Swim throughs - what could possibly go wrong?

[Lorenzoid]

My only opportunity to do a "swim through" would be on a vacation. Since vacation diving almost always means diving with people I don't know and whose skill/training level is unknown to me I do not do swim throughs (at least not anymore). I had one unfortunate incident in Devil's Throat that woke me up to the fact that, despite my training/equipment and confidence, there were other people in front of me and behind me capable of doing something (or not doing something) that could get me killed. If a swim through is on the agenda I politely and assertively tell the dive leader that I will follow the group's bubble stream and meet them at the exit.

Same here. RTee mentioned in a post above that "company" should be a factor in the decision whether to do a swim-through, and I totally agree. I might reach a different decision when I am with a group of unknown divers than I would if it were just the DM, my trusted dive buddy (generally that's my wife) and me. This is probably the biggest factor in why my dive buddy and I will generally choose to go around Cozumel swim-throughs that the rest of the DM-led group enter.

 

[victorzamora]

Kind of like doing a degree in engineering when all you want to do is build a house.

No, that's NOT an accurate analogy. It's like saying you need a degree in engineering to design and build a house on your own, in every aspect. Getting an engineering degree to build a house is like getting Full Cave to watch a cavern video. It's simply wrong.

To build on Lynne's example: diving HP130 when all you need is an AL80 will just make you more comfortable. The key part is "until something goes wrong." All you need is OW or AOW training "until something goes wrong." When (not if) something goes wrong, you'll want the safety cushion.

"If something goes tits up, don't count on rising to the occasion. You will fall to what you have truly mastered." (PfcAJ)

 

[Foxfish]

My only opportunity to do a "swim through" would be on a vacation. Since vacation diving almost always means diving with people I don't know and whose skill/training level is unknown to me I do not do swim throughs (at least not anymore). I had one unfortunate incident in Devil's Throat that woke me up to the fact that, despite my training/equipment and confidence, there were other people in front of me and behind me capable of doing something (or not doing something) that could get me killed. If a swim through is on the agenda I politely and assertively tell the dive leader that I will follow the group's bubble stream and meet them at the exit.

Good point. This is a big one:

- Avoid diving in confined areas where there is strong surge or current.
- Ensure you always adequate room to give easy access to your buddy and your octopus.
- Don't dive in caverns where silting can obscure and prevent exiting the cave.
- Dive in caverns with open access to and from all parts of the cave.
- Dive in caverns where there is no chance of getting lost without easy access from the cave.
- Avoid caverns or overhangs that appear fragile.
- Avoid diving in caverns with incompetent divers or divers prone to panic.

 

[DBailey]

Good point. This is a big one:

- Avoid diving in confined areas where there is strong surge or current.
- Ensure you always adequate room to give easy access to your buddy and your octopus.
- Don't dive in caverns where silting can obscure and prevent exiting the cave.
- Dive in caverns with open access to and from all parts of the cave.
- Dive in caverns where there is no chance of getting lost without easy access from the cave.
- Avoid caverns or overhangs that appear fragile.
- Avoid diving in caverns with incompetent divers or divers prone to panic.

Oh you mean use common sense?

Is common sense missing from that many divers that items like this need to be explained?

 

[Foxfish]

Oh you mean use common sense?

Is common sense missing from that many divers that items like this need to be explained?

I don't think it hurts to go over a list like this occasionally.

A few more:

- Avoid diving in confined areas where there is strong surge or current.
- Ensure you always adequate room to give easy access to your buddy and your octopus.
- Don't dive in caverns where silting can obscure and prevent exiting the cave.
- Dive in caverns with open access to and from all parts of the cave.
- Dive in caverns where there is no chance of getting lost without easy access from the cave.
- Avoid caverns or overhangs that appear fragile.
- Avoid diving in caverns with incompetent divers or divers prone to panic.
- Know how to deal with equipment failure like a displaced mask and BCD inflator stuck open.
- Stay close to your buddy in case of an OOA emergency unless you have an independent gas supply.
- Be aware of dangerous animals that may live in these regions and how to avoid triggering aggressiveness.

