Scary dives in Coz last week

[DandyDon]

Don't sound like much fun to me. If I get down that way I think I'll hang around Akumal.

I think this what our modern tourist dive training has done to the industry. "Must dive with a guid"...Sounds like they don't think the average diver is very good.

They get a lot of greenhorns, cruise boat divers, vacation divers, etc. Show them some cert cards, though, and let them see your equipment, and they ease up. After they see you dive, they'll cut you slack. They were treating me like a DM by the 3rd day - well beyond my qualifications!

The Ships have changed the overall atmosphere, though. I'm thinking Amumal, too! :jump013:

 

[AggieDiver]

Not to push an off-topic issue that was discussed earlier, but my PADI Nitrox class indicated that a ppo2 of 1.4 was the max for PLANNING and ppo2 of 1.6 was for CONTINGENCY purposes only. I look at this the same way I would the "contingency" of having 500 psi in my tank when I get back on the boat. Theoretically (and nearly ALL Nitrox diving science is a theroetical exercise), I could probably plan to dive at a ppo2 of 1.6 for some reasonable period of time on a dive (say a trip through Devil's Throat for example). Similarly, I could plan my dives to return with only 100psi in my tank instead of 500psi. However, if something goes wrong on either dive...I have no room for error. If my buddy drops to 150 out the end of Devil's Throat due to some problem...or I am caught in a downcurrent on the wall as I exit the throat, I may very well wind up convulsing before I have the opportunity to overcome the situation and regain control.

You can feel free to plan dives to ppo2's of 1.6 Charlie, but quoting all the books, tables, and exposure rates in the world won't overcome that fact that you are planning dives with no contingency for errors. Suggesting that others could or should follow such a practice is fairly irresponsible in my eyes.

This thread is about a diver who along with her buddy went into a situation that they were not equipped to handle safely. They managed to work their way out of it (Mostly through her calm and intelligent actions under pressure), but it doesn't mean that because they survived it that they should go do it again. I would say that planning a nitrox dive to a ppo2 of 1.6 without a redundant non nitrox air source to bail you out is placing yourself in a situation where you are similarly unequipped to deal with an emergency or unplanned excursion to greater depths.

Maybe I am just cautious by nature, but there is nothing I will get out of the extra couple of minutes bottom time at a given depth that will ever be worth enough for me to intentionally put myself at risk of an underwater convulsion by intentionally diving to a ppo2 of 1.6. I always plan my current dives and anticipate my next one...and I always value the next one too much to take a risk on the current one.

 

[RiverRat]

Not to push an off-topic issue that was discussed earlier, but my PADI Nitrox class indicated that a ppo2 of 1.4 was the max for PLANNING and ppo2 of 1.6 was for CONTINGENCY purposes only.
You can feel free to plan dives to ppo2's of 1.6 Charlie, but quoting all the books, tables, and exposure rates in the world won't overcome that fact that you are planning dives with no contingency for errors.

Very well put AggieDiver. Seems like some folks really push the limits as it's known there is some room for error built into the recommended limits. If I recall, the PADI Nitrox manual explicitly states divers have toxed at or NEAR ppo2 1.6.
That's enough for me to plan at 1.4. If I have to I adjust my mix down a bit to give me a deeper MOD.

 

[MAGELLAN]

WOW! Do you think your buddy was a littel narced on that "check out dive"? I'm planning to go back to cozumel this summer, and I've been reading these trip reports to "get my head in the game". But this is some scary stuff, thanks for posting it, so everyone can be reminded of just how easy it can be to make a fatal mistake, i.e. trusing someone else with your life.

To me, trusting a DM completely is just not an option. Especially since I dive with my wife, I can't "afford" to lose my dive buddy. Honestly, I think it was a little irresponsible to attempt the devil's throat dive after the experience you had the day before.

 

[Web Monkey]

You can trust the DM that any of his/her warnings really are things you should be careful of like: "watch out for the current, don't touch the cute little blue octopus that will kill you", etc.

However, if the DM is doing something that feels wrong or scary, (or you are) it's time to use your own judgement. Nobody is responsible for your life except you.

Terry

To me, trusting a DM completely is just not an option. Especially since I dive with my wife, I can't "afford" to lose my dive buddy. Honestly, I think it was a little irresponsible to attempt the devil's throat dive after the experience you had the day before.

 

[MAGELLAN]

Of, course, you can trust the DM for those things. I only meant to be emphatic, in that you need to think for yourself sometimes. An accident is always your loss, it doesn't matter whose "fault" it is. Remeber a safe dive is a happy dive

 

[hammerhead man]

I would like to know what dive shop you used so that I never use them when I go to Cozumel.

 

[DandyDon]

I would like to know what dive shop you used so that I never use them when I go to Cozumel.

I understand the feeling, but it doesn't actually matter. It was the Dive Guide who was wrong, and any of them can be. Just learn to take care of your own safety.

 

[hammerhead man]

I understand the feeling, but it doesn't actually matter. It was the Dive Guide who was wrong, and any of them can be. Just learn to take care of your own safety.

My concern DandyDon is that others will use that dive shop with the same DM and may be placed in the same unsafe situation. I would hate to see some other new or inexperienced diver suffer a serious injury because they were unaware that the DM was at a particular dive shop. I know that when I was new to diving (and I have not been diving that long) I trusted the DM explicitly because I had complete trust in him/her. They were the experts. I think divers need to be protected from DMs like this guy.

Just my thoughts

 

[DandyDon]

My concern DandyDon is that others will use that dive shop with the same DM and may be placed in the same unsafe situation. I would hate to see some other new or inexperienced diver suffer a serious injury because they were unaware that the DM was at a particular dive shop. I know that when I was new to diving (and I have not been diving that long) I trusted the DM explicitly because I had complete trust in him/her. They were the experts. I think divers need to be protected from DMs like this guy.

Just my thoughts

Understand, and if you look over the last 100+ posts on this, it's been discussed.

(1) Don't do TRUST THE DIVE MASTER dives. Learn what it takes to take care of yourself and your buddy, like she did.

(2) When you leave the US, allow that many safeties we do count on under the USCoastGuard, DOT, etc. are no longer covering us, so we have to be more careful.

Stupid stunts like this can easily happen anywhere on Cozumel, indeed - anywhere, period. Learn, and be on guard, always.