Yes. Again we have no information beyond what's already been said here but the reason this really resonates with me is it's sort of my worst nightmare. The thermocline is shocking, and the vis can be so bad, I've always had a great deal of sympathy for people who panic here on their first dive or just can't complete the course (and usually get a referral to clear water).
Training Scuba Ranch TX Diving Accident
- Thread starter divezonescuba
- Start date
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100% not speculating on conditions being the cause in this case. More generalizing on using sites like this for OW training when even setting aside the risk aspect, provides new-to-scuba folks a, frankly, horrible first experience that can lead to a lack of interest in pursuing diving post OW. I seem to recall the biggest struggle in the industry being converting OW graduates into regular/life-long divers due to lack of confidence due to poor training in OW class or negative first experiences.
I don't teach OW much for a variety of reasons, but the last one I did I talked them into the 7.5 hour drive to spend the weekend around Vortex/Morrison. Does the cold suck? Sure, but the comfort level and stress reduction to the students just being able to see the bottom, surface, me, buddy, etc at all times makes for a much safer and better experience, IMO.
I want to point out that the WRSTC open water training standards require that students in the water be directly supervised by the instructor or a certified assistant at all times (except for the underwater navigation skill on dive #4). Were you in sight of the instructor or a DM throughout these dives?
texfox98
New
To the best of my knowledge yes. I felt like our instructors did a great job in terms of safety - there were 2 dive masters for our pool class for 6 people, in the lake we had probably 6 or 7 dive masters or assistants for 12 people total. Maybe more - there were a lot of new people. I have zero complaints on that. And when I say I had no idea where I was, I didn’t, but I knew where an instructor was and they knew what they were doing. It was still terrifying to be in a 3D/360 degree situation where if I got more than 8 feet or so away from my daughter she would disappear from my sight and I would have NO idea how to find her. I felt like she was pretty confident in her skills and would surface if she was lost - she stayed calm during all the training and responded well to issues when they came up, so I didn’t think she was any more of a risk than most adults and probably less than a lot. We even had a dive master with us on dive #4 the whole time. But yeah, the visibility was scary to me.
Not throwing shade on anyone from this past weekend or any other time in any way, but I want to learn as much as I can as fast as I can. I AM new, but it’s been a life long dream (I’m 46) and I love it even more than I expected to. I understand why someone would be like a dive bum and make just enough money to eat and dive all the time. We did our training then went on a dive trip, and I’ve been using my free time the last ten days to research future dive trips, try to plan outings to practice and build my skills, especially navigation right now, and doing pre reading on AOW and the options for that. I dream diving at night. I’ve never in my life been so driven to do something.
Flatline
Registered
Well he is toast. Welcome to the illness.
Were you in a group of 12 students in the water? Or was it divided into smaller groups?
Also are you counting Instructors in that “6 or 7” or were they additional? Instructors are different than dive masters.
I’m interested in the number of Students, Instructors and Divemasters or other assistants in the group you were together with in the water.
mcohen1021
Contributor
Following....
Ive been to SR once, almost 15 yrs ago. I'm not saying the vis was good, but it was significantly better than what I get doing anchor work @ Marine Creek.
Tragic loss, condolences the the family.
Ive been to SR once, almost 15 yrs ago. I'm not saying the vis was good, but it was significantly better than what I get doing anchor work @ Marine Creek.
Tragic loss, condolences the the family.
OP
"...we had probably 6 or 7 dive masters or assistants..."
There is a difference for ratio purposes.
Each certified assistant (another instructor, assistant instructors or divemasters) adds 2 students each up to a total of 2 certified assistants for 4 additional students beyond the instructors 8 student limit.
So, the absolute maximum of "students" is 12. However, this can be clouded because anybody else as an "assistant" who is not an instructor, assistant instructor, divemaster or divemaster candidate, adds to the student count toward the maximum of 12 (with 2 divemasters) or a maximum of 8 (with no divemasters). This would include non-assistant instructor, non-divemaster or non-divemaster candidate parents or certified friends.
Divemaster candidates do not count toward increasing the ratio, but also do not count as a student.
There is a difference for ratio purposes.
Each certified assistant (another instructor, assistant instructors or divemasters) adds 2 students each up to a total of 2 certified assistants for 4 additional students beyond the instructors 8 student limit.
So, the absolute maximum of "students" is 12. However, this can be clouded because anybody else as an "assistant" who is not an instructor, assistant instructor, divemaster or divemaster candidate, adds to the student count toward the maximum of 12 (with 2 divemasters) or a maximum of 8 (with no divemasters). This would include non-assistant instructor, non-divemaster or non-divemaster candidate parents or certified friends.
Divemaster candidates do not count toward increasing the ratio, but also do not count as a student.
texfox98
New
There were two groups of students from 2 different locations in our large group. Our small group was 5, and I think the other was six but not positive. The two groups mostly trained separately but in the same area. I know for sure who the two dive masters were for the two separate groups, but I do not know how many extra helper people there were watching, exactly - in my head I can clearly remember 4, and I’m not sure how many were DMs and how many were helpers.
OMyMyOHellYes
Contributor
In the lakes in this part of the world, viz in the summer approaches 1, often -0- meters. ISYN. One lake it is stirred up silt (Athens - they chemically nuke the water so nothing will grow there). At Scuba Ranch it is algae so thick you could dip it up and spread it on your sammich (if you wanted an algae sammich).
My OW course was at Athens (curse, mumble, mumble grunt...)
I literally could not see the bright yellow flippers on the end of my legs. They would take each diver down one by one as that's all they could see, and it had to be within a couple of feet to get that. You demonstrated the skills, popped back up after maybe five minutes, and the next diver went down with the instructor. These locations are challenging because of that. And the themoclines, particularly at SR, yeah. Nasty.
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