pony bottles

[b1draper]

No thoughts about working on buddy skills?

:no Yes, I guess I should have mentioned that there were six of us; however we were paired off in 3 two person groups all diving side by side. However nobody noticed that I wasn't there and nobody responded to my signals. I was diving with people that I've dove with several times before. But I guess you never know what's going to happen in an emergency until one happens.

Before each dive I do I always run through the "What if's". Ya know lost buddy, out of air, etc. However sometimes during a dive people get distracted looking at all the cool fish; and don't notice whatelse is going on around them.

I was diving over in Panama City at the St. Andrews jetties.

 

[b1draper]

I don't mean to pick on you but this dive is such a great example. 6 people is a herd or a flock but not a team. Break those flocks into 2 or 3 man teams. With practice they will know whether you have left or not and whether or not you need help. Dive side by side unless you are using lights for communication.

When breathing from a free flowing reg and the bubbles are floping your mask around and flooding it...First of all stay horizontal. If you need to, tilt your head so the bubbles go harmlessly up and away without causing mask trouble or obstructing your vision. There was no need to do a ESA.

Redundant air source or no, you really should learn to be confortable managing a free flowing reg.

Ok maybe I misused the term CESA. When I was down there I responded to my situation with a clear head. I didn't panic, I slowly started my acent. I'd take a breath from the reg start blowing bubbles and clear my mask and do this over and over. When I reached 17 feet I stopped and completed a saftey stop doing the same process. I knew as long as I stayed calm and was able to get some air I'd be fine. During the saftey stop and the whole acent I kep close eyes on my guages and computer to keep everything in check.

When I wasn't breathing off the reg there was a small amount of bubbles coming off the reg, but when I took a breath it forced more air in than I could take until it broke the seal on my mask and from that point the reg would free flow in my mouth and back out through my nose.

From this I've learned that you can't always depend on your buddy and that I don't want to be in that situation again. With the pony mounted I don't even notice it's there. My trim and boyancy are on the mark. If this should happen again or I have someother problem I know that I've got plenty of air to get to the surface and have a saftey stop with out blowing the seal on my mask everytime I breath.

 

[james croft]

My neighbor, who was a Navy dentist, went diving and carried a pony bottle. His primary tank had been filled by a Navy gasoline compressor prior to the dive. He was about 80 feet or so and began feeling bad. He switched over to his pony and surfaced. Although he did not have the air in his primary analyzed he believed he got some carbon monoxide poisoning from the gasoline compressor. This may be a rare occurence but his pony worked out for him. Good thing he did not have it filled from the same source as the other tank.

 

[scubalifer]

Just one example: 130 feet on a wreck, ten to fifteen times more posts than dives. Head stuck somewhere dark. Its an eventual thinning of the herd. Sad but true.

 

[Web Monkey]

?????

Just one example of what?

Just one example: 130 feet on a wreck, ten to fifteen times more posts than dives. Head stuck somewhere dark. Its an eventual thinning of the herd. Sad but true.

 

[scubalifer]

?????

Just one example of what?

dude: read it all together. DARWIN! Survival of the fittest. Evolution or lack there of.

 

[frankc420]

This thread has become pointless for most parties. At this point it's a way for others to bash on people for using ponies.

 

[MikeFerrara]

This thread has become pointless for most parties. At this point it's a way for others to bash on people for using ponies.

I don't think so. Discussing the pros, cons and other options isn't bashing anyone. The thread might be pointless but not because anyone is being bashed.

 

[grassyknoll]

Just one example: 130 feet on a wreck, ten to fifteen times more posts than dives. Head stuck somewhere dark. Its an eventual thinning of the herd. Sad but true.

Not helpfully, insightful or even very witty. I personally don't know under what circumstances I would want to forecast the demise of another diver; agree with you or not I hope ALL SB members make it back EVERY time.

I don't think the post has lost relevance, I have been reading through some of the recent posts by draperb relating his incident and it adds to the discussion.

 

[grassyknoll]

Oh yeah, and as the guy who asked Ice9 to recount his incident I feel terrible that some SB members would use his honesty as a chance to bash him. Let's start a thread asking all members to post if they have never done something stupid, taken a risk diving or dove outside their training/certification level, I really think that it would be a short thread with very few posts. I for one admit to having done all three.