InTheDrink
Contributor
Minor kind of story but I'm interested nonetheless to hear what others might have done differently. Not sure if right thread as I haven't learned any lessons yet and don't know whether near miss or not. More I'd like to see if there are any lessons to be learned - and maybe not.
Scene
Was diving with an ex-uni friend who I'd never dived with before. He had done about 45 dives, to my 90 or so, so I felt we'd be fairly well matched. Both AOW. We were going from the UK to an Island in the mid Mediterranean.
Anyhow. On the check dive on the first day it became apparent that he could have done with a refesher course as he didn't look at ease in the water, was doggy paddling rather a lot etc. No biggie.
Next day storm broke and none of the 5 dives sites we visited were a go-er. Following day we went out to dive a couple of wrecks, about 32-40m. Which is about as deep as I've gone so I had a certain amount of apprehension, not being with my regulat buddy.
The party was thus:
Guides:
Freelance guide, erstwhile commercial/sat diver. Interesting chap.
Intern DM, had been diving for 2 months in total but was very competent for that amount of time.
Master Scuba diver and RAF pilot. about 23 but looked about 12. Lovely chap.
Us:
Me,
Friend
Guy doing deep diver course.
We went down and all seemed fine. Slight current. It seemed from our briefing that we'd be pentrating the wreck, which set off minor alarm bells with me: good way of dying, overhead env., not diving beyond your training etc.but I was already coming across like an old fogey for being totally gripped on the ride to the site (back of an old pick-up, in chaotic traffic, crap road, and at hair raising speeds. Well, to me at least, everyone else seemed fairly relaxed. I've turned into a nervous passengers since having kids. Plus - you weren't there
)
We got to the top of wreck, great vis, slight head current, 32m. I let everyone penetrate through a large hatch before I went in. I wanted to make sure I could see what was going on with my buddy (coming in and out) before I went in, even at the risk of separation. My buddy seemed ok, went in and came out, probably 5m further along. I went in and had a look around. It wasn't challenging (yes, I know they never are until they are). When I came out my buddy was waiting. I gave him the ok signal, fully expecting to see the same in return. But he signalled he wasn't ok. He indicated his heart was beating fast. At this point I held his hand to reassure him and signalled to the (nearly) DM we needed some assistance. I was fairly sure my buddy was narked. And from his constant doggy paddling I figured he was probably loaded up on CO2 too. Plus entering a wreck might have freaked him (I had, perhaps inadvisedly, told him prior to the dive that wreck penetration was potentially dangerous without the appropriate training - yet which I nevertheless consented too, weak person that I am).
The DM got him to stop finning, I thought to slow his heart rate. I signalled to my buddy what he wanted to do and suggested thumbing the dive. He indicated that he wasn't sure so I felt we should can it. Dive another day etc. I was worried by this time. He looked very uncomfortable. Then the confusing part. The guide and the DM appeared to indicated that we continue the dive and worse, proceed with the next penetration. I should have been stronger willed at this point, and I do think my judgement was poor. I should have pressed the issue. I thought we should ascend 5 or 7m at the very least to see if this would alleviate any issues of narcosis. This would have left us in open blue, rather than by the wreck as a comforting point of reference but we could have hung at the top of the mast. Anyhow, we stayed but didn't penetrate and my buddy hung on to a rail for 5 mins til his breathing got relatively normal. Finished the dive. No problems.
Next dive my buddy started doing somersaults at around 35m in an internal holding area near the bow of this wreck. Great, narked again and scaring the sh** out of me. I stopped enjoying the dive at this point and watched my buddy like a hawk and tried to reprimand him without scaring him.I didn't penetrate this wreck for fear of him following. Yes, I know I shouldn't have been going in myself as I haven't been trained. But people were pentrating the craziest holes, literally having to squeeze, wriggle and squish themselves through. Not cos of incompetence, just the holes were tiny. I wouldn't even have considered them penetrable. Anyhow, kinda pointless point but I got what I can only imagine was the dark narcs and was full of a sense of forboding, major forboding, and was glad when we headed north. I knew it was mostly narcosis but that wasn't particularly reassuring at the time. I've had this feeling before but hadn't twigged what it was. And it wasn't just that anyhow: I was quick becoming an un-fan of diving with my new buddy.
So that's how it all appeared at the time. After this dive my buddy spent a fair while vacating the contents of his stomach and said he had the worst headache he'd ever experienced.
