Ok, so it's time for me to post my Cozumel screw ups...

[redacted]

I still think it was just a cursed few days luck-wise and a new environment to deal with.

Yeah. No offense Don, but if I see lightening, I'm moving away from you.

 

[firstdive2005]

For me lefty lucy etc can confuse me when I'm at depth. I seem to remember clockwise-closed. I only have to remember the c-c. I was down wind of Clinton and now my memory is kinda foggy at the little catch phrases.

 

[TSandM]

But this is a very common diver experience and the point should be - how do we address diving when a whole plethora of new variables are thrown into the millieu, rather than a wholesale condemnation of his practises.

This post is the whole reason I stepped into this thread. This should NOT be a common diver experience. Despite rented equipment and an unfamiliar environment, one's safety practices should be ingrained and consistent. It's NOT okay to explain these kinds of experiences away with, "Oh well, you were in a strange place and distracted." A less experienced diver might have drowned in one of these circumstances. We ALL need to be diligent and disciplined about pre-dive checks, and again, I have rarely seen anybody doing them routinely on any charter boat I've ever been on, at home or elsewhere.

This kind of thing is avoidable. Build procedures so that you avoid it, and practice them routinely.

 

[DandyDon]

This post is the whole reason I stepped into this thread. This should NOT be a common diver experience. Despite rented equipment and an unfamiliar environment, one's safety practices should be ingrained and consistent. It's NOT okay to explain these kinds of experiences away with, "Oh well, you were in a strange place and distracted." A less experienced diver might have drowned in one of these circumstances. We ALL need to be diligent and disciplined about pre-dive checks, and again, I have rarely seen anybody doing them routinely on any charter boat I've ever been on, at home or elsewhere.

This kind of thing is avoidable. Build procedures so that you avoid it, and practice them routinely.

Oh I agree! We do indeed need safe pre-dive checks routine for every dive, and nope - I don't see them on any boats either. I don't mind being the only one cautious enough to wear a pony, nor do I mind being the only one to don my horse collar vest if the trip to or from the site is rough or even a long one. My home dive bud and I do practice these in our practice dives and we still use the BWRAF acronym our original OW Inst gave us for BC, Weights, Regs, Air, Final: "Breathing Water Really Ain't Fun" - and boy does that apply to an OOA experience! We check quickly again at the edge before entering then again at 15 ft while his ears adjust for bubbles, anything that doesn't look right, and making sure our air valves are totally on before descending from there. What I need to examine, learn, and not fail to remember even after a long non-diving spell or a 20 hour travel day like I'd had the day before...

Why we get casual on a real boat with other divers once we get to a destination dive site, as we do somewhat;

And why I get get even more casual when I travel alone and I'm not working to keep my promise to his sainted mom about his safety?​

Then take sound, proactive actions to ensure that I/we don't get casual about all this. There is nothing that I fear about my diving, altho some could argue that maybe I should - but fear was just not in my upbringing so it's not here even after these screw-ups as the thread is titled, yet I don't need fears to encourage me to do better. I need to do it all much better for other reasons, like setting good examples as I should know what I am doing after all this dive tavel and training cards, making sure I am at the best for diving, being prepared to help others in need, I'm getting entirely too old to have to be swimming out of emergencies, and even my survival instinct does not guarantee that I will be as lucky in the future, as any additional problems could have produced sadder endings.

No, whatever the others are doing or not doing on the boat, however the normal routine is on the local boat for the crew dealing with gear in cramped situations, and regardless of how comfortable I may feel about going in - false feeling that that may be at times, I have got to take my own actions whether diving with a lose DM group or an insta-buddy to ensure I go thru those checks myself. I've got to grab that valve myself, open it the rest of the way open and then explain that's how mine needs to be for me to be happy before proceeding with the rest of my pre-dive check, and let the others know that I need to do this. Hell, we're only talking about an extra, concentrated minute or two of effort on each dive.

Or paired with an insta-bud, I need to convey what I like in minimum checks and request his assistance and cooperation. I try to avoid imposing on others, but that I just need to do. And that little camera I like to take on all dives should have waited for the second dive if nothing went wrong on the first, or until I had accomplished such a no-problem dive without it. They can be very distracting.

Frequently checking my spg and communicating with my home bud is routine for us, so frequently checking it on my own without my routine buddy must be as well - and that is the most embarrassing of these. Yeah, I'm proud and grateful that I swam out of it, but that was just stupid and dangerous even tho I handled it correctly and nothing else went wrong - again the big risk. And the others which are crew related are still my responsibility so I need to do whatever I need to do with each new crew to make sure my valve is totally on as prepare to step or roll in. They can be sneaky about playing with them as they grab the valve for the moving tourist to make sure I don't fall on the boat, but I'm sure I can drive that point home somehow.

Anyway, I agree. While some have been politely supportive of me and helped prevent this thread from becoming a feeding freenzie for others who might enjoy bashing me too much, the real and serious lessons need to be recognized and well adopted here.

thanks!

 

[Cudabait]

Don, glad you're still my friend!!

 

[Just another Cinderella]

For the past year I have been averaging 6-10 dives a week. What scares me the most is getting to casual about diving. I have to agree with TS the most important thing is a strict routine both before and during the dive. And stick to it regardless of the other stimuli.
Having said that I am part of the over 60 crowd that can't reach my tank valve, so thanks DD because tomorrow I am going to figure out a routine for that.

 

[TSandM]

Don, I love your last post -- It's that kind of analysis that will lead to real change.

I try to avoid imposing on others, but that I just need to do

This has been one of the hardest things for me, because I tend to defer to others, especially anybody in a position of authority. So if the DM wants me in the water NOW, I'm likely to try to go there, even if we haven't finished all our checks. My very dear friend KMD has been a superb example for me there -- he will NOT let anyone rush him through or out of his pre-dive routine.

I also had problems with shore diving buddies at home, because not many people want to do a head-to-toe check. But I just decided to be a PITA about it. The last time I dove with one of my very good friends, I laughed when we got out to waist-deep water and he gave a deep sigh and said, "Okay, do your head-to-toe thing . . ."

You just have to decide it's important. Everything follows from there.

 

[jbruno]

Being able to reach your valves have a lot to do with your body position ( trim) in the water. If your trim is vertical, as it's the case with a lots of divers, your valve is out of reach, way down on your back. In a horizontal swimming position, it is a lot easier, especially with a little practice. ( valve drill) To properly trim your self, you need to look at how much weight you carry, and where all your weight is.

 

[Just another Cinderella]

Sorry jb, I wish it was trim related. I think I am pretty stable in the water having practiced a lot with the photography I do. I don't know how old you are but loss of flexibility for me is the real issue.
But DD got me thinking because I carry a housed camera and I will have to work on how I would handle getting to the valve.

I mean would I have to drop the camera?????????
Might have to start Pilates or something.

 

[hookedonscuba2]

Sounds like you need a refresher course. In God we trust. Everything else we check.