jywemsguy
New
I spent the weekend at Mermet Springs completing some work on my advanced open water course, and during a night dive, I managed to put myself into a very scary situation.
My buddy and I were on a night dive, playing around the 727 they have sunk there. Feeling quite adventuous, I decided we should enter the cargo hold through the opening on the underside of the plane. My buddy followed me in through the opening, and we kicked up the visibility so bad I could barely see my gauges in front of my mask. My dive light made the situation look like a zero-visibilty sand storm or something... In any case, not being able to see, stuck in an aircraft aluminum hold, not knowing where the exit was was a little nerve racking. The worst part about it was they were playing country music over the water speakers.
Though process:
1. I am not dying to country music
2. Calm down, or you're gonna suck your tank dry.
3. Check your air: 1500 psi. Got some time...
4. Can't see, but you know how a 727 is designed. Use your head, use your hands, and find that damn exit.
5. This is taking way too long...
6. You're an idiot for coming in here without a line.
7. Found it!
In hindsight, while this wasn't anywhere near as dangerous/extreme as being stuck in some 13 deck wreck in 100ft of water, it was my first experience of it's kind(low to no vis, one exit out of an otherwise closed environment). I'm not proud of the stupid mistakes that I know I shouldn't have made, but I'm pleased with the way I handled my escape.
Lessons learned:
1. Use a reel Use a reel Use a reel
2. Make a plan before you go willy nilly into such an environment.
3. Find a buddy who knows how to use a non-silting kick.
Edit: Forgot the whole point of this post. I'd like to hear some other people tell us about their first major screw-up in the water. The best lessons are the really hard ones.
My buddy and I were on a night dive, playing around the 727 they have sunk there. Feeling quite adventuous, I decided we should enter the cargo hold through the opening on the underside of the plane. My buddy followed me in through the opening, and we kicked up the visibility so bad I could barely see my gauges in front of my mask. My dive light made the situation look like a zero-visibilty sand storm or something... In any case, not being able to see, stuck in an aircraft aluminum hold, not knowing where the exit was was a little nerve racking. The worst part about it was they were playing country music over the water speakers.
Though process:
1. I am not dying to country music
2. Calm down, or you're gonna suck your tank dry.
3. Check your air: 1500 psi. Got some time...
4. Can't see, but you know how a 727 is designed. Use your head, use your hands, and find that damn exit.
5. This is taking way too long...
6. You're an idiot for coming in here without a line.
7. Found it!
In hindsight, while this wasn't anywhere near as dangerous/extreme as being stuck in some 13 deck wreck in 100ft of water, it was my first experience of it's kind(low to no vis, one exit out of an otherwise closed environment). I'm not proud of the stupid mistakes that I know I shouldn't have made, but I'm pleased with the way I handled my escape.
Lessons learned:
1. Use a reel Use a reel Use a reel
2. Make a plan before you go willy nilly into such an environment.
3. Find a buddy who knows how to use a non-silting kick.
Edit: Forgot the whole point of this post. I'd like to hear some other people tell us about their first major screw-up in the water. The best lessons are the really hard ones.