After a few beers on the last day (and after a couple more dive moments where he had near panic at 25m+ depth requiring intervention from me/DM/MSD) it turns out that he hadn't actually done 45 dives. More like 25. And apart from one dive in Panama 2 months prior - whilst p**sed as a newt - hadn't dived for 4 years. It gets worse: because he hadn't seen any of the other divers put air in their BCs, he assumed it wasn't necessary (don't even ask!) and so was hideously negatively buoyant at depth (and even on the surface was wearing twice as much weight as me even though leaner build). So he was constantly fighting to stay up. It kind of shocked me that I was diving with someone that wasn't aware they should be adding air to their BC when going down. Advanced indeed. He also told me that he'd never before experienced the kind of fear he did during and after the wreck penetration and was seriously considering not diving again - ever again - after that. He did remarkably well I think under the circumstances. I realise now that the DM when getting him to not fin was also establishing whether he was buoyant or not and hence why he was adding air.
What's the lesson? Well, no one got hurt. I felt someone could have or maybe nearly did do. I'm also wondering am I a cissy. No-one else (apart from my buddy) seemed particularly shaken by events. Or let on like they were. I neglected to mention that I was 1 min from deco on the first dive and that my buddy didn't have a computer. The plan was for him to stay slightly above me at all times, which didn't happen. Others had deco obligations and apart from the guide, I don't believe any were trained for this (but I don't know for sure). God I sound petty.
I guess my question/thoughts are:
1. When does a penetration/overhead environment occur? When you go through a swim-through there's a momentary overhead env. but clearly that doesn't count. When does an overhang become a cavern/cave? When is entering a wreck penetration? Where's the line? I'm still not sure whether I broke the rules by penetrating the wreck or whether I'm just being overly cautious.
2. Calling a dive. What happens when you try to call a dive but the decision isn't accepted by the guide? FYI, my buddy also thought he was being asked to make a second wreck penetration by the guide as an alternative to my suggesting we call the dive. I did say afterwards to the team that when I suggested we call the dive that's what should have happened but this was refuted saying that wasn't the best course of action. I was concerned that taking my buddy up by myself could be more dangerous than staying with the pros
3. My buddy had visited my house a week before we went on our vacation. I had considered lending him my PADI OW book just so he could freshen up his memory/skills (the OW book is actually very useful once you've got more diving experience - shame you never really learn the skills properly on the course). However I thought it might offend him as he had 45 dives so I didn't suggest it. Bad call. Don't assume anything. I usually dive with a very cautious, safe and excellent DM and perhaps have got used to him looking after me. Didn't like it so much the other way round.
4. Weighting. I spent some time getting my weight correct. I like to have no air in my BCD at the end of a dive. Too much air in your BC (through over weighting) just makes life more complicated. I use 4kg (warm-ish water) usually and I rarely have to put air in or out of my BC and it makes life loads easier. On the first dive here they stuck 8kg on me and I found it a challenge to manage my buoyancy - something I don't have an issue with in general. For my buddy, who ended up wearing 10kg (where I finished with 5kg), this ended up a major challenge, not helped by not putting air into his BC and diving to 30m+. I do think that more time should be spent getting people correctly weighted, including allowing them to require more weight on their check dive if they've been out of the game for a while, which should be subtracted on subsequent dives. I think it makes people's dives much more pleasant correctly weghted. Usually they take one glance and say Xkg. I think this is a trick frequently missed by the ops.
Anyhow, like I said, no-one got hurt. I feel I failed my friend by not pushing harder for the dive to be called. I also feel he failed me by lying about his experience level. I feel the guide/DM could have been more co-operative but then, maybe this is par for the course and if they had to call every dive where someone had a mild panic they'd be doing 15 minute dives p**ssing off all the other customers....it is their profession after all and they do need to eat. I did a few dives without my buddy and it was bliss not having to worry. Also, I had another guide and her attitude was TOTALLY different to this guide - she was very thorough, cautious and by the book. Like I said to my buddy, this guide (the commercial chap) would be a great mentor, assuming he didn't kill you. Which seemed a large assumption.
I thought twice about posting this because there are lots of easy pot shots to take - please avoid and be constructive. Like I say, no-one was hurt and I am caught between wondering whether I'm too cautious a soul or not strong willed enough to force my (cautious) decisions through. I am about to start my Resuce Diver course.
