stupid(?) decision still feels right

[erichK]

On one of my Saba dives, Murphy struck with a vengance. Another diver insisted on "helping" with my gear at the last minute. On starting my descent, I felt something go wrong with my trim, and the DM signalled that I'd lost one of my weight pockets. Since the dive from the moored boat was just starting we signalled back and forth that I'd resurface for a weight belt from the boat. I swam to the back of the boat as I surfaced and the boat pilot handed down a belt which I (too!) hurridly adjusted and strapped on, undoing my BC to fit it properly.

I'd kept my buoyancy neutral on ascending because it was simply a matter of finning a few of dozen yards in calm, clear water, and I didn't want to further delay the dive. Thus, I simply had to raise my arms to start my descent, as I was now slightly negative. I signaled the group at the line that I was fine, then suddenly discovered that I could not find my inflator hose to stop my descent and swim over to them. I thought about dropping the belt, but since the sandy bottom was clearly visible about 60 feet below, since I already felt like an idiot, and also because I didn't want to chance damaging one of the scattered coral patches, I spread my body out and finned to slow and guide my descent to a bare, sandy area, as I kept groping for my inflator. I landed gently on my spread out fins, but I still stirred up a cloud.

I breathed deeply and assessed the situation. After unfastening my BC and unwedging the inflator. I buckled up again, checked my regs and instruments, established neutral buoyancy, and looked for the other divers. Between the sand and the sun streaming down, I could detect no sign of them, though the boat was clearly visible above me. Since this plateau was the top of a pinnacle, and I did not know the site, I decided to keep close to the boat and gradually circle around the area, looking for the other divers.

Since I had lots of air and everything was under control, I couldn't resist taking a few snaps of the coral patches I passed. After about ten minutes, I came across my weight pocket sitting on the bottom, and, this time, inserted and buckled it up myself. After another ten minutes and still no sign of the other divers, I did a very slow, controlled ascent to the stern of the boat, still looking for bubbles, and reboarded.

Fifteen minutes later, the group surfaced, and I was roundly berated by the DM for going off on my own to look for my weights and take pictures. Apparently, the group which I'd rushed not to inconvenience had stayed waiting at the line for many minutes after seeing me descend, and then periodically seen my flash go off. I explained what had happened, and that I absolutely could not see them. He was initially skeptical, pointing out that I should simply have ended the dive once I lost contact with the others. I agreed that I may have made the wrong decision, but also pointed out that I'd stayed close to the boat with lots of air and a clear exit strategy and had expected to see the other divers, whom I'd assumed had already gone ahead with their dive (as they eventually did), at any moment. Later, he apologized for his anger, which had come out of his concern, and agreed that I'd done nothing really foolish or dangerous. (On the next dive, I checked everything twice, and stayed within 6 feet of the DM throughout the dive...and missed a lovely shot of a turtle swimming right beside me because I didn't dare take my camera.)

This embarrasing incident highlights some things that happen too often:
1. Others "helping" and thereby interfering with methodical donning and checking--and rechecking-- of gear
2. Risking one's safety and messing up in one's hurry not to inconvenience others,
3. The difficulty of underwater communications, in even minor incidents,
4. That visibility can be tricky, and is not necessarily mutual.
Comments?

 

[dive_lover88]

Maybe you shld have took off your gear and do another check after the other diver had "helped" you.That's what i would do.

 

[partridge]

Also you should have a plan ready for losing your buddy. Normal is search for a minute then surface.

I would have been pissed too. If I were the Dm I would have waited for a minute then surface with the whole group. When you surfaced, we would go on with our dive.

 

[Charlie99]

Problems tend to cascade. Weight pocket loss... leads to hasty weightbelt donning .... leads to no access to inflator .... leads to uncontrolled descent ..... leads to loss of contact with the group. ... leads to you forgetting loss of contact procedures.

The rest of your dive went ok, but you probably should have decided that it wasn't your day and aborted.

Luckily, most of the time I get away with stupid decisions and actions and everything still works out fine. That doesn't mean it was a good decision, though.

 

[miketsp]

At the very least you should have resurfaced and advised the boat crew that you were continuing with a solo dive.
If I were the DM I'd be p****d off too.

 

[Sean C]

According to your post, I can see how you lost sight/contact of/with the group, but how did the group miss you? Any idea? I would think that a group of divers waiting for an individual would be quite attentive. If I saw someone in my group, drop to the bottom, I would be concerned enough to alert a buddy or DM.

When you signaled the group on the line that you were o.k. did they all just swim off or something and not watch?


Not questioning anyone's actions, I would just like to hear from you how this unfolded.

Sean

 

[DennisW]

In your situation, the only thing I would have done differently would be to have told the boat crew that I would be hanging out below the boat since I had lost my group.

However, since I have promised my wife that I will not dive solo, so I would have had to abort the dive.

 

[seafox69]

as a certified scuba diver you are responsible for your self. If something happens after someone helps you then, while they might have messed you up, you should have rechecked your own gear.

NEVER RUSH.

when you lost your weight pocket, didn't you know how much weight was in it? Why would you accept a weight belt that had more(or less) weight than what was in your weight pocket from the boat? NEVER RUSH.

 

[Rick Inman]

Good buddy diving verses group DM diving. One cannot compare with the other.

 

[erichK]

In your situation, the only thing I would have done differently would be to have told the boat crew that I would be hanging out below the boat since I had lost my group.

However, since I have promised my wife that I will not dive solo, so I would have had to abort the dive.

Thanks for your frankness. The only boat crew was the other dive master, acting as pilot, who had handed me the weight belt. I'm trying to decide between a Carter and an OMS surface marker, and a reel or spool, so that I can shuttle up a message in any such a situation. I thought of going up, and in retrospect, should have, but:

1) I felt completely safe. The water was crystal clear, visibility was over 100 feet, in *most* directions (as I found out later, when I discovered that I'd been unable to see the group on the line, diagonally away from and above me.) My early formative diving experiences, decades ago, were in Ontario lakes/quarries so murky that you were often effectively diving alone (even staying at arms length!) made it difficult to feel any anxiety or panic. I guess I'm so used to buddies fading in and out of visibility that I subconsciouly expected the others to appear any minute.

2) I was worried about going up, and down again. I was only at 60 or 70 feet, this time, but this was after several days of Saba diving, some of which had been much deeper. At 56 *slightly* overweight and a bit tired, I wanted to be very careful about ascents and sawtooth profiles.

3) I'll be honest, too. Saba is not a cheap diving destination, and so far, everything had cost much more and been much less special than expected. Simon Walsh of Nature Island Dive (super people!) had taught me what my C5050 could do, the week before, diving in Dominica. I could not resist the opportunity to try a few new things out while I cruised in a big circle, looking for the bubbles of the others, who I thought had already gone below me on one side, and keeping the boat in view an the other.