What to do in the event that...

[Reef_Haven]

Exactly how is this better and safer for a brand new OW diver than simply ending the dive and surfacing with his buddy?

flots.

This guy is diving solo. He already said so in a different thread (Monterey Breakwater). Noone is encouraging him to do so, but if he has made that conscious choice, why not give him the other options he is asking for, so he can practice the skills and be better prepared? or should we all sit back and say "You're going to die, See you on the accidents forum"?
Moderating your air isn't difficult and preserves your air, way better than a panicked assent to the surface and risk of embolism, IMO.

 

[aquaregia]

This guy is diving solo. He already said so in a different thread (Monterey Breakwater). Noone is encouraging him to do so, but if he has made that conscious choice, why not give him the other options he is asking for, so he can practice the skills and be better prepared? or should we all sit back and say "You're going to die, See you on the accidents forum"?

"Thanks"

 

[Walter]

It's not so much the content, but the time spent in the classroom and practicing skills in the pool.

It's both. Time to practice is essential, but so is learning thoseskills so often left out of classes.

Unless your OW instructor was negligent, you were taught the skills you need.

Not necessarily.

 

[Guba]

There are some who, when posed the question "what do you do when..." will ALWAYS answer with, "You should have learned that already", confident that the person asking the question is lacking in their education. Man, I'm tired of that attitude, and for that reason I'll go back to the OP's initial post and contribute what I can, joining the others who have responded to the original tenor and spirit of the thread.

1. When faced with a partially blocked first stage (poorly maintained rental tank, Playa del Carmen) I sought out assistance and we made a slow, safe ascent.
2. Pilot error...when I changed out my mouthpiece, evidently I didn't get the zip-tie over the retaining lip properly. It popped off, leaving the mouthpiece in my mouth and the reg falling away. I went for my second (which is right where I knew it was supposed to be), alerted my partner and we finished our dive.
4. More pilot error...After making a pretty large "giant stride" off a boat in the Gulf and making a steep descent, my mask leaked. After several attempts at clearing, I finally used some force...and blew my mask right off my face! It appears that upon impact with the water, my strap rode up over my head and hood and only water pressure was holding it on. I caught the mask, re-donned and cleared it, and we continued our dive.
3. Partner had massive medical issue at the beginning of a dive. Performed "rescue" (and this was before taking Rescue class). Dive was, of course, terminated.

Those are all I can think of at the moment. In my opinion, each was handled "by the book" as taught in my classes. Was each one covered SPECIFICALLY by my instructor? Nope, not exactly. However, the basics I was taught were more than sufficient to handle the situation. All I had to do was apply what had been learned in general and apply it toward the specific condition of the moment.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

But this wasn't about wreck diving. The OP is brand-new with somewhere between 0 and 24 dives, which means that he's probably still trying to figure out his buoyancy control and worrying out slowing everybody else down while assembling his gear on the boat.

Assuming he had an OW class that actually taught all the required basic skills, he's already got everything he needs and adding alternate procedures and skills makes diving more risky by adding confusion and unnecessary decisions.

The free-flow thing is a great example.

It's entirely possible that a diver with a free-flow can turn his air off, share with a buddy, thaw out his first stage, then continue on with the dive.

It's also entirely possible that he'll lose buoyancy control, panic and bolt for the surface only to find that his power inflater doesn't work, and drown.

If he follows his OW training, he'll do a normal ascent with his buddy, establish positive buoyancy on the surface and end the dive.

For a new diver there is no advantage to having multiple options where the potential up-side is limited and the potential down-side is fatal in cases where there is a reliable, known-good method that's already been taught.

I'm really liking all of the contingencies that people have posted in this thread. Fascinating.

As for my background, I'm actually used to being underwater, and being OOA essentially all the time. I'm a freediver. Just this weekend I was trying to pry off this stubborn abalone (using energy + air + heartrate increasing) when I had to abandon it to get a breath, and on the way up my weight belt gets snagged on some kelp. Takes me a second to realize my ascent was arrested and by this time I really need air. Panicked for just a split second before I arrested that as well, and unhooked my weight belt, making sure to still hang onto one end, and made an ascent, only to have the dry valve at the top of my snorkel get stuck in the closed position when I got to the surface, so I couldn't get air from the snorkel. Spit out my snorkel, took a breath from the sky, cleared out my snorkel, put my weight belt back on, and went back down to get the abalone.

I like these contingencies and believe that I can do all of them underwater.

I agree though that for someone completely new (ie. not completely comfortable) to being underwater, this could very well be overkill and keeping it simple would be good. I remember when I first got into freediving (learned by myself as well) that it took time just to figure out how to properly clear a snorkel and to inhale cautiously with your tongue up as a guard unless you want to inhale some water too. I would *not* have been able to handle all these other things.

 

[knowone]

You are not a free diver.
Sneak up on the abalone and FLICK it off before it becomes stubborn.
Get a snag less weight belt, more appropriate fins or stronger legs.
Undoing your weight belt and hanging on to it. Where was your knife.
Get rid of that garbage snorkel
Get off the scuba forum and go to the snorkeling one.
Leave the temperament in your replies on the surface.

 

[Garth]

fuzzybabybunny... okay i said it. What's with the name? Has someone asked this? Your a guy right? I have a contingency for you depending on the answers to these questions....

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

You are not a free diver.
Sneak up on the abalone and FLICK it off before it becomes stubborn.
Get a snag less weight belt, more appropriate fins or stronger legs.
Undoing your weight belt and hanging on to it. Where was your knife.
Get rid of that garbage snorkel
Get off the scuba forum and go to the snorkeling one.
Leave the temperament in your replies on the surface.

You're right. Real freedivers do at least 100ft and have warm up bottom times of 5 minutes. I only do 60-70ft. I'm not a freediver. I just snorkel. With oddly long fins. And with buddies who carry spearguns and have been placed at freediving competitions. Nope, not a freediver.

 

[aquaregia]

knowone's sort of a jerk about it sometimes, but if you can decipher his posts they often contain useful information and feedback. I've usually found the effort worthwhile.

Edit: I sort of do this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6H0i1RAdHk) in my head.

 

[Dr Wu]

Is this more of the helpful and friendly posting I have heard so much about?