Finally, apologies for the length of this post. I'm not very good at saying anything quikly/briefly/concisely/clearly. My wife can confrim this.
Scene
Was diving with an ex-uni friend who I'd never dived with before. He had done about 45 dives, to my 90 or so, so I felt we'd be fairly well matched. Both AOW. We were going from the UK to an Island in the mid Mediterranean.
Anyhow. On the check dive on the first day it became apparent that he could have done with a refesher course as he didn't look at ease in the water, was doggy paddling rather a lot etc. No biggie.
Next day storm broke and none of the 5 dives sites we visited were a go-er. Following day we went out to dive a couple of wrecks, about 32-40m. Which is about as deep as I've gone so I had a certain amount of apprehension, not being with my regulat buddy.
The party was thus:
Guides:
Freelance guide, erstwhile commercial/sat diver. Interesting chap.
Intern DM, had been diving for 2 months in total but was very competent for that amount of time.
Master Scuba diver and RAF pilot. about 23 but looked about 12. Lovely chap.
Us:
Me,
Friend
Guy doing deep diver course.
We went down and all seemed fine. Slight current. It seemed from our briefing that we'd be pentrating the wreck, which set off minor alarm bells with me: good way of dying, overhead env., not diving beyond your training etc.but I was already coming across like an old fogey for being totally gripped on the ride to the site (back of an old pick-up, in chaotic traffic, crap road, and at hair raising speeds. Well, to me at least, everyone else seemed fairly relaxed. I've turned into a nervous passengers since having kids. Plus - you weren't there
)We got to the top of wreck, great vis, slight head current, 32m. I let everyone penetrate through a large hatch before I went in. I wanted to make sure I could see what was going on with my buddy (coming in and out) before I went in, even at the risk of separation. My buddy seemed ok, went in and came out, probably 5m further along. I went in and had a look around. It wasn't challenging (yes, I know they never are until they are). When I came out my buddy was waiting. I gave him the ok signal, fully expecting to see the same in return. But he signalled he wasn't ok. He indicated his heart was beating fast. At this point I held his hand to reassure him and signalled to the (nearly) DM we needed some assistance. I was fairly sure my buddy was narked. And from his constant doggy paddling I figured he was probably loaded up on CO2 too. Plus entering a wreck might have freaked him (I had, perhaps inadvisedly, told him prior to the dive that wreck penetration was potentially dangerous without the appropriate training - yet which I nevertheless consented too, weak person that I am).
The DM got him to stop finning, I thought to slow his heart rate. I signalled to my buddy what he wanted to do and suggested thumbing the dive. He indicated that he wasn't sure so I felt we should can it. Dive another day etc. I was worried by this time. He looked very uncomfortable. Then the confusing part. The guide and the DM appeared to indicated that we continue the dive and worse, proceed with the next penetration. I should have been stronger willed at this point, and I do think my judgement was poor. I should have pressed the issue. I thought we should ascend 5 or 7m at the very least to see if this would alleviate any issues of narcosis. This would have left us in open blue, rather than by the wreck as a comforting point of reference but we could have hung at the top of the mast. Anyhow, we stayed but didn't penetrate and my buddy hung on to a rail for 5 mins til his breathing got relatively normal. Finished the dive. No problems.
Next dive my buddy started doing somersaults at around 35m in an internal holding area near the bow of this wreck. Great, narked again and scaring the sh** out of me. I stopped enjoying the dive at this point and watched my buddy like a hawk and tried to reprimand him without scaring him.I didn't penetrate this wreck for fear of him following. Yes, I know I shouldn't have been going in myself as I haven't been trained. But people were pentrating the craziest holes, literally having to squeeze, wriggle and squish themselves through. Not cos of incompetence, just the holes were tiny. I wouldn't even have considered them penetrable. Anyhow, kinda pointless point but I got what I can only imagine was the dark narcs and was full of a sense of forboding, major forboding, and was glad when we headed north. I knew it was mostly narcosis but that wasn't particularly reassuring at the time. I've had this feeling before but hadn't twigged what it was. And it wasn't just that anyhow: I was quick becoming an un-fan of diving with my new buddy.
So that's how it all appeared at the time. After this dive my buddy spent a fair while vacating the contents of his stomach and said he had the worst headache he'd ever experienced.
