Odd event at depth

[sambolino44]

My buddy and I have been working on air share, SMB deployment, and controlled ascent. So far we aren't proficient enough to combine them all, so we separate each skill and are building up to it. Our last skills dive showed that we need work on hovering at 15' with no visual reference. My point of all this is to say that I feel I have an understanding of the skills and hazards involved, also I feel I have a pretty good familiarity with Lynne's skill level and thought process.

It seems to me that DumpsterDiver has more issues with line entanglement than with free ascent, and Lynne is more concerned with her vertigo issues, and she's more comfortable with the SMB. All of y'all have way more experience than me, so just take this as an observation.

In my limited experience dealing with emergencies, you're dealing with a confusing situation, and you're stressed, so it's a good idea to eliminate or reduce additional uncontrolled factors as much as possible. I think Lynne, whether she thought about it consciously, or just by instinct, decided she'd rather deal with the SMB than the free ascent. Her comfort level in all this is pretty important.

As to the source of the problem, somebody posted that they hope it wasn't bad air. Considering the other possibilities (pollution in the water, Peter hallucinating, etc.) bad air might just be the least bad cause. Unless it was that habanero chile relleno he had an hour before.

 

[Soakedlontra]

My buddy and I have been working on air share, SMB deployment, and controlled ascent. So far we aren't proficient enough to combine them all, so we separate each skill and are building up to it. Our last skills dive showed that we need work on hovering at 15' with no visual reference. My point of all this is to say that I feel I have an understanding of the skills and hazards involved, also I feel I have a pretty good familiarity with Lynne's skill level and thought process.

It seems to me that DumpsterDiver has more issues with line entanglement than with free ascent, and Lynne is more concerned with her vertigo issues, and she's more comfortable with the SMB. All of y'all have way more experience than me, so just take this as an observation.

In my limited experience dealing with emergencies, you're dealing with a confusing situation, and you're stressed, so it's a good idea to eliminate or reduce additional uncontrolled factors as much as possible. I think Lynne, whether she thought about it consciously, or just by instinct, decided she'd rather deal with the SMB than the free ascent. Her comfort level in all this is pretty important.

As to the source of the problem, somebody posted that they hope it wasn't bad air. Considering the other possibilities (pollution in the water, Peter hallucinating, etc.) bad air might just be the least bad cause. Unless it was that habanero chile relleno he had an hour before.

Ultimately you have to pick your battle (SMB versus controlled ascent without a point of resference) according to what makes you more comfortable and the environmental conditions.

The SMB is not visible at night but divers' lights are.

If there were oil in the water I guess you would have smelled it on the rest of your gear.

Why hallucinating? Because of Nitrogen Narcoses?

 

[Scott L]

My dive partners often have bad gas.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Well, the particular reason why I immediately thought this was a drill was that I have been asking my buddies to do drills with me recently, because I've gotten rusty (as this incident clearly illustrated!) So I just thought Peter was cooperating . . .

Having witnessed the exchange, I have to chuckle when I read that comment.

It took Lynne all of about five seconds ... well, OK, maybe six or seven seconds ... to see a flashing light, turn around, swim to someone else's dive buddy, and get a regulator to that person. It then took her almost three or four more seconds to realize that she hadn't deployed the entire length of the hose, and another couple of seconds to correct that error.

Yup ... she's rusty as all hell ... I dunno why I even dive with her ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Wish my dive buddy was that rusty! Hell - wish I was that rusty!

 

[TSandM]

Bob, that's very sweet!

You've never met Danny Riordan, but Danny would have had my gizzard for lunch if he'd watched that whole little interchange. I can hear him now . . .

 

[Soakedlontra]

Sam and I are wondering if you know the results of your air analysis...

 

[TSandM]

Not yet. The owner wasn't staffing the dive shop this weekend, when we went in for fills. We'll talk to him this week.

 

[Garth]

One very important skill. Shooting SMB at night in mid water. I know it shouldn't be different but I plan to practice more at night because of a recent incident I had shooting a bag in the dark. I decended below my acceptable limit and was surprised at how it all happened.

Things to think about...

 

[TSandM]

I've been drilled and drilled on SMB shoots . . . I agree that shooting them in the dark, or in midwater without a reference, is a definite learned skill.