Unanticipated hazards

[Bob DBF]

Practice makes perfect, non-practice makes panic...

Quote of the day.


Bob

 

[Ojai Diver]

@Ojai Diver
posted
"When I was fifteen, uncertified, and taking a scuba PE class, some of us students--including me-- thought that it was the height of hilarity to shut of somebody's air at the bottom of the pool. Usually you did this to a friend, who then paid you back in kind.

Not very smart, but at least it wasn't 30 meters deep. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are many early training exercise that have gone by the wayside -- too hazardous or too difficult for the modern diver to master in the current very abbreviated SCUBA courses.

One was the out of air exercise. Air was tuned off - the student reached around and turned it on or removed the tank & regulator unit and turned on the air, then replaced the tank & regulator unit and continued diving.

It was a time when in instruction was the impact of an idea and practice, practice and practice until mastered as compared to the modern instruction of avoidance

Your PE dive class was during a different time with different dive training rules and regulations. You should be internally grateful to your instructor who allowed you to perfect the basics under controlled conditions in swimming pool such as out of air with practice, practice and practice .

However, the current turning off of the air by the Chinese diver borders on criminal negligence.. I strongly suspect the divers were not trained or prepared for such an event and was potentaly extremly dangerous for all in the immediate area.

Yes there should be an investigation

SDM

To be clear, our little game of shutting off each other's valves was not sanctioned by the instructor or the curriculum.

But you are right, it was a different time, and the instructor would likely not have freaked out, but rather would have seen it as a useful training activity, a valuable "what if" exercise, before making us kick 40 laps, his favorite punishment for our many, many, transgressions.

Times, as they say, have changed.

 

[Storker]

you are right, it was a different time, and the instructor would likely not have freaked out, but rather would have seen it as a useful training activity, a valuable "what if" exercise, before making us kick 40 laps, his favorite punishment for our many, many, transgressions.

Times, as they say, have changed.

And what kind of learning outcome would come out of that?

Yes, times have changed. Not necessarily for the worse. IMNSHO, mostly for the better.

 

[lizardqueen]

A good reminder to practice turning my air on and off, which I haven't done since OW.

I hear the Chinese government takes a dim view of their tourists being a-holes while touring the world, and actually have issued Emily Post-like guidelines. I'm not litigiously inclined, but in this situation I'd urge the other divers to go for it and sue. It might end up being a richly deserved lifelong blackball on him.

While I'm on a roll, I'll dox him for posterity in case the news stories disappear: he's Tighe Lau from Shanghai.

 

[-JD-]

My first thought was a blanket drill ... but violence is frowned on now ....

Maybe he should just spend some time with his head in a well ... errr... "used" wetsuit.

 

[mrx3000]

Ugh, I know the guy that did this. (Which just shows how small our world is).
Weird, but not entirely out of character - he is a funny guy that way (but that's definitely very poor judgement)

 

[outofofficebrb]

I would be so pissed. I would ask that the operator ban this person from diving with that shop, especially while I am there. There needs to be immediate consequences for his actions. At the absolute minimum, I would not want this person on my boat. From the dive op perspective, if something did happen as a result of this "joke", it would also have a huge impact on their image/brand/business, and even liability. What if he did it again after you knew what he did and you let him continue diving? From a principle, safety, and business standpoint, there is motivation and complete reasoning to ground this diver.

My friends and I joke around underwater and on surface intervals, but anything with gear, air, weights, safety, etc., is off limits. A complete stranger doing this is even way way way more inappropriate and I don't blame anyone for wanting to seek legal avenues.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Ugh, I know the guy that did this. (Which just shows how small our world is).
Weird, but not entirely out of character - he is a funny guy that way (but that's definitely very poor judgement)

How do you know him? Is it a friend of yours or did you meet somewhere diving on vacation, in a dive club, or...?

 

[mrx3000]

Not that it's relevant, but we met through an unrelated group in Shanghai several years ago. Afaik he started diving shortly after.

He's actually a great guy, very friendly, but again - any kind of fun has its place.

Personally, I hope that this is a good lesson learned, and will let it at that.

As an aside, I always check my tank valve before jumping in. Don't even like when boat helpers try to turn/touch it for me before the dive.

 

[JohnnyC]

He's actually a great guy, very friendly....

Sounds like it.