Tried to Kill Myself but Failed!

[Wibble]

Do you use an actual written checklist?

Yes for the build. OK, not every time if doing a set of dives, but like to use the list when doing a build after a week or three off. Mainly as I record the cell mV and any changes (cells, O-rings, greasing, weighting…) plus occasional deeper checks such as IP and the seconds for the orifice to drop the O2 pressure from 150 to 100 bar.

I don’t use written checklists on the boat for pre-dive preparation checks (kitting up) nor pre-jump checks. They’re just not feasible on a busy boat as we get closer to jumping.

 

[Bawdog]

You live and you learn

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Now that some time has passed, what have you changed @NW Dive Dawg in your customs-and-practices?

My pony 2nd is now on a neckless with a distinctly different and noticeable mouthpiece...... and my mindset is set to confirm all is well pre-splash, post splash and again at depth. Really, it's probably a benefit to me that I had this experience.......because my experience has resulted in a scenario where my previously complacent mindset now has been 100% adjusted so that I will never make that mistake again.

Basically...... sometimes a close call can be a good thing.

 

[crofrog]

Yes for the build. OK, not every time if doing a set of dives, but like to use the list when doing a build after a week or three off. Mainly as I record the cell mV and any changes (cells, O-rings, greasing…) plus occasional deeper checks such as IP and the seconds for the orifice to drop the O2 pressure from 150 to 100 bar.

I don’t use written checklists on the boat for pre-dive preparation checks (kitting up) nor pre-jump checks. They’re just not feasible on a busy boat as we get closer to jumping.

I asked because a lot of people say they use a checklist in a more colloquial sense of word, but they don’t actually use physical lists.

Another thing to think about is a lot of the check lists are designed to be a challenge response for a crew and when used by a single person they regress into do-lists. Where you read the list and then do the steps. You should consider switching to a do then check workflow. Where you do a series of steps from memory and then check the checklist for any missed steps.

As you get closer to the water memory aids like mnemonic and ritualized procedures become more appropriate.

My pony 2nd is now on a neckless with a distinctly different and noticeable mouthpiece...... and my mindset is set to confirm all is well pre-splash, post splash and again at depth. Really, it's probably a benefit to me that I had this experience.......because my experience has resulted in a scenario where my previously complacent mindset now has been 100% adjusted so that I will never make that mistake again.

Basically...... sometimes a close call can be a good thing.

“Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.” -Randy Pausch


Thanks for sharing. as Adm Rickover said, “ you must learn from the mistakes of others—you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.”

 

[johndiver999]

My pony 2nd is now on a neckless with a distinctly different and noticeable mouthpiece...... and my mindset is set to confirm all is well pre-splash, post splash and again at depth. Really, it's probably a benefit to me that I had this experience.......because my experience has resulted in a scenario where my previously complacent mindset now has been 100% adjusted so that I will never make that mistake again.

Basically...... sometimes a close call can be a good thing.

That is good to hear. I think that every dive, I reach up and check my pony second stage and make sure it is where I think it is, and generally tap the purge.

I remember one dive I did several months ago... I made it to the bottom and then remembered that I had forgotten to turn the back mounted pony on. How the heck do you forget something like that and THEN remember on the bottom?

I had to pop the tank off and spin it around and turn the tank on. It is smart to give yourself as many chances as possible to not make mistakes. I have my pony hose with a colored wrap around it for further identification.

I'm curious, do you still have the spg in the hose wrap on the pony reg hose on your necklace?

 

[DiverSailorFisher]

Do you use an actual written checklist?

Sounds dorky as hell, but one could make a laminated checklist for each particular type of dive and store in a dive bag or mask case (since the phone is usually stowed away right before a dive). Not really a bad idea at all.

 

[Wibble]

Sounds dorky as hell, but one could make a laminated checklist for each particular type of dive and store in a dive bag or mask case (since the phone is usually stowed away right before a dive). Not really a bad idea at all.

The Revo rebreather comes with a checklist attached to a boltsnap which you can dive with.

But... You have to follow the checklist and read the thing which is difficult on a heaving dive boat with stuff flying all over the place.

This is why I use my own left-to-right check which works well for me (although if it's after a break, then sometimes you need to be double-certain that it's properly handled -- or be prepared to resolve the issue in the water; yet another drysuit hose failed to be connected!).

Agreed that a lot of people use things called "buddies". If that works for them, great. Buddy checks are difficult on a boat when you're sitting down jammed together on a bench and cannot look at the other diver as you're festooned with kit for the imminent dive.

