Scuba diver dies after being found floating at Kurnell, NSW, Australia

[AfterDark]

In other words divers should know what they are doing. On the doubles, I dive ID's and some of the guys I dive with dive MD's so one of us having to bring up another diver similarly equipped is a possibility. I op'ed for a lift bag rather than dual bladders.

 

[Crass3000]

I still hate people thinking this is a buddy thing. I guess you are right in some sense but I like to dive solo and It seems Marcia did to. Strange this happened. I guess I have never dove a drysuit though. Sounds like there were quite a few things that went wrong. Solo diving had nothing to do with it although she should have had a pony.

 

[AfterDark]

I still hate people thinking this is a buddy thing. I guess you are right in some sense but I like to dive solo and It seems Marcia did to. Strange this happened. I guess I have never dove a drysuit though. Sounds like there were quite a few things that went wrong. Solo diving had nothing to do with it although she should have had a pony.

Well back at ya. how crass. It's more than a buddy thing, however a buddy might have been able to help. I've been solo diving for many years. When I dive with a buddy I try not dive solo.

 

[Crass3000]

Yah I have been trying to help my mom get balanced. I have spent the whole summer trying and she's just getting it. The summer was a drag.

---------- Post added October 15th, 2013 at 01:36 AM ----------

Well back at ya. how crass. It's more than a buddy thing, however a buddy might have been able to help. I've been solo diving for many years. When I dive with a buddy I try not dive solo.

I have had a drag of a year trying to get my mom diving, Starting to do pretty well though

 

[DandyDon]

I still hate people thinking this is a buddy thing. I guess you are right in some sense but I like to dive solo and It seems Marcia did to. Strange this happened. I guess I have never dove a drysuit though. Sounds like there were quite a few things that went wrong. Solo diving had nothing to do with it although she should have had a pony.

I don't use my pony in 10 foot deep water.

I'm not clear on what buddy arrangements might have been made. Most of my diving is in loose groups and I take full responsibility for my solo diving. It does sound like this was more of a group dive, but they did try to watch over her.

I remember one of my many negative experiences with arranged buddies. We were diving a broken wreck in the Florida Keys and when I looked around - I couldn't find him! There were many places he could have ducked, and I had no idea where to look. Finally he showed up. In later discussion I shared my worries and his reply was "Oh, I could see you okay," like that would help me help him if needed. Nowadays I try to avoid buddy diving, but if it's requested - we have the Together Talk.

 

[Crass3000]

I don't use my pony in 10 foot deep water.
.

I certainly can understand but now that I have got used to using a pony it just so easy to dive and should be normal. You need to be able to protect yourself.

---------- Post added October 15th, 2013 at 02:02 AM ----------

I use my pony and practice with it any time I can. These depths are really the depths that you should practice with.

 

[DevonDiver]

I still hate people thinking this is a buddy thing. I guess you are right in some sense but I like to dive solo and It seems Marcia did to. ....although she should have had a pony.

Failure of the buddy system does not constitute a solo dive. Mark Powell's lecture on solo diving raises this very issue.

As you mention, if this were planned and prepared as a solo dive, then Marcia would have possessed equipment (esp gas redundancy) that could have saved her life... Gas redundancy is a mandatory feature on all solo/self-reliant courses.

---------- Post added October 15th, 2013 at 03:11 PM ----------

I don't use my pony in 10 foot deep water...

Perhaps the lesson to be learnt is; you should.

 

[Diver0001]

Interesting how this unfolding in discussions. From using unfamiliar gear, not heeding advice from experienced local divers, decided to descend again with low on air to what 13 meters, choosing to ignore or leave buddies, not ditching weight. Time to eat some humble pie and leave your ego at the door reminder for seasoned diver pros and divers. Glad i've never taken the light ribbing for my 55 pound wing for my steel doubles to heart. Its big, its pink, it floats my rig...

At the end of the dive she redescended to 3 metres, which is the depth at which she was found.

The photograph was taken at 13 metres, a little earlier in the dive.

R..

 

[DandyDon]

Perhaps the lesson to be learnt is; you should.

Please explain why? One would not have filled the empty dry suit as needed in this case.

Anyone can CESA from 10-15 feet as long as s/he is not overweighted and/or is prepared to abandon kit. It would have solved nothing in this case.

 

[DevonDiver]

Please explain why?

Really? On this thread?

Oh.. okay... because we can't breath water. That's a universal constant when submerged, regardless of depth.

One would not have filled the empty dry suit as needed in this case.

Gas is time. Time is life.

If Marcia had been trapped on the bottom and yet hand sufficient gas for another 10-15 minutes.... might the outcome have been different?

More time for a rescuer to arrive?

More time to stop-think-act-resolve?

It would have solved nothing in this case.

I think you're overlooking the 'time' element. It's critical.