Safety Stand Down - Power SCUBA - San Diego CA

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Mr powers isn't a dive shop it's a Meetup group. He notorious for partying then diving the next day, as is his group. Yes every diver is responsible for their actions. But when the same group keeps having accidents it's hard to ignore.

I stand corrected, thank you. With regards to the pre-dive partying, if true, I don't think that is unique to this particular group, but it could certainly increase the risk of a diving accident.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Altamira]

"One of our club members was driving under influence and crashed his car. We suggest that all club members refrain from driving for a week to reflect on that unfortunate event". Looks like a bit of an overreaction and unnecessary drama to me.

Sorry, but your's is a pretty silly analogy. Don't underestimate the value of a safety stand down in the aftermath of a series of accidents or incidents. If you have ever been assigned to a military fighter wing, you would know those stand downs help re-focus attention and identify ways to do things better and more safely. From my experiences, a safety stand down is neither overreaction or unnecessary drama.

 

[tilikum]

This isn't the military though. It's a hodge podge group of divers getting together on weekends meet ups. If I had a meet up cancelled due to the stand down, I would likely find another person to dive with and ignore it.

 

[Altamira]

Yes, I am perfectly aware that dive group is not a military organization, But, are your saying that a group of divers can't benefit from a stand down to discuss the group's attitude, diving and party culture, and how things can be done more safely? FWIW, I doubt there is a more "fly hard, party hard" group of folks than military pilots, and what works for them might just help a group of hodge podge divers.

 

[tilikum]

While the sentiment is valid, in practice the meet up group members are going to most likely going to just go dive with someone else.

 

[bud bond]

The following message was posted to the Power SCUBA meetup mailing list this morning. I'm passing it along with the permission of the author and operator of the meetup.

Personally, I like this kind of message; it reminds us that complacency is dangerous in our sport, and gives some focus for reflection on our diving habits, skills and risks.

-----------------------------
Folks,

Effectively immediately, for the next five days, Power Scuba will go into a voluntary Safety Stand-Down. All Organizers are asked to forgo hosting events and diving until 0700 on Saturday morning. Member are also asked to voluntarily not dive until Saturday and instead reflect and refocus on the various aspects of safety that surround our sport.

This past weekend, for the second time in less than two months, a member has gotten bent while on a Power Scuba boat trip. At least one of the instances was entirely preventable.

Our goal is not to embarrass anyone or make them feel bad. Rather, it is through the sharing of info and the telling of the story that others will learn and this avoid similar situations.

Our latest chamber-riding member, made two dives to a wreck in the 95-115 fsw range. Well-within the recreational limit, depths he'd dove before, no deco, and with an hour+ of surface interval between dives. During his surface interval after the second dive he became violently ill over the side of the boat and stated he didn't feel good. It was revealed he'd been drinking heavily the night before and had less than 4 hours of sleep. He passed a five-minute neuro check with flying colors, but to be safe he was put on O2 and asked to drink water while he was being monitored. The signs he was exhibiting were those of a classic hangover and sea sickness.

By the time the boat returned to the dock, the member was feeling only marginally better and stated he didn't feel like he could walk off the boat to get himself on dry land. Then, again, just to be safe, Baywatch and City Paramedics were called. They quickly decided they would transport him to Emergency Services where he was kept overnight and given chamber rides. He shared the doctor had informed him he had received a "serious hit".

I've deliberately left details out of this account as it's not my intention to share a full Accident Report with you.

The main take-away from this, then, is:

THERE IS NO BUTTON ON YOUR COMPUTER TO TELL IT YOU HAVE RISK FACTORS FOR THE BENDS. Some of those risk factors are:

1. Serious drinking the night before, resulting in the number one risk factor for a hit... DEHYDRATION. Any tech instructor (and most recreational instructors) will tell you that you MUST be well hydrated when diving... and drinking a cup of water after a night of binge drinking ain't gonna cut it.
2. Age - The more you're on the plus side of 50, the more this risk factor increases.
3. Being cold/cold water
4. Smoker
5. Fitness level/elevated body fat %
6. Pre-existing Injury or illness - Can affect normal circulation
7. Exercise - <12 hours after dive and (many now think) BEFORE DIVE as well
8. Diving like an idiot

"But, but, but... I dove well, didn't violate my computer, and didn't go into deco, yet I still got hit."

Here me well on this, folks: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UNDESERVED HIT. You may not know why you got hit (you may never find out), but there's always a reason. The PC crowd now wants to change "undeserved hit" to "unanticipated hit"... for the reason I just stated. Well, to my thinking, MOST hits are unanticipated. In my world, a hit is a hit is a hit.View attachment 419597

Doesn't mean the diver isn't a good person. Both of our recent cases are, but KNOWING that a hit can come out of the virtual blue, doesn't that then behoove us all to dive just a little more conservatively? I think it does.

• Don't push the limits... and if you do, give yourself MORE STOP TIME, than your computer sez you need. That three minute safety stop? Make it six+.
• Doing a recreational deep dive (100-130)? Throw some deep stops into the equation.
• Don't always butt up against the NDL limits of your computer.
• Don't set your computer to the liberal mode... ever.
• Sometimes, breath Nitrox on an air table (while obeying your MOD of course).

This email to you should see me acting in my role as head cheerleader. I have upcoming events I want to tell you about. Instead, I'm launching us into a safety stand-down for the next five days. You, our member, are worth the diversion. You're worth my time. Your safety is worth Power Scuba's attention.

Power Scuba prides itself on being more safety conscious than the average club or org... and yet here we are.

Let us all... ALL OF US... think about what our dedication to safety REALLY is in this sport and whether or not we're just paying it (safety) a bit of lip service.

Every morning this week, through Friday, I'll send you all a safety-oriented email or article link. Please give them your consideration, share the info, and help us to help you all be safe.

Yours,



Bill Powers

Power Scuba President

www.powerscuba.org

Power Scuba has a long history of unsafe diving practices. I am former member and have in the past been appalled at the behavior of some of the members. The group crashed our boat in Palau after I warned of unsafe operation. it quickly covered up. this comment will be removed because it is negative and some how the group manages to remove all negative comments.

 

[Altamira]

While the sentiment is valid, in practice the meet up group members are going to most likely going to just go dive with someone else.

For a safety stand down to be successful, you have to have a group of intelligent, open minded individuals that are willing to actively listen, discuss, and embrace changes to operational procedures and group culture to improve safety. If those components are not present, they might just as well be mud wrestling with a pig.

 

[tilikum]

And I believe they are doing exactly that. Human nature is such that people do not like being told what to do especially when it comes to a voluntary recreational activity. If I had a dive planned this weekend and my meet up group cancelled, I am going to find another partner to dive with and continue as planned.

 

[paccoastgal]

For a safety stand down to be successful, you have to have a group of intelligent, open minded individuals that are willing to actively listen, discuss, and embrace changes to operational procedures and group culture to improve safety. If those components are not present, they might just as well be mud wrestling with a pig.

But they ARE mud wrestling with a pig!

 

[drrich2]

Deserved vs. undeserved implies a moral judgment, in the case of the former that the person acted in a wrongful (a.k.a. foolish, unduly risky, dangerous, outside community standards) way. To claim there's no such thing as an underserved hit then try to rationalize that as justified because every hit has some sort of underlying cause seems to me to not work logically. I applaud to effort to bring attention to legitimate safety issues, but dislike over-the-top word games based on bad logic.

You can get a hit diving within NDLs, hydrated and well-rested. Very unlikely, but possible. Implying those so affected 'deserved' it is wrong.

Richard.