Oregon woman dies in Washington diving accident

[Rick Murchison]

It takes 9 - 10 Bar to make my first stage even work :shocked2:

That's odd... every first stage design I know of is wide open at zero pressure. Indeed, it's wide open at whatever the IP is set to, and anything below that.
Unless, of course, by "work" you mean "close the hp seat."
Rick

 

[Nemrod]

What if there were a beginner BC with the CO2 cartridge like BCs used to have? Out of luck, out of ideas, out of breath, weight belt stuck under straps, buddy preoccupied with his/her own problems, pull the rip cord and BOOM, we have inflation!

Once a diver progresses beyond beginner status it is easy to remove the cartridge and just plug it with a port plug. The cartridges can be sized to provide positive buoyancy and contrary to common belief, in an inadvertent inflation at depth, the little cartridges cannot fully inflate a BC at depth so a runaway ascent is unlikely. A Velcro tab could cover the pull cord so that it would take two definite motions--1) pull Velcro tab and 2) pull rip cord and thus reducing the likelihood of accidental inflation. There are other ways as well to make it very near impossible for an accidental inflation, maybe a twist lock instead of the Velcro flap that would be like a safety on a gun? In any case, such a device would have helped the victim establish positive buoyancy on the surface.

N

 

[scorpiofish]

I believe no one has mentioned this. If one can't dump weights, just dump the whole rig.

I would occasionally dive with SS back plate, STA, and steel tank in warm fresh water. I knew if I had a wing failure I would have to dump the whole rig.

 

[pterantula]

... when they found his body on the bottom the searchers were also unable to ditch his weights ... they were jammed in too tightly to allow the release mechanisms to function properly.

The problem with a lot of weight-integrated BCDs is that they were not designed with adequate capacity for cold-water diving. Add to that the habit of newer divers to overweight because they "can't get down", and you have some BCD designs out there that won't break away like they're supposed to.

Divers ... new divers in particular ... need to be aware of the design specifications of the BCD and not overstuff the weight pockets ... which is quite easy to do with soft weights.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

An extra 2psi, if I may -

I recommend brick weights to everyone I see who uses an integrated BC - I have absolutely no idea from where this odd myth of "integrated = soft bags" came, but it seems all too pervasive. Soft bags can be used as doorstops, but little else.
(Integrated BCs forever, IMHO - sooooo much easier and more comfortable!)

As well, part of the OW training all the instructors with whom I've worked includes not only the dropping of weights and oral inflations, but in-water donning & doffing; if you're in cold water and you can't get to your weights? Ditch the gear - you'll float like a cork.

If I may continue to be so opinionated (apologies semi- in advance), you must have some self-rescue contingencies tattooed to your brain; ESA, EBA, gear ditching, single-bearing navigation, etc. - if anything compromises your dive, it is up to you, not your buddy or the boat or the Caost Guard, to get you to the surface &/or to the shore. (Barring severe physiological complications, of course - there are incapacitating events that complicate things.)

 

[rligon]

I have to agree with rleslie, after our OW cert dives my son and I reconized that we knew the basics but defintely lacked the experience. So we signed up for AOW with the LDS which took place up on Hood Canal. 5 more dives with instructors, and it introduced us to a much larger group of people we could dive with. After AOW, they make the offer to everyone that any time they are diving up there, feel free to come join them! So our first 20 or so dives were with the local instructor community, and left us much better qualified newbies. We've gone on to several specialities and Rescue, but I don't think Rescue would have meant as much without the other experiences before taking it.

 

[Starmonkie]

Can you take the rescue diver course at anytime or is it something that should be considered after you receive your advanced certification?

 

[rligon]

According to the PADI website, AOW is a prereq to Rescue Diver.

The reason I add these comments to this thread is that IMHO Rescue Diver is one of the most essential courses in the PADI system. In learning to rescue yourself and others, you start thinking a lot more about circumstances like this case. So hopefully you know enough not to get into trouble, but if so you will know more about how to get out of it. Several months after the course we realized that over time, the skills would get rusty. Fortunately our LDS is willing to let you participate in any parts of the course again, to serve as a refresher (no charge). In addition to being a friendly shop, they recognize that having more qualified rescue divers is good for the diving community, and helps avoid problems like this one.