Surviving Monastery Beach Diving Video Snippet

[DocWong]

Great video. Thanks for posting this for the safety of the general public. Is the safer way to experience this dive from the Boston Whaler in the background? Hey, that looks a lot like Chuck's boat!

Yep, that was Chuck's boat providing any needed support.

And thanks for all the feedback everyone! We'll definitely expand and do slow motion replays of the different entry and exit methods and definitely do that for the getting tossed section too.

Thanks guys for all the help during the shoot. Looking at the footage, I think one or two more shoots at the beach should give us what we need.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Yep, that was Chuck's boat providing any needed support.

With 20-20 hindsight, I'm not sure what support I could have provided. If something
happened in the surfline, I can't get in there (that would just end up with 1500 pounds
of Boston Whaler on top of someone). Maybe if the swells came up WAY WAY more than any
forecast hinted at, I could have picked up those caught in the water, and swam away
from the beach, and then deliver them to Whaler's Cove or South Monastery or all the
way back to the Breakwater.

All in all, it was fun to watch Doc get rolled (with lots of support) and then go do a dive
with Doc.

Doc really wasn't in the middle of the beach. He was just a little towards the center
of where the North Monastery kelp bed ends. That was good enough to roll him good.

BTW, I've never dived Monastery from the Whaler. I've looked at it a couple of times
and decided NO. And I've anchored in the shallows for lunch a few times, with a
weather eye on the distance to the beach.

 

[Thalassamania]

The signs are great and are, IMHO, the biggest contribution. The video will help also. I do have a few comments on what I saw:

1. Let the diver (in this case Doc) take off his own fins and tank.
2. MOF, regardless of where you come down on that discussion, is inappropriate at Monastery, pull the mask down around the neck as you exit.
3. Regulator in/Regulator out is a real issue. There is the danger of drowning vs the danger of embolism ... both have happened. If a diver is comfortable with a minute of so of breath hold, snorkel in the mouth is a better solution. If a diver is not comfortable with a 30 second hold, it'd better be regulator. In-between ... I don't know.
4. A clear warning against entering with a buddy should be issued.

In support of snorkel in the mouth I will say that I once got tumbled there on a big day and the only reason that I did not loose my mask was the firm grip of my teeth on my snorkel. Just something to consider ... I know a lot of folks don't know how to use snorkels any more and as a result have trouble using a snorkel with a long hose, we discussed that in another thread.

I'm not trying to open any of those issues up here, this project is too important, so let's confine that to their own threads. I'm just suggesting that there be a diversity of approach that stresses diver self-evaluation and self-knowledge.

 

[blewgrass]

BTW, I've never dived Monastery from the Whaler. I've looked at it a couple of times and decided NO

That's good to know. In another thread, I'll try to hit you guys up for Novice level dive sites I could do in a Boston Whaler skiff (with experienced dive buddy of course!). I have paid attention to Chuck's site on anchor, tank storage, and general dive boat setup. The gas prices will probably make my boat trips rare, and likely midweek due to parking.

Steve

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I think it is a worthwhile project. However the value of this clip is marginal because it is not narrated well. It indicates there will be multiple divers, there were not. The diver seems to do a good job getting in the water and then just freezes and stops swimming and lets the longshore current carry him and then the waves wash him in. Then, it appears to me, that the diver did a decent job of getting back out and onto the beach, although the vigorousness of the crawling seemed excessive and appeared to be close to the work capacity of the diver. He appeared to have little reserve left to rescue his (non-existant) buddy.

There was no description of when the diver was demonstrating proper technique versus when the transition was made to deliberate screwing up and getting washed in. A better narratve of before and then especially during the event will help make the lesson much clearer.

A warning against doing a vertical roll (which can break your neck) or atleast tucking in a roll would seem to be essential.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Haha, I dove there before and that is exactly how it's done....good job.

 

[DocWong]

You're comments are perfect! The final version, besides a lot more material will include a voice-over narration during the dive sequences that will answer those questions.

Doc

Big Mahalo for sharing this. Would really like to see the other, as many variety you can get. Nothing like a video vs written description of how to enter exit surf. Any way to film from along side?

Less zooming in and out, keep the camera on the diver.

Some form of rating the surf or condition the shot is videoed. Pretty good is nebulous, a number perhaps? This is a 2 hazard day with surf at 6’ and regular…just something more of a reference point to compare with what is happening at another time.

I wish I could hear the conversation going on before you came up to the mike. And wouldn’t mind a narrative of what an experienced (with the situation) diver doing a blow by blow along with the action. My questions included: Why turn and enter now? Dove on the opportunity, it didn’t matter, waiting for X, Y and Z to be in the right place. Is he hanging out there now, trying to come in but needed the surf to cooperate? Was there a point and how determined when to make a move or ya just deal with what happens? When does the excitement begin, when know everything is cool? See, that's getting rolled. Looks like ok by now but is not yet, doesn’t know what is happening behind and still getting clear or, saw that coming see, and reacting by…

The voice of what happened was great. As a diver completely unfamiliar with that type of entrance and exit I want all the details. Ie. Watching in and out looked very easy, I had no clue mask was flooded, it was a challenge, didn’t ‘see’ getting tossed…I mean it looked like a piece of cake. Help me understand what I’m seeing indicates – because I’m obviously wrong. It looked exciting to me, or I’d be concerned, but you made it look like no big deal.