 

[Donnah]

I love swim throughs. Who I am doing it with is also a major factor. Nothing worse than being behind someone who (at the very least) is bouncing off the walls, kicking wildly, and silting everything up.

 

[TSandM]

I think it's a good list, but it still doesn't sit well with me, because I would guess that a lot of the people who have died by swimming into caves with OW certs thought some or all of those conditions were true, and found out they weren't.

BTW -- Cave training has a LOT of stuff in it besides line running. If you go to a cave class from a standard OW-type education, you will learn pinpoint buoyancy, horizontal trim, and non-silting (and efficient) propulsion. You will practice emergency skills until they are fast, smooth, and stress-free. You will practice situational awareness until it's honed to a fine shine. You will be drilled on communication and, at least in some classes, on functioning as a team. You will learn principles of gas management that are not usually taught to open water divers. Virtually ALL of these skills are immediately applicable to open water diving, making it easier, smoother, and quite possibly safer.

 

[Foxfish]

I love swim throughs. Who I am doing it with is also a major factor. Nothing worse than being behind someone who (at the very least) is bouncing off the walls, kicking wildly, and silting everything up.

Agreed. I don't think that shows an adequate level of competency for the kind of setting I described. I'd consider the skills of a competent OW with a bit of common sense and courtesy adequate. Flutter kick is fine if you are careful. Good trim and buoyancy control improves diver safety and reduces damage to the marine life. I don't think that is hard to achieve with a little care, thought and practise. I'd agree that reviewing these skills on an overhead diving course would be helpful.

---------- Post added February 5th, 2014 at 07:27 PM ----------

The list to date:

- Avoid diving in confined areas where there is strong surge or current.
- Ensure you always have adequate room for easy access to your buddy and your octopus.
- Don't dive in caverns where silting can obscure and prevent exiting the cave.
- Only dive in caverns with adequate natural lighting.
- Only dive in caverns with open and ready access to and from all parts of the cavern.
- Only dive in caverns where there is no chance of getting lost.
- Avoid caverns or overhangs that appear fragile.
- Avoid diving in caverns with incompetent divers or divers prone to panic.
- Know how to deal with a displaced mask and BCD inflator stuck open.
- Stay close to your buddy in case of an OOA emergency unless you both have an independent gas supply.
- Be aware of dangerous animals that may live in these regions and how to avoid triggering aggressiveness.
- Only dive in these caverns if you can maintain neutral buoyancy and fin without stirring up the bottom.

 

[swimmer_spe]

So, to add fuel to this fire...

I have dove many times at docks/piers that I would swim through, and even swim under the boats that were tied up. The pilings were so far apart that I could drive my truck through it. I was in 15-30' water.

Of course, things could go wrong. So far, nothing.

Now for something "scary". I did a cave/swimthough before. I did have a problem where I had too much air in my drysuit and ended up at the ceiling. Not worried, or scared, I just kept pressing the dump valve till I came down.
$#!+ happens. Stay calm, deal with the situation, and go from there.

Oh, I do have my Ice diver cert.

 

[Foxfish]

So, to add fuel to this fire...

I have dove many times at docks/piers that I would swim through, and even swim under the boats that were tied up. The pilings were so far apart that I could drive my truck through it. I was in 15-30' water.

Of course, things could go wrong. So far, nothing.

Now for something "scary". I did a cave/swimthough before. I did have a problem where I had too much air in my drysuit and ended up at the ceiling. Not worried, or scared, I just kept pressing the dump valve till I came down.
$#!+ happens. Stay calm, deal with the situation, and go from there.

Oh, I do have my Ice diver cert.

So if you were to travel to our area and dive in the caverns I've described, how well prepared do you think you'd be? What would be the risks and how would you avoid them?

Yesterday three fishermen were rescued after being in the water for 15 hours after their boat capsized not far from where we were diving on the weekend. They're lucky to be alive.