Seattle Water Taxi crew rescues scuba diver

[ScubaNurse758]

TSandM, just curious, did you work on the diver or just have knowledge of the situation? I hope everything goes well and he's able to make a full recovery.

Jordan.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Kirby is a trimix diver also and I know it is hard to see his dive format, yet he has a chance to make it for his type of diving. the helium obligations are more intense when blown. Years ago garrett an tech instructor had a new weezle undergarmet and could not release air quik enough, he waved to his bride to be and when he surfaced and at boat launch, met rescue, made to chamber and then it was over immediately.

Kirbys style is a safe diving practice, I hope he makes it as he and I are the only ones that dive this way in the area that I know of, although I have done it way longer, and my close calls never put me in a coma, it can happen. But I am counting on a speedy recovery from his profile that is shown. and by speedy in this condition is to live a normal life how ever long it takes. Although taxi captain found him, as a solo diver he made it to the surface, so Kirby was in control as this terrible tragedy set in.

Good luck Kirby


Happy Diving

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Kirby is a trimix diver also and I know it is hard to see his dive format, yet he has a chance to make it for his type of diving. the helium obligations are more intense when blown. Years ago garrett an tech instructor had a new weezle undergarmet and could not release air quik enough, he waved to his bride to be and when he surfaced and at boat launch, met rescue, made to chamber and then it was over immediately.

Kirbys style is a safe diving practice, I hope he makes it as he and I are the only ones that dive this way in the area that I know of, although I have done it way longer, and my close calls never put me in a coma, it can happen. But I am counting on a speedy recovery from his profile that is shown. and by speedy in this condition is to live a normal life how ever long it takes. Although taxi captain found him, as a solo diver he made it to the surface, so Kirby was in control as this terrible tragedy set in.

Good luck Kirby


Happy Diving

I don't think you're correct ... AFAIK, Kirby does not dive trimix. He was diving air on this particular dive.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[VooDooGasMan]

This is not kirby pollard from buckley, if it is he has said he was IANTD trimix certified. and read my post bob, It clearly states he was not diving helium.


Happy Diving

 

[openmindOW]

NWgrateful, thank you for providing the background information. My best wishes for a full and speedy recovery for the gentleman.

I, for one, was wondering about a dive team; I suspect others wondered as well. you answered that question.

Based on NWgrateful's post, this diver will, I predict, be criticized on this Board.

Let's remember that there is a living person there. Critcism is okay. Overly harsh criticism? Well, let's try to be nice.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Kirby is undeserving of criticism on this board ... he may make choices I wouldn't make, but that's his right to do so.

FWIW - Kirby is the diver who found another friend, Chad, while doing a solo dive at 205 FSW a couple years back. Were it not for Kirby, Chad's parents may not ever have had the closure of being able to see their son's body and say good-bye in a way that let them move on with life.

I wouldn't dive as he does. That's irrelevent. This is a good person ... someone who loves to dive ... and someone who, although many of us worried that he would eventually end up getting hurt, never endangered anyone else with his choices.

I respect him for that ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Brendon]

It's funny how when a friend or someone we know gets hurt we can some how justify the dive they were doing. Maybe not agree with, but just accept how they dive. Yet other times when its someone we don't know, we crucify them here on the board. I have seen first hand both sides of that coin... I don't know this diver, I can say looking at the previous posts that I know people who dive like this or outside the "Norm". That I just accept how they dive, not agree with... I personally have dove some radical, strange and dangerous dive profiles... I would never recommend it or condone it. We got to where we are at today by alot of random, radical, dangerous dive profiles. Alot of mistakes have been made and many people have lost their lives doing so. I for one at this point in my life choose to learn by mistakes that have already been made and not repeat them for myself. There really is no purpose for me to dive outside the "Norm" these days, or take on a dive that would really push my ability in the water I.E decompression dives or deep air dives. IMO the more you push the better you get and the more likely you are to reduce the amount of diving you do before you expire. For me the risk does not out weigh the benefit. Most of us who have done this type of diving could not have been persuaded otherwise. So excepting those who dive the way they do really is the only option, taking into account that they are at least trying to do it in a safe matter. If it was a novice diver doing something completely outside of their training ability and I was certain that it would have a tragic outcome I would do my best to stop it from happening including dragging them back to shore. With that said what people do on their own time, is unfortunately their right to do so in most cases (IN TERMS OF DIVING)... There are no scuba police, so there is really no way to stop a determined diver from doing anything. My best wishes to him and his family.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Brendon, diving deep air is a safer bet when you need to come to the surface in a hurry and there is no deco chamber on vessel above. If you are not experienced in diving with helium then you can be lost in how it works for deco of the two. Narcosis is a tolerant sensation you can learn to adapt and think rationally.

NW never answered, if it is Kirby Pollard he dives the steel 100's, with a diverite plate and a rec wing, which is very low drag and works the best, I have several wings and it is just right. the other is kirby uses Scubapro twin jet fins, which can kick you to the surface with the least amount of effort, which means a whole lot if you have no air to spare.

Although it is mentioned he retired from fire dept, Kirby is a US army special forces, retired, he was a fireman after that , I was not aware he retired there also. Kirby is only a few years older than I, like I wanna say 50 now. He has did his studying and knows he can go down and do his dive in a short amount of time with less work. How ever he picked it up he is a very knowledgeable person to have experience the diving he does.

So Brendon this was an accident that happen, not a diver who was in over there head, and Kirby had training of survival long before the diving world.

So hope that helps clear up what kind of person this diver was.


Happy Diving

 

[elmer fudd]

I've run into Kirby twice before. The first time we just saw him on the surface as we were preparing to descend. We were on the Lobster Shop Wall and I think the general consensus was, "dang, someone's doing this solo!". Others might disagree with me, but IMO, the Lobster Shop Wall is a deep, dark, freaky dive even when you are with buddies and going no deeper than 130'.

A few months later we ran into him at the Old Town Dock. He showed me his profile on his computer after his dive and he had maxed out at 205'. At the time I asked him about his gas mix and he told me that while he was trimix certified, he generally dove on air. He said he liked the narcosis.

He was a really friendly guy and gave us a lot of information about things we had missed at some other dive sites. He's a guy who knows where wrecks are located that no one else has even heard about. You couldn't pay me enough to dive like he does, (my own opinion is that it's dangerous as all get out), but I think he knew exactly what he was doing and the risks involvedl, so I'm not going to fault him for it either. Some people like mountain climbing or motorcycle racing, Kirby likes deep air solo diving.

 

[Crush]

Kirby is undeserving of criticism on this board ... he may make choices I wouldn't make, but that's his right to do so.

I'll save my criticisms for DMs with a lifetime total 100 dives who signal for new divers to not surface and stay with the group after those divers indicate that they are low on air.