Wet Regulator

[NewFloridaDiver]

A couple quick notes for newer divers:

1) When checking your regulator before a dive there are some fine points that many divers and instructors miss. One that might have helped here is this. After properly connecting your gear and BEFORE you turn the air on try to take a normal breath from both second stages

4) Don't stop practicing your skills just because your certified. I am really happy that the divers present at this situation are alive and diving.

Thank you BugBagger for your insight and thoughts on this! We both have since incorporated the reg check, actually by just putting our finger over the intake of the 1st stage and then testing the 2nd, works very good indeed. We'll never forget that one! I doubt we'll ever stop practicing skills either, since that was ingrained in my brain early on in my pilot training, same type of situation where complacency kills.

I'm looking forward to more advanced training and learning rescue skills and CPR, anything and everything to make us both more comfortable and able to help ourselves and others in a time of crisis underwater.

Go diving this weekend!

 

[halocline]

I'm not clear about the overhead environment in this case; can you explain something for me? "Open water" means an unobstructed route to the surface at all times. Even if there's a natural "bell" meaning air above water surface in a cavern, you still have to travel under a ceiling to get to it. Is that an accurate description of your environment on that dive? IOW, was there any point during the dive at which you did not have an unobstructed route to the surface?

If the answer to that is "yes, there were points.." then I would think that the instructor and/or shop that ran the class would be in serious violation of any OW certification agency. Even if this environment does not technically qualify as an overhead environment, I believe it's very poor judgement to take an OW class into a situation which at the very least violates the spirit of OW training and sends a very poor message to the students regarding safe diving practices.

Something just doesn't make sense to me about this whole scenario, because I find it hard to believe that an agency-sanctioned class (or instructor) would do what you seem to be describing. If I were in your shoes, I would immediately contact an attorney to look into this. At the VERY LEAST, the shop should pay your medical expenses if in fact they took you into an overhead environment on your OW certification dives. Maybe that would motivate them to stop this extremely dangerous and irresponsible behavior.

The other thing that I'm having trouble understanding is why you did not simply reach for your octo or alternate 2nd stage. I clearly remember in the pool sessions for my OW class being drilled to practice switching to the alternate on numerous occasions. I've even seen that done on "discover scuba" classes. I'm sure the first time you're in the situation of really not being able to breathe panic will set in quickly, but still, you should have developed the critical skill of simply reaching for your alternate. I'm sure you're practicing that religiously now!

I'm impressed that you immediately continued with your diving; most people in this situation would probably move immediately to Kansas (not that there's anything wrong with that!) or some other landlocked state and never go near the water again. Good luck to you, and please investigate what appears to be a very disturbing practice by your dive shop. If I've misunderstood your description, then take my advice with a grain of salt. As I said, I feel like I must not be understanding something, because I can't imagine a shop or instructor doing this.

 

[NewFloridaDiver]

I'm not clear about the overhead environment in this case; can you explain something for me? "Open water" means an unobstructed route to the surface at all times. Even if there's a natural "bell" meaning air above water surface in a cavern, you still have to travel under a ceiling to get to it. Is that an accurate description of your environment on that dive? IOW, was there any point during the dive at which you did not have an unobstructed route to the surface?

If the answer to that is "yes, there were points.." then I would think that the instructor and/or shop that ran the class would be in serious violation of any OW certification agency.

Mattboy, thanks for your input here. We both described this dive site as accurately as possible. The diagram is correct, but there is no "Natural" bell. That bell was a plexiglass container supplied with compressed air from the surface. Yes it was under a ceiling as well. The only times that we were not under "overhead environment" was when we were on the platform or during the initial descent into the grotto.

So, with this info in mind, I'm wondering what our next steps should be. I hate of thought of "attorneys", they scare me! But, on the other hand, I think she should at least be compensated for her expenses and perhaps given free fills for life, considering this... she almost lost her life over this faulty equipment.