Personal involvement in a scuba diving related emergency?

[scubadada]

How about a nope nada never, or better choice, not yet.

I was very tempted to add a response of NO/NONE, to the choices. However, the number of dives and duration of experience varies so much that I was more interested in the distribution of positives than the overall percentage positive. I could have done it either way, chose my way As you are aware, members of SB are not representative of the general diving population anyway. There could always be another poll, ever been involved in a scuba related emergency, yes or no, perhaps with the number of dives also captured. There's no end to the questions one could ask

The responses so far are quite interesting

 

[Johnoly]

I was very tempted to add a response of NO/NONE,...

Just happy you didn't include dead diver(s) as a choice. I checked all but 2 of them.

 

[ChuckP]

I wasn't the DM but was doing an instructor internship. A husband went OOA at the safety stop, his wife was right there and I'd say it was the cleanest smoothest octo pass off I've ever seen - come to find out, it'd happened before.

I forgot about this one, young like 12 year old girl bolted for the surface just as soon as we got to the safety stop, very freaked out - she had to pee.

 

[AfterDark]

OTHER
Myself and one of two guys on a night dive got entangled in a drift net that had broken free and drifted somewhere it didn't belong about 50yds from shore. We swam right into it and didn't know WTH is was until we had monofilament line caught all over our gear. We were in 10FSW at the end of the dive, low on air and stuck on the bottom because the net is stuck. We could look up and see the moon but couldn't surface. The guy entangled with me dropped his knife and neither he or I could reach mine or find his.

The 3rd diver in the group had lagged behind and saw our lights moving erratically. He was able to free the net from the bottom where it was stuck, which allowed us to surface. We dragged the net onto shore with us and cut it into very small pieces as we removed it from our gear.

 

[diver00011]

+ Exhausted diver in surf/current
+ Panicked diver

 

[diver00011]

OTHER
Myself and one of two guys on a night got entangled in a drift net that had broken free and drifted somewhere it didn't belong about 50yds from shore. We swam right into it and didn't know WTH is was until we had monofilament line caught all over our gear. We were in 10FSW at the end of the dive, low on air and stuck on the bottom because the net is stuck. We could look up and see the moon but couldn't surface. The guy entangled with me dropped his knife and neither he or I could reach mine or find his.

The 3rd diver in the group had lagged behind and saw our lights moving erratically. He was able to free the net from the bottom where it was stuck, which allowed us to surface. We dragged the net onto shore with us and cut it into very small pieces as we removed it from our gear.

That's terrifying! The third guy could have gotten caught just as easily. Interested in hearing other people's ideas on how to avoid this one.

 

[scubadada]

Severe entanglement is a particulaly frightening thought. I have only been entangled twice where a cutting device was needed.Both were on solo night dives on the Capt Tony in Boynton when thick monofilament got caugjt up on my 1st stage that I could not get out of. Fortunately, my Trilobyte cutter from my waist belt made quick work of it and I was on my way

 

[AfterDark]

That's terrifying! The third guy could have gotten caught just as easily. Interested in hearing other people's ideas on how to avoid this one.

I don't scare easy but that night that was my biggest fear that the 3rd guy would become entangled and we'd all be found dead in the AM by some swimmer if the tide didn't release the net and drift us out to nowhere.

He was a solid diver, he knew right away what had happened. He got around us, got the current at his back went negative. He crawled on the bottom until he found where the net was caught and cut it free.

To avoid this IMO ban drift nets.

 

[TMHeimer]

I've not experienced nor seen any of those listed. Lucky I guess. Worst situations for me involved currents and cramps (before the split fins....). And a few rough exits in surf including twice turned turtle (the 2nd time being TODAY). But these weren't true emergencies and keeping composure was not in doubt.
Well, my LPI became detached once and continually inflated another time. Both in less than 20' of water. For the detached situation I continued the dive orally inflating when rarely needed.

 

[Trailboss123]

Have you ever personally been involved, actively or inactively, in a scuba diving related emergency? This could have occurred to you, one of your shore diving group, or someone on your boat. The exact definition and magnitude of the emergency will be left open. With just 10 choices, not all possible emergencies could be listed, carbon monoxide poisoning, severe entanglement, etc. There is a choice for other, with specification in the thread.

Of course, unlimited choices can be made and choices can be changed.

I posted in Basic Scuba Diving to increase visibility, it may not be the right place.

You are rocking it with all of these great posts lately, my friend!