Sometimes you just have to breath the air and spit out the water.
Palau undercurrent close call...
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I wasn't criticizing your actions. It sounds like you did a good job of keeping your head and thinking rationally to get yourself outta trouble. There's probably alot of divers that wouldn't have gotten out of your situation alive... they would have just gone into panic mode and wouldn't have pulled through the situation.
I guess I'm just wondering what the best way to deal with that situation is because I've never heard of a reg filling up with water in a current. I figure if I can visualize the situation a few times when it's not actually happening to me and go over the best response in my head, then if it does happen to me maybe my mind will quickly recall the best solution instead of having to think on the fly so to speak. When the sh*t hits the fan, I hope I'm able to quickly recall the best solution to the problem...maybe it will help to curb the urge to slip into panic mode.
BTW, I liked the pictures on your website. Sounds like that boat was really pitching..and the girl that lost all her gear... that had to SUCK! Did they give her any rental gear so she could at least finish her dive vacation or was she just done diving for the rest of the trip?
I guess I'm just wondering what the best way to deal with that situation is because I've never heard of a reg filling up with water in a current. I figure if I can visualize the situation a few times when it's not actually happening to me and go over the best response in my head, then if it does happen to me maybe my mind will quickly recall the best solution instead of having to think on the fly so to speak. When the sh*t hits the fan, I hope I'm able to quickly recall the best solution to the problem...maybe it will help to curb the urge to slip into panic mode.
BTW, I liked the pictures on your website. Sounds like that boat was really pitching..and the girl that lost all her gear... that had to SUCK! Did they give her any rental gear so she could at least finish her dive vacation or was she just done diving for the rest of the trip?
Hi Zagnut,
No...I didn't think you were criticizing...sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I had read about the girl that had her reg flooded and had it in my mind as to what I would do in that instance. The funny thing is that it took me a bit to realize that it was the current that was causing my reg to flood.
Keep in mind that your mind is racing and you're trying to figure out where you are, what to do, where your buddy is at, oncoming coral...etc.
Here was my thinking:
Once I could not see my buddy for 2 minutes...I decided to abort the dive.
I'll do my safety stop for 3 minutes unless it gets too dangerous e.g. my reg getting really bad.
Ahhh...you're referring to Typhoon Chen on my web site in Palau...Yes, poor Shirley did get rental gear. She really was a trooper about the whole thing and never complained once...no bull. If it was me...I know my persona...I would have gone ape !@#$. We don't think her gear is covered through DAN, maybe homeowners. Big Blue took pictures of their damage for their own insurance purposes, maybe they'll get her new gear...I'll keep you up to date. I'd be willing to pitch in to help her with any outstanding cost...maybe our scuba group will do something.
That must have been one helluva ride!
Getting back in the water again was a good idea.
Ask yourself this simple question. Could you have avoided it? It's nice in theory to be able to control everything but it's not every day God flushes the toilet while you're in it and I doubt even if you *had* been able to stay with her that it would have made much difference in terms of safety.
You did well thinking on your feet and getting yourself out of this. I would suggest that if you're in the situation again that you could consider not fighting it. I don't think you needed the DM to "X" you for you to know that the dive was going pear-shaped. You could consider drifting with the current, making a nice clean ascent and signalling for the chase boat when you got to the surface. At moments like that having a dsmb would obviously help.
R..
LOL - I guess it depends on what you're used to. Around here if we have 20ft of visibility people say "EXCELLENT VIZ DUDE!!"....
For us, 10 ft is normal. On some days you can hear your buddy better than you can see him.
R..
On the visibility issue: in my normal dive locations 20 ft. is about normal . This especially true playing "border collie" for open water classes.
More importantly: Good thinking on the current. In hindsight, everyone can think of what they could do differently in that type of situation. That is why we talk about these things. I wouldn't have thought of the knife. I would most likely have tried to ascend, popped my safety sausage at the surface and prayed that they would find me. With a regulator flooding with salt water to boot, you did far better than I would have. As far as losing your dive buddy, once it hits the fan, sometimes, you have to take care of yourself first and the dive buddy second. No sense in BOTH of you being hurt trying to save each other.
