OOA incedent

[dkerr]

Hi everyone,
This is a bit of a rambling story, but I thought the entire picture might lead to some more informed responces, so....
I went diving with a club last weekend because a lack of dive buddies is a problem for me. I buddied up with someone on shore and we discussed dive plan and did buddy checks. Upon trying to decend, my buddy could not get under. After struggling for 10 min we decided to head back to shore to re-evaluate the weight sitution. Just then another diver came up to us asking if he could tag along. I asked te underweighted diver if he wanted an escort to shore (20 yards) and he said he was fine (there was also people on shore watching everyone). The new diver and I discussed our dive (navigation, air consumption) and started to decend.
I was following his lead. Unfortunately he was not the best navigator because he would take a bearing give a few fin strokes and then head completely off course for 10 fin strokes. He would then take his bearing again, show me his cumpass, and head off in the correct direction for 2 strokes and then deviate from course again. Aside from swiming in circles, everythinh was fine until about 15 min into the dive. He then stops, turns around and shows me his console again.
Now I figured that he was showing me his compass but apparently he was showing me his pressure guage. Before I knew it, he shoots to the surface (we were only at 18fsw). When I surfaced he told me he was out of air and he asked me to check his valve. It was barely on, so I turned it on and he was fine so we completed the dive.
That is the end of the story. Now for the questions.
Should I have followed the first diver to shore?
Should I have not dove with the second diver?
Would others think to check the valve on a new arival 20 yeards from shore?
How should I have handled the OOA diferently.

Sorry for the long story, but I deffinately do not want this happening again.
Thanks
Doug

 

[jbd]

I don't think you needed to follow buddy #1 to the shore under the circumstances. But it might have been good to watch him to shore before descending with buddy #2.

I think it would be OK to dive with buddy #2 under the original situation. I think that this incident with buddy #2 indicates that you didn't go over a gear check with him or establish a communications protocol with him. My preference is to have a buddy point to which device he/she wants me to look at when showing me their console. This is much preferred IMHO then using fingers to indicate numbers for air pressure.

Given the circumstances I think you did all that could be done once the incident developed. Other than that prevention of the OOA incident in this case would have occurred with an in water gear check.

I hope this is of some help.

 

[Wendy]

Why didn't diver #2 give you an OOA sign for you to donate air to him and make a safe ascent to the surface? Did you ask him?

 

[dkerr]

He did not give me an OOA signal and at the time I did not think to ask him why. I have been running that same question through my head the past few days. Wish I though of asking him then.

 

[MikeFerrara]

This is a good example of the kind of frustrating things we see every day. He should have had his air on (of course). If it wasn't all the way on ( an all too common thing) it should have been caught in the predive. The assumptions that were made may have seemed reasonable but your safety, in part, is dependant on him and his equipment so check it ,don't assume. Had the buddy had very much experience he would have seen the gauge going up and down as he breathed and realized the valve wasn't all the way on. He then would have reached back and turned it on. He then would have saved himself the embarsement and not even told you that it happened. People get complacent on "easy dives". Accidents happen on "easy" dives. Nothing much came of this but look at the implications. Your buddy left you. Even if he couldn't manage the situation as I described, why not use some of your air, then together figure out the equipment problem and solve it or abort the dive together. His reaction was unacceptable, he needs training and practice.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Hi Doug,

And then also... when buddy diving OW it shouldn't be follow the leader... side by side and the guy *leading* the dive is responsible to communicate direction changes... pre-arrainge a signal to exchange leadership role during the dive. Also agree ahead of time what the objective is going to be and the pace. None of this aimlessly swimming a fast as possible for me.

 

[dkerr]

Thinking about everything afterwards have deffinately led me along the same path that you have all responded to. Thankfully everything worked out fine in the end (no one was hurt), but it has also shown me some valuable lessons. Thanks for the comments
Doug

 

[art.chick]

I like to use a slate with my buddy for navigation. We put down the coordiantes we agree on for bearings before we go down. Then if she is off, I stop her trajectory & point the right direction (or she stops me if I'm messing up). We also are able to write notes to each other which can help the other person be specific about what's bothering them if they have time. Perhaps the guy was never really showing you the compass to confirm the direction after all.

 

[art.chick]

...and an embolism can occur from a mere 18' bolt!