I want to see all, everything, the good bad and the ugly.

Oh! Reading along it appears I’ve mis-heard you. This was a very dangerous day? I think you might want to be very clear about that for twits like me.

 

[DocWong]

Great video Doc. Glad we could have been apart of it, even though I was only on photography detail! It was informative and very educational to be on site that day, and I look forward to SAFELY diving Monastery in the future! Kudos on the good start!

- oh, very professional entry into the video. I like the transitions.

Micboucher writes: That was a really calm day at Monastery. He did the entry in the middle of the beach (where you would normally stay away from) just to have some waves for demonstration purposes.

Great video Doc! I can't wait to see the finished product.

Thanks Michelle and Sara for coming out and helping, you guys were awesome!

We still need to go thru all the footage and then we'll have a much better idea of what other shots we need.

I know we'll need some very easy ankle biter days for entrys and exits to contrast the day we shot.

 

[DocWong]

The signs are great and are, IMHO, the biggest contribution. The video will help also. I do have a few comments on what I saw:

1. Let the diver (in this case Doc) take off his own fins and tank.
   
   Why?
   
2. MOF, regardless of where you come down on that discussion, is inappropriate at Monastery, pull the mask down around the neck as you exit.
   
   I think you should just keep your mask on until you get out of the water. Why take your mask off at all?
   
3. Regulator in/Regulator out is a real issue. There is the danger of drowning vs the danger of embolism ... both have happened. If a diver is comfortable with a minute of so of breath hold, snorkel in the mouth is a better solution. If a diver is not comfortable with a 30 second hold, it'd better be regulator. In-between ... I don't know.
   
   That's a tough one. I think most divers getting tossed will panic and suck in water if they had a snorkle in their mouths. An experienced diver can probably do it either way I'm sure.
   
   Though, I know of no incidences at Monastery where anyone has gotten embolized, only drowned.
   
   
4. A clear warning against entering with a buddy should be issued.
   
   During the Monastery Panel Discusson, they were pretty divided on buddy vrs no buddy as there are pluses and minus to each way.
   
   I personally don't want to be hanging onto anyone or the other way around when entering against a wave.
   

In support of snorkel in the mouth I will say that I once got tumbled there on a big day and the only reason that I did not loose my mask was the firm grip of my teeth on my snorkel. Just something to consider ... I know a lot of folks don't know how to use snorkels any more and as a result have trouble using a snorkel with a long hose, we discussed that in another thread.

I'm not trying to open any of those issues up here, this project is too important, so let's confine that to their own threads. I'm just suggesting that there be a diversity of approach that stresses diver self-evaluation and self-knowledge.

Cool, thanks for you input!

 

[DocWong]

dumpsterDiver writes:

>>>I think it is a worthwhile project. However the value of this clip is marginal because it is not narrated well. It indicates there will be multiple divers, there were not.<<<<

You've come into this without the fore knowledge of the actual scope of the project. This is just a very small and incomplete and rough small part of the entire video. There will be voice-over explaining exactly those points.

>>>>The diver seems to do a good job getting in the water and then just freezes and stops swimming <<<<

That's because I was safely out of the crash zone and can easily continue out to go on a regular dive. Not freezing, but relaxing and giving the signal that I'm ok and now I'm going to let myself drift into the crash zone and get tumbled. Yes, you would'nt' want to do this on purpose.

>>>and lets the longshore current carry him and then the waves wash him in. >>>>>

Of course, that was the whole point.

>>>Then, it appears to me, that the diver did a decent job of getting back out and onto the beach, although the vigorousness of the crawling seemed excessive and appeared to be close to the work capacity of the diver. He appeared to have little reserve left to rescue his (non-existant) buddy.>>>>

You roll your ass Monastery, get churned in the water and realize just how dangerous it is to get rolled and I'm willing to bet that you'll crawl out even faster and keep going till you get to SF. :mooner:

>>>There was no description of when the diver was demonstrating proper technique versus when the transition was made to deliberate screwing up and getting washed in. A better narratve of before and then especially during the event will help make the lesson much clearer.<<<

Of course. see above.

<<<A warning against doing a vertical roll (which can break your neck) or atleast tucking in a roll would seem to be essential.>>>

Actually that's a good one. I purposefully rolled parallel to the beach to avoid getting face planted in the water. I'm not sure of the value of putting that in, because no one gettiing rolled at Monastery intends to do so and by the time that happens I think they are out of control, so you end up the way you end up.