Near Drowning at Ginnie Springs

[Cave Diver]

You know... they never even apologised. A year and a half later they called to ask why I had not spent any more money with them... go figure. They still didn't apologise for their indiscretion with this.

Just out of curiousity, did you ever tell them about the malfunction, or did you assume that they knew it wouldnt work right?

 

[MikeFerrara]

Nobody said she wasn't cavern certified. Relax with the supposition!! Wait until we hear from those who were there.

There is no need to suppose or assume anything here. Does no good for anyone.

No, we don't know what her training and experience was. She may have been full cave trained or just one of the thousands of OW divers who dive in that cavern every year because it's advertised as being safe for OW divers.

Either way, IMO, ALL overhead environments need to be treated like overhead environment and none are safe for a diver who's not prepared to do that regardless of what Rodale's or the Ginnie spring web sit says.

 

[jviehe]

No, we don't know what her training and experience was. She may have been full cave trained or just one of the thousands of OW divers who dive in that cavern every year because it's advertised as being safe for OW divers.

Either way, IMO, ALL overhead environments need to be treated like overhead environment and none are safe for a diver who's not prepared to do that regardless of what Rodale's or the Ginnie spring web sit says.

Well, i think we should leave it up to the diver to decide. It nice that Ginnie has a place for people to experience the OH in what is one of the safer cavern dives out there. SCUBA diving is somewhat dangerous, and people are going to get hurt no matter what you do.

 

[roakey]

...ALL overhead environments need to be treated like overhead environment and none are safe for a diver who's not prepared to do that regardless of what Rodale's or the Ginnie spring web sit says.

...or the PADI ice diving guidelines...

Roak

 

[Michael Schlink]

Leave it up to the diver!! On overheads, you got to be kidding-Mike you reading this? They'll need to beef up the recovery teams. I guess the market will be saturated with lots of used gear though. Jviehe do you know how hard people work to keep OW divers out of overheads??? Leave it up to the diver!!!!, WOW.

 

[The Chairman]

Cave Diver...

I ordered the new diaphragm through them, and explained my disappointment at the time. The bill for the service was right around $200, which I was not prepared for (no estimate). That they were reluctant to charge $12.00 more "without my authorization" was simply beyond me.

Genesis...

Yet you're a STRONG opponent to "ordinary divers" doing the same?!

I simply have no idea what you are criticising me of here? But it appears you are hell bent on doing it every possible chance you get. I feel all divers should learn how to service their own regs and have clearly stated as such on this board.

Mike...

ALL overhead environments need to be treated like overhead environment and none are safe for a diver who's not prepared to do that regardless of what Rodale's or the Ginnie spring web sit says.

Amen brother, amen. I have learned to not trust ANYTHING you read by the owners of any diving environment.

 

[tonyc]

I haven't seen any posts commending her buddies- hats off to them for getting her to the surface, and staying with her even though she was panicked. If she were solo diving, she'd be dead. I once got separated from my buddy and wanted to mark something I found underwater... long story short I was trying to inflate a lift bag and decided to take a big breath in.... with no reg in my mouth (idiot!). That was a horrible feeling, and for sure I was in panic mode.

Tony.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I am all for diver being able to make up their own mid after being given the streight scoop

In my opinion the text on the Ginnie spring web site is liable to talk a diver into going in there who otherwise might not have.
To save time here's what O posted on another board...

It does sound like rescuers did a great job and the diver likely wouldn't have made it without them.

A also agree that divers should be left alone to follow their training as they see fit.

However...I may not be an expert but I do have a cave card and I was a cavern instructor until I dropped my PADI membership last month and I disagree with the statement that it's "sufficiently safe" in the following passage.

From the Ginnie springs web site...

Ginnie cavern is among the handful of sites that experts consider sufficiently safe to allow exploration by divers who lack formal cavern or cave diver training.

It's not what I would tell my students and if I took them in there without having done the dry land and OW line drills, without 2 lights running a primary reel and possesing a safety reel/spool it would be a standards violation.

I don't see the basis for an argument that somehow this cavern is different but apparantly somewhere there are some experts who do.



Note: I have no idea what caused this accident or what this divers qualifications or experience are.

 

[MikeFerrara]

...or the PADI ice diving guidelines...

Roak

Be more specific. It might be something worth discussing.

Taking a guess at what you're refering to...the ice diving class doesn't require redundant breathing equipment but neither do caver courses.

I have always been of the opinion that diving on a teather was just a way out of teaching real overhead diving because I'd rather do an ice dive like a cave dive but you couldn't teach that in a three dive course over a weekend.

 

[H2Andy]

i am sorry, but ginnie is NOT a safe environment for ALL open water divers, though
it may be for some.

the key is being mentally prepared for the overhead environment (whether you have
a cavern card yet or not) and being aware of the vital importance of a buddy
in a cavern.

unfortunately, the way to "test" for this is to require proof of overhead training.

i would not let anyone into the ballroom if they did not have a cavern card and an
equally qualified buddy, minimum.

one mistake is all it takes with ten thousand tons of rock over your head.

this diver is amazingly lucky to be alive.