New Experience in Pond

[Gary D.]

I’m surprised at the timing of this but it couldn’t be better.

In a quarterly diving publication I get there was a nice article about diving accidents and fatalities in the U.S. Navy. Not sport diving while in the Navy but working dives.

Just a short blurb out of the article is as follows:

The Most Common Failures

1. Poor Situation awareness (particularly failures in “risk and time assessment”)
2. Poor leadership (particularly in “Planning and coordination” and “maintaining standards”)
3. Lack of personal resources (particularly “experience” or “training”).

This simple Jeep recovery attempt violated most if not all of the above.

I’m just glad this ended up being a learning experience and nothing more.

Gary D.

 

[av8er23]

I guess that is possible, I have never come close. I am saying keep it very simple. Down and up. I have only scuba diving for a few months but I have been "freediving" for 20 Years. I highly doubt there will be a gill-net in a farm pond but none the less you make a valid point. I guess I am lucky all the times I jumped over the side of a conoe holding a rock going to a 100ft in a Lake in canada. Trees and stuff on the bottom there. Dark too I am way to out of shape to be pulling that now but I would do a 30-40 ft dive like this almost without thinking just a swimsuit and a mask, total bottom Time 20-30 seconds...

YMMV
Thanks

What is the deepest you have been on a free dive? How do you equalize your ears on the way down while holding onto a rock?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Some people equalize quicker than others, to the point of it being almost natural instinct and they do it subconciously. I can swim to 100+' with SCUBA as fast as I can after dumping any air in my BC without worrying about my ears not popping.

I used to swim in a little creek that got about 40' deep under a bridge. To get to the bottom faster, we had a cinder block that we dove off with - good fun, but probably not something that just anyone should do

 

[Kriterian]

Still waitin' to hear how the jeep was sunk? heh.

The very first line of the original post was:

"I had a friend call me today and said that somone had accidently ran a jeep into his pond."

 

[UnixSage]

What is the deepest you have been on a free dive? How do you equalize your ears on the way down while holding onto a rock?

Untill I got into scuba diving I never had a depth meter, The only reason I know how deep I was because I had my rock tied to a 100 foot rope and I ran out of rope. The rock (tied to the conoe) stopped about 10 foot before the bottom. The rock weighed probably 10-15 lbs so I dont sink at an alarming rate the value is that you do not expend air on the way down spend more time exploring while you are on the bottom. Equalizing is second nature when yo do it a lot I rarely think about it. My max depth was probably not more than 100-120 but the only "documented" depth I have is the 100 foot rope so I am guessing from that point lower. Another thing that if you use weight keep it light enough to keep a head up desent so your feet hit the stuff on the bottom and not your head. Also some folks would argue that this is not free diving so what ever you call it I am not trying to offend anyone. I was 18 and wanted to see how deep the bottom was (and prove to a few school mates that you dont get the bends that way). I also was only using a mask... no fins (did not have any when I was there). I was in St-Thomas a couple months ago and hit 50ft while snorkling. This was with fins but REAL short ones (kicked myself for not bringing mine along) was a lot of work to get down salt water and 0 weight. And the fact it is some 17 years later so my body dynamics may
have changed a bit

Edit: If you were wondering how I held my nose when I was hanging onto a rock, I didn't.. I equlize by jaming my tongue into the top of my throat. No blowing or nose holding needed.

Dive Safe

 

[UnixSage]

I used to swim in a little creek that got about 40' deep under a bridge. To get to the bottom faster, we had a cinder block that we dove off with - good fun, but probably not something that just anyone should do

Ahh HA I am not the only one....

 

[scubafool]

Haha, so I am not the only freak who doesn't even know when I equalize! Seriously, if I have to think about it, that means I am congested or something similar. I used to freedive a lot, before I got into SCUBA, and I think that is where I developed the ability to clear so easily.

I still like to freedive, but I wouldn't even consider it in a low or no viz situation. At least on SCUBA, you will have a few minutes to think about your imminent death once you become hopelessly entangled. Freediving for this jeep would be dead last on my list of options.

 

[av8er23]

As of today the jeep is still resting at the bottom of the pond. From what I understand there were several guys (probably drunk rednecks). trying to freedive down to it today and had no luck. I will keep you posted on what the outcome of this is.

 

[Snowbear]

I highly doubt there will be a gill-net in a farm pond...

No, probably not. But how about trees (with roots and branches), wire, baling twine, lost rope, pipe, logs, stumps, cars, tractors.... you get the picture... there's a lot of stuff besides gill nets that can ensnare a diver who cannot see and swims into the hazard. I've lived on farms most of my life. It's amazing the stuff that gets lost and somehow ends up in the pond :11:

I'm really glad av8er23 decided not to go back and try again