I am glad to hear that you made it! Thanks for telling everybody about it!
. This especially true playing "border collie" for open water classes.More importantly: Good thinking on the current. In hindsight, everyone can think of what they could do differently in that type of situation. That is why we talk about these things. I wouldn't have thought of the knife. I would most likely have tried to ascend, popped my safety sausage at the surface and prayed that they would find me. With a regulator flooding with salt water to boot, you did far better than I would have. As far as losing your dive buddy, once it hits the fan, sometimes, you have to take care of yourself first and the dive buddy second. No sense in BOTH of you being hurt trying to save each other.
I am glad to hear that you made it! Thanks for telling everybody about it!
Yep. Just like the OW text says. Don't fight it. go with it. If you need to travel a different path go cross current.
Oh well, I guess I just don't get it. It's a small miracle we're not reading about a couple more fatalities. BTW, Is it my imagination or have there been a lot lately?
And the idiots on TV call cave diving the most dangerous sport. I hear and see way more hair raising stuff from Caribbean OW divers. cave diving aint nothing! You guys are real dare devils. LOL
Oh well, I guess I just don't get it. It's a small miracle we're not reading about a couple more fatalities. BTW, Is it my imagination or have there been a lot lately?
And the idiots on TV call cave diving the most dangerous sport. I hear and see way more hair raising stuff from Caribbean OW divers. cave diving aint nothing! You guys are real dare devils. LOL
I also did a dive on the Buoy 6 Wreck. It lies in a narrow channel cut out for easier entry to the harbor. This channel can really serve as a funnel for the movement of water.
I dived the wreck with two instructors. We had checked the dive and current tables and began in relatively calm waters. We proceeded to the wreck which is at a max depth of 24 meters. We penetrated the wreck and spent some time inside. Then I tried to exit an opening in the side and noticed a current had started.
I returned to the inner wreck and the three of us emerged above deck. We were at the 25 minute point of the dive. That was it. We were all quickly swept towards the harbor at break-neck speed. I do like I usually do when in a strong current: go with the flow. I tried to stay in the middle of the channel and I only hoped there was no boat traffic at this time. I just had to watch my depth as there were also down and up currents. Both my main regulator and my octopus were in free flow and I had them serviced only two months prior. I managed a gradual ascent while breathing from my free flowing reg.
It was actually quite exhilirating.
I dived the wreck with two instructors. We had checked the dive and current tables and began in relatively calm waters. We proceeded to the wreck which is at a max depth of 24 meters. We penetrated the wreck and spent some time inside. Then I tried to exit an opening in the side and noticed a current had started.
I returned to the inner wreck and the three of us emerged above deck. We were at the 25 minute point of the dive. That was it. We were all quickly swept towards the harbor at break-neck speed. I do like I usually do when in a strong current: go with the flow. I tried to stay in the middle of the channel and I only hoped there was no boat traffic at this time. I just had to watch my depth as there were also down and up currents. Both my main regulator and my octopus were in free flow and I had them serviced only two months prior. I managed a gradual ascent while breathing from my free flowing reg.
It was actually quite exhilirating.
What made your regs free flow if you were going with the current?
I just read the rest of the posts.
I was in Palau in the spring of 2001. At that time a diver went missing as well. I know of a few stories of divers going missing there. Palau has some wicked currents and currents don't always obey the tables. The waters are deep. The weather can change abruptly. Palau is not really a place for beginners -- especially Blue Corner.
Why did the woman bind her arm to the hookline? Didn't anyone explain to her how to use the line? Sad.
The diving is phenomenal here though; really a must-dive destination for hardcore divers.
I was in Palau in the spring of 2001. At that time a diver went missing as well. I know of a few stories of divers going missing there. Palau has some wicked currents and currents don't always obey the tables. The waters are deep. The weather can change abruptly. Palau is not really a place for beginners -- especially Blue Corner.
Why did the woman bind her arm to the hookline? Didn't anyone explain to her how to use the line? Sad.
The diving is phenomenal here though; really a must-dive destination for hardcore divers.
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