Greetings,
This happened a long time ago. In fact, I believe it was my first dive beyond open water and 5th time diving since 12 years before.
I was gearing up with my wife (who also certified with me) and another regular at the shop asked if he could buddy up with us (at the time Laguna Beach would not allow solo divers). We agreed and covered each others experience. We were fresh out of open water and he was a Master Diver with something like 1000+ dives.
This was the same place where our previous 4 dives took place and where 1/2 of his dives are (Shaw's Cove). The only two things he cared to know from me was what my air pressure was at times and when I was ready to head back towards the beach (we reviewed a hand signal for "beach").
I was accustomed to 30ft. water at the time. We kept following the reef and at one point I was 40 feet and 20 seconds later 52 (on the floor the whole time). I was already low on air 28 minutes into the dive reading 1,100 PSI (of starting 3,410). I was thinking to myself "isn't he going to head back to the beach already?". My wife didn't mention her air pressure running 1,250 at the same time (I analyzed her log after the fact). I see a count down where my time remaining usually is going from 1 minute then 59..58...57...etc. and I'm thinking "crap, I'm out of air". Didn't dawn on me at that point to look at my PSI just below and even if I did, I may not have correlated how much PSI I burn at each breath, especially when I'm anxious.
I ascended only slightly slower than my bubbles and the computer is beeping and I'm thinking "crap, I'm going to die". Anyway, as I'm almost at the surface it changes and says 12 minutes remaining but I'm already up. 3 minutes later they surfaced and asked if I'm okay and he asked if I have DAN insurance. I was spitting and it was red because of the strawberries and red gatorade I had before the dive and he was freaking out. We surfaced pretty far out and had a 45 minute swim back to shore. I'm not exactly sure but I think the end of the reef is about 1/4 - 1/2 mile off shore. At the time, I wasn't accustomed to surface swimming of any distance and I was not feeling well. These days I regularily swim 3 miles in the ocean multiples times a week.
I later figured out that it was telling me to to a stop for 1 minute and the beep was my rapid ascent alarm. I also learned that day, after talking with my wife, that we need to not rely on another person's profile to keep us safe. My wife and I also nearly memorized the manual of all the critical gear we had and now I make it a point not to let such things get to me and to prevent them. Even to this day, I have had same scary things happen to me at depth that I just keep calm and fix.
Having dived in the military I should have known better but safety is easy to take for granted. It isn't until you have a scare or two that you realize the important is planing the dive and diving the plan, knowing your own limits, and knowing for yourself when to call the dive or head back, despite anyone elses dissappointment. You can only dive another day if you first survive the current day.
Another lesson I learned a year later is not to eat or drink red substances before a dive. I have surfaced from beach dives hurling from the surf and it is pinkish red because I love red gatorades or stawberries (my two favorite substances) and seen lifeguards freak out over it (and my own dive buddies for that matter). Even better, when I have a soda and it comes up fizzy... you should see the look on peoples faces. I don't drink soda anymore at all for but for other reasons. I also don't get sick anymore under most circumstances but still, I don't want to accidentally end up in a chamber because someone misinterpreted my breakfeast.
Thanks
This happened a long time ago. In fact, I believe it was my first dive beyond open water and 5th time diving since 12 years before.
I was gearing up with my wife (who also certified with me) and another regular at the shop asked if he could buddy up with us (at the time Laguna Beach would not allow solo divers). We agreed and covered each others experience. We were fresh out of open water and he was a Master Diver with something like 1000+ dives.
This was the same place where our previous 4 dives took place and where 1/2 of his dives are (Shaw's Cove). The only two things he cared to know from me was what my air pressure was at times and when I was ready to head back towards the beach (we reviewed a hand signal for "beach").
I was accustomed to 30ft. water at the time. We kept following the reef and at one point I was 40 feet and 20 seconds later 52 (on the floor the whole time). I was already low on air 28 minutes into the dive reading 1,100 PSI (of starting 3,410). I was thinking to myself "isn't he going to head back to the beach already?". My wife didn't mention her air pressure running 1,250 at the same time (I analyzed her log after the fact). I see a count down where my time remaining usually is going from 1 minute then 59..58...57...etc. and I'm thinking "crap, I'm out of air". Didn't dawn on me at that point to look at my PSI just below and even if I did, I may not have correlated how much PSI I burn at each breath, especially when I'm anxious.
I ascended only slightly slower than my bubbles and the computer is beeping and I'm thinking "crap, I'm going to die". Anyway, as I'm almost at the surface it changes and says 12 minutes remaining but I'm already up. 3 minutes later they surfaced and asked if I'm okay and he asked if I have DAN insurance. I was spitting and it was red because of the strawberries and red gatorade I had before the dive and he was freaking out. We surfaced pretty far out and had a 45 minute swim back to shore. I'm not exactly sure but I think the end of the reef is about 1/4 - 1/2 mile off shore. At the time, I wasn't accustomed to surface swimming of any distance and I was not feeling well. These days I regularily swim 3 miles in the ocean multiples times a week.
I later figured out that it was telling me to to a stop for 1 minute and the beep was my rapid ascent alarm. I also learned that day, after talking with my wife, that we need to not rely on another person's profile to keep us safe. My wife and I also nearly memorized the manual of all the critical gear we had and now I make it a point not to let such things get to me and to prevent them. Even to this day, I have had same scary things happen to me at depth that I just keep calm and fix.
Having dived in the military I should have known better but safety is easy to take for granted. It isn't until you have a scare or two that you realize the important is planing the dive and diving the plan, knowing your own limits, and knowing for yourself when to call the dive or head back, despite anyone elses dissappointment. You can only dive another day if you first survive the current day.
Another lesson I learned a year later is not to eat or drink red substances before a dive. I have surfaced from beach dives hurling from the surf and it is pinkish red because I love red gatorades or stawberries (my two favorite substances) and seen lifeguards freak out over it (and my own dive buddies for that matter). Even better, when I have a soda and it comes up fizzy... you should see the look on peoples faces. I don't drink soda anymore at all for but for other reasons. I also don't get sick anymore under most circumstances but still, I don't want to accidentally end up in a chamber because someone misinterpreted my breakfeast.
Thanks
