfort from the weight belt pulling down on me. That's when my head really
started to hurt. Hurt so bad I had both hands to my head, eyes closed,
head thrown back, like brain freeze from having a crowbar prying your
skull open! Carrying that much weight meant putting lots of
air in my bc, which was seriously constricting my chest. But my head hurt so
bad I was oblivious to it. Meanwhile Robert and Diver B had been swimming
and swimming and swimming and they still were nowhere near the buoy. If you
knew how hard I swam to get there, you would understand why the current
was carrying them away. Diver B looked up when she got winded and realized
that she was no nearer the buoy and also quite far from shore. She had had
misgivings about the dive in the first place, and announced she was done
and going back to shore. She wasn't panicked at this point, but was frustrated
with her lack of progress towards the buoy and also winded from the swim and
lack of snorkel skills. At this point, she too went vertical and had the same
experience of having 31 lbs of weights pulling down on her while her bc,
which was definately too small,
was pumped up to keep her afloat. This effect plus being winded from the swim
made her extremely uncomfortable. She said she was having trouble breathing
and between being far enough apart to have to yell to communicate, (my wife was
wearing ears plugs for the first time and was having problems hearing us),
and being out of breath, I would say she had a note of panic in her voice. She
is reading this and doesn't disagree. Robert had started moving towards her the moment she
said she was done. Now he advised her to take off her weights. He tried to
calm her down saying nothing would happpen, that she couldn't drown if her weights
were off, so she tried to release the weight belt. Oops! In our fear that the
belt would slip off at depth, I had tightened it to the point where
she lacked the hand strength to release the buckle. If she wasn't
panicked to start with, I bet she was when she couldn't get the weights to
release! Anyway, Robert released her weight belt, moved around behind her and
started towing her to shore. It was the right combo of choices considering
the situation! Meanwhile, back on the buoy! Yours Truly was gasping for breath
like a fish out of water when Diver B announced she was heading to shore.
I was not a happy camper. Then when Diver B said she was having problems
breathing, I FREAKED. I knew I was way too far away to be able to help, and
my WIFE, the most wonderful person in the world needed me. I took off for
the two of them, knowing I absolutely was dusted from my previous exertions.
When Robert said, "Take off your weights," it was like Archimedes saying
"Eureka!" He was talking to my wife, but the idea sounded REAL good. Sayonara
weight belt. But I still couldn't breath! I literally had to talk myself
into letting some air out of my bc. Once I did, I flipped over on my back
and headed for shore. Robert asked how I was doing and my answer was
understandably voluable! Let's see, I can't breathe, I have a splitting headache,
I ditched my weights, my wife is in some sort of trouble and I am too
far away to help. How the ****** do you think I am doing! Well, we all got to shore
and if you believe Robert "saved' me, you are right. If he hadn't been there
to help my wife, I would have killed myself trying to get to her. Once we
were on shore we took our time analysing what had gone wrong. I recovered rather
quickly from my exertions and tossed out the possibilty of using Diver B's tank
and Roberts weights to go back out for my weight belt. I had dropped it right at
the buoy so I knew exactly where it was. I hoped to at least get one dive in
with Robert, and was willing to consider a weight belt rescue. We also saw another
2 divers enter the water and noticed they went out of their way to enter far
to our right, 'to avoid the current', duh! Well, sensible heads prevailed,
and we packed our gear and left. I didn't get upset about the money
for the lead weights until we found out how much they were going to charge us!
I noticed that some posters here thoguht we were upset with Robert.
Absolutely wrong! Try finding out that some one you work with everyday
turns out to be a hero! Nice person to have around, eh? Robert may have had an issue
with diving as a threesome, but as big as he and I are, it would take 2
VERY beefy guys to 'rescue' either one of us! I actually don't have
a problem with 3somes and have been the odd person out on several of these
dives now. I much prefer to be self reliant and not delude myself that someone is
going to rescue me. Although I am still using rental equipment, I
will NEVER wear a weight belt again. One dive with integrated weights and I want
to slap the clowns that rented us junky old BCD's and weight belts with 30 + lbs of
weight. I am also done with 7 mil wetsuits. If I can't dive it in my 2.5 mil shorty,
I ain't going. In closing I will say that Diver A and Diver B have learned a lot
from every dive we have taken. Don't get rushed. Defog on every dive. Take
your time. Know where you are in the water. Slow down. Know your equipment. Breath easy.
Check your tank valve, even if your DM just checked (closed) it for you. I can't
help but notice, guys take one look at my wife and start closing my tank valve
all the time!
Cheers
Diver A