Runaway Buddy!

[Cacia]

Really? well, I do not dive much in cold water, but I think the guy was an experienced diver and so....well weird stuff happens. I periodically feel for my bungeed and as part of a "systems check" on descent.

 

[OE2X]

I know it's hard for you folks in warm sunny Hawaii to fathom, but frostbite doesn't occur in temps above freezing.

Right now we are talking about the water being 45 - 50F and in all honesty while it may seem to be cold by your standards for most people around here they still function rather well when skiing in air temps at 15 F. I know water sucks the heat from skin faster than air, but I find it hard to believe that someones face with so many blood vessels, would go so numb that they couldn't feel a mouth piece at least in these temps.

 

[JeffG]

I know it's hard for you folks in warm sunny Hawaii to fathom, but frostbite doesn't occur in temps above freezing.

Right now we are talking about the water being 45 - 50F and in all honesty while it may seem to be cold by your standards for most people around here they still function rather well when skiing in air temps at 15 F. I know water sucks the heat from skin faster than air, but I find it hard to believe that someones face with so many blood vessels, would go so numb that they couldn't feel a mouth piece at least in these temps.

I've been in 33deg F water and I can still feel my reg. WWW's geez

 

[OE2X]

Thanks for the back up Jeff. You are one heck of a buddy.

 

[JeffG]

Thanks for the back up Jeff. You are one heck of a buddy.

Cold water divers have to stick together against the wimps of the world

 

[Rick Inman]

The buddy numbers in your first post are all mixed up.
And are you sure it wasn't you who bolted to the surface while buddies #1 and #2 went looking for you?

Oh, brother...I screwed that up, didn't I? Good thing I didn't try to dial 811! eyebrow

To answer some questions, yes, this diver is new to the BP/W setup. He had, maybe four dives on it prior to this dive. His only training has been watching me (and a few OOA drills), which explains a lot!

Yes, he told me he practiced getting to the bungeed reg many times today.

 

[GDCB]

Nice signature Jeff. However I'm with Catherine. I remember having trouble manualy inflating my BC in 49 degree water. My lips were numb. 3 other divers said the same thing. I knew where it was. I knew it was in my mouth. I just couldn't form a seal on the mouth piece. The trick I came up with was to either kick up while inflating or lie face down to take pressure off the bladder. The point being practice basic skills and learn what might happen. THANKS RICK!!! This was very educational for this newby.


Carl

 

[Darnold9999]

Not so much advocating buddy breathing (i.e. no flames please ) as something that gets you used to being underwater without the reg in your mouth. BB did that as you had to wait while your partner used the reg. The exercize you mention - swim to the bottom and get out of your gear, leave it, go to the surface then retrieve it did the same. They put tanks in the corners of the pool and you had to swim from tank to tank, mask on then mask off. All, just to get you comfortable with no reg, then purging it and breathing. Became somewhat second nature.

Do you absolutely need this to be a diver - no - but if it ever hits the fan I think you are better prepared as you are just a little further away from panic.

 

[Cacia]

thank-you carl! Those drysuit guys can be bullys. I just want Stephan Ash to come vet some of the gas physics espoused in here before I commit certain facts to my hard drive.


yes, I think you absolutely do need to be able to do that.

 

[Willie]

Oh, brother...I screwed that up, didn't I? Good thing I didn't try to dial 811!

Must be that faulty BP/W you have.

Willie