Pushing the Limits

[boulderjohn]

In the video Mike said that Shane had bailed out and ran out of gas before he could make it out. My questions are: (1) do they know if Shane had trouble with his CCR that forced him to go on OC, and (2) if you are in a pre-panic or panic state does the higher WOB cause you to switch to bailout for easier WOB even when your CCR is working perfectly?

Another question. Mike said he was glad he hadn't retrieved his reel. If he had he thought he wouldn't have made it out. I don't understand this. What difference does it make whether you are rewinding the reel as you're making it out or, leave it in place and following the line out. In either case you are still following the line out.

The reel as it was would have been tied off securely, and the line from it would have gone from one tie off to another. It would have been tight. If he had been reeling it in, it would have been loose, and he certainly would have lost the line earlier than he did in the ensuing struggles. He mentions line traps in the video. That happens when loose line ends up in places where a diver cannot fit. A diver following such a line into a line trap can get stuck. That happened to Shane.

 

[Dan]

Is Shane’s GoPro video available for public viewing?

 

[boulderjohn]

Is Shane’s GoPro video available for public viewing?

Not that I know of, and I would doubt it.

 

[lermontov]

But he was diving beyond his ability.
?

But what does this really mean? clearly the divers involved were very experienced, and if we assume a few basics like they had exemplary buoyancy, line work finning techniques dive panning gas management etc, if the skillsets are there then then what exactly is beyond their ability ?

I think it comes down to intangibles like ability to manage sustained stress and deal with the unexpected.
Think back to the first few dives you did how stressful it was or the first overhead or deco obligation and how stressful it all was. Fast forward a few year and you dont think twice about a similar dive, keep extrapolating that to exploratory diving where skillsets are no longer a problem, only the stress of the unknown and the constant pressure of squeezing though a hole -one after the other.

Most dives have one or two 'cruxes' and once you've dealt with them the rest of the dive is reasonably straighten forward. Those cruxes add pressure and stress -now start increasing the frequency of those cruxes until they become overwhelming

Those are the thing that wear you down to the point that you have little or no reserve to deal with another problem.
Once you push past that point then i think your diving beyond your abilities

 

[Dody]

I have seen several videos of Ballen. He seems to be a knowledgeable and nice guy (heard he is ex navy). However, his shows look like some TV reports where the narrator hasn't seen anything but tell you the entire story with all the details, including what was on the mind of the victim, even when there was no witness. Yet, some people buy it.

 

[Dan]

I have seen several videos of Ballen. He seems to be a knowledgeable and nice guy (heard he is ex navy). However, his shows look like some TV reports where the narrator hasn't seen anything but tell you the entire story with all the details, including what was on the mind of the victim, even when there was no witness. Yet, some people buy it.

Now you know that Ballen is incorrect from Mike Young’s explanation. You can’t get any more accurate story from the survivor himself.

 

[Dody]

Someone has the details of the "close calls" book?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Someone has the details of the "close calls" book?

How to order or ...? I might see Stratis next week when I'm in Athens as he works out of a shop near where my family lives.

 

[Dody]

How to order or ...? I might see Stratis next week when I'm in Athens as he works out of a shop near where my family lives.

yes. I wanted to buy it on iTunes but it is not there. It is also out of stock on Amazon

 

[O-ring]

You can order it from his website.

CLOSE CALLS - StratisKas