It's kind of necessary to ensure that I sort my own stuff out; I must take responsibility for my own actions.

 

[crofrog]

Agreed that a lot of people use things called "buddies". If that works for them, great. Buddy checks are difficult on a boat when you're sitting down jammed together on a bench and cannot look at the other diver as you're festooned with kit for the imminent dive.

In the GUE predive it’s a challenge response style gear check, the leader of the dive touches the piece of equipment and verbalizes what it is and the state, e.g., “drysuit valve open” and the team responds “check” if the leader misses anything one of the teammates will call it out.

It’s always done more or less the same way. Mask and hood, Valves, breathing the regs, then head to toe left to right. Including checking that the dry suit inflator works, the wing controls work etc etc.

By doing it like that it is building a lot of extra layers of cheese in where a mistake can be caught and while ideally you’d be able to see your teammates it’s not required. Once the team gets to know each other it should be less than 5 minutes for gue edge.

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

And then you wonder why GUE divers have a bad reputation.

.... actually, up here on Vancouver Island ... the GUE crew are all pretty good with Non GUE divers.

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

So I’ve been on the fence on whether or not to post this……because it’s really hard to openly and publicly admit when you do something totally stupid. But then I thought more about it last night and figure that if it might provide some productive and positive food for thought and discussion…..or maybe help someone else from making the same mistake….that I really do need to talk about it.

Day before yesterday we are out on our boat and I’m doing a nice easy dive to celebrate my 68th B-day and get us a nice Lingcod for my B-day dinner. (it's a tradition thing) I’m a solo diver (certified SDI/TDS) and have done this dive many times with no issues. Nice easy exchange with little current, descent vis of about 10 ft.. I dive an HP102 Steel with a back-mount 19cf pony and a Zeagle Ranger BC.

My wife snapped the pic below right before I donned my hood, mask, gloves, fins, speargun & stringer prior to back-roll entry over the side. In looking at the pic I have realized my mistake and what happened. The “yellow” circle is my primary Apeks 2nd stage. My pony second is kinda hidden just below and behind my right hand. The “green” circle is the clip that I normally route my pony hose through so that the pony 2nd is basically is right in front of me, always there and easily accessible. Once I finished kitting up with all my crap for the dive, I was in a rush to splash and inadvertently must have grabbed my pony 2nd rather than my primary, inserted the pony 2nd into my cake-hole, took a couple of hooves, then back-rolled into the Sound. All seemed good so I gave my wife the OK, swam forward, descended the anchor line to about 60ft and began my hunt.

About 10 minutes into the dive and after bagging and stringing a nice dinner Ling, I noticed my reg getting a bit stiff to breath….then the next breath where there was NO gas. I immediately went for my pony 2nd, but it wasn’t there in it’s normal spot because it was already in my mouth and not in it’s normal clip. My brain is spinning and totally telling me that my main gas supply is depleted for some reason and I NEED my pony 2nd. I have a moment of what I would call “high anxiety” and possibly first stage panic. My brain is saying WTF??? ESA??? so I go to my BC / Air 2 thinking that I can “re-breath” on the way to the surface if needed. The Air 2 immediately delivers blessed gas from my still full primary tank and I am some how able to calm down, settle to the bottom, re-group and access the situation.

I check my pony SPG and it’s zeroed out so I start to realize my mistake. I sweep and recover my primary 2nd, switch to that from my Air 2….and all is good. I check my primary computer and realize that I still have 3350psi of a 3500psi fill. The picture of what happened starts to clarify in my mind and I bet I spent a good full minute or two on my knees just breathing and slowing down my heart rate as I stare at my primary AI computer and see that I have LOTS of primary gas available and all is well.

Being solo and with my redundant gas now gone, I call my dive and nav back to the anchor line and my marker strobe…….make a nice slow ascent with SS and surface with plenty of primary gas remaining. Had a great Lingcod dinner and glad that I get to be a year older…

Anyway….. it’s not easy to post this because I’m totally embarrassed that I made such a stupid flipp’n mistake…. But hoping that we might be able to have some productive conversation about it.

My “personal” lessons learned.

• Confirm, crosscheck, double check and triple check all configurations and functions before splashing.
• Confirm, crosscheck, double check and triple check all configurations after splashing.
• Don’t be lazy about checking gauges early and often. If I had checked my primary gas PSI earlier I would have realized that I wasn’t using my primary gas.

That’s it. Sorry about the long post and thanks for listening….

.... something to be said for slinging one's pony tank, not mounting it on your back.