After a few beers on the last day (and after a couple more dive moments where he had near panic at 25m+ depth requiring intervention from me/DM/MSD) it turns out that he hadn't actually done 45 dives. More like 25. And apart from one dive in Panama 2 months prior - whilst p**sed as a newt - hadn't dived for 4 years. It gets worse: because he hadn't seen any of the other divers put air in their BCs, he assumed it wasn't necessary (don't even ask!) and so was hideously negatively buoyant at depth (and even on the surface was wearing twice as much weight as me even though leaner build). So he was constantly fighting to stay up. It kind of shocked me that I was diving with someone that wasn't aware they should be adding air to their BC when going down. Advanced indeed. He also told me that he'd never before experienced the kind of fear he did during and after the wreck penetration and was seriously considering not diving again - ever again - after that. He did remarkably well I think under the circumstances. I realise now that the DM when getting him to not fin was also establishing whether he was buoyant or not and hence why he was adding air.
What's the lesson? Well, no one got hurt. I felt someone could have or maybe nearly did do. I'm also wondering am I a cissy. No-one else (apart from my buddy) seemed particularly shaken by events. Or let on like they were. I neglected to mention that I was 1 min from deco on the first dive and that my buddy didn't have a computer. The plan was for him to stay slightly above me at all times, which didn't happen. Others had deco obligations and apart from the guide, I don't believe any were trained for this (but I don't know for sure). God I sound petty.
I guess my question/thoughts are:
1. When does a penetration/overhead environment occur? When you go through a swim-through there's a momentary overhead env. but clearly that doesn't count. When does an overhang become a cavern/cave? When is entering a wreck penetration? Where's the line? I'm still not sure whether I broke the rules by penetrating the wreck or whether I'm just being overly cautious.
2. Calling a dive. What happens when you try to call a dive but the decision isn't accepted by the guide? FYI, my buddy also thought he was being asked to make a second wreck penetration by the guide as an alternative to my suggesting we call the dive. I did say afterwards to the team that when I suggested we call the dive that's what should have happened but this was refuted saying that wasn't the best course of action. I was concerned that taking my buddy up by myself could be more dangerous than staying with the pros
3. My buddy had visited my house a week before we went on our vacation. I had considered lending him my PADI OW book just so he could freshen up his memory/skills (the OW book is actually very useful once you've got more diving experience - shame you never really learn the skills properly on the course). However I thought it might offend him as he had 45 dives so I didn't suggest it. Bad call. Don't assume anything. I usually dive with a very cautious, safe and excellent DM and perhaps have got used to him looking after me. Didn't like it so much the other way round.
4. Weighting. I spent some time getting my weight correct. I like to have no air in my BCD at the end of a dive. Too much air in your BC (through over weighting) just makes life more complicated. I use 4kg (warm-ish water) usually and I rarely have to put air in or out of my BC and it makes life loads easier. On the first dive here they stuck 8kg on me and I found it a challenge to manage my buoyancy - something I don't have an issue with in general. For my buddy, who ended up wearing 10kg (where I finished with 5kg), this ended up a major challenge, not helped by not putting air into his BC and diving to 30m+. I do think that more time should be spent getting people correctly weighted, including allowing them to require more weight on their check dive if they've been out of the game for a while, which should be subtracted on subsequent dives. I think it makes people's dives much more pleasant correctly weghted. Usually they take one glance and say Xkg. I think this is a trick frequently missed by the ops.
Anyhow, like I said, no-one got hurt. I feel I failed my friend by not pushing harder for the dive to be called. I also feel he failed me by lying about his experience level. I feel the guide/DM could have been more co-operative but then, maybe this is par for the course and if they had to call every dive where someone had a mild panic they'd be doing 15 minute dives p**ssing off all the other customers....it is their profession after all and they do need to eat. I did a few dives without my buddy and it was bliss not having to worry. Also, I had another guide and her attitude was TOTALLY different to this guide - she was very thorough, cautious and by the book. Like I said to my buddy, this guide (the commercial chap) would be a great mentor, assuming he didn't kill you. Which seemed a large assumption.
I thought twice about posting this because there are lots of easy pot shots to take - please avoid and be constructive. Like I say, no-one was hurt and I am caught between wondering whether I'm too cautious a soul or not strong willed enough to force my (cautious) decisions through. I am about to start my Resuce Diver course.
Finally, apologies for the length of this post. I'm not very good at saying anything quikly/briefly/concisely/clearly. My wife can confrim this.
