Yesterday I feel I got lucky.

[TSandM]

Rick, I stand corrected. And I HAVE seen people blow through gas like I wouldn't believe, without looking like a swimming freeflow, either.

But I think the professional had an obligation to ask about the gas at intervals, or remind the diver to check. This was, after all, a class, and a class dive where one could reasonably predict divers might get into low on gas issues.

 

[Mike Boswell]

Be wary of the Cozumel operators. Most of the diving is drift diving. They may take you to depths that you are not well trained for: I.E. 90+ feet.

I strongly second that. Yhike does not appear to be qualified to dive without supervision. I would recommend that he find another instructor, discuss his situation, and see if more instruction is needed.

 

[merxlin]

Just a point from the OP - he never said he was low on air. In fact, he said he did not check his gauge and just had a feeling:

I could feel the air getting harder to breath and I panic

I know he has not expressed himself very clearly about the event, but it is possible he was not even low on air, but just panicked (due to depth, viz, temp, or any other issue). He also swam to the surface "as fast as he could" and spit his reg despite having just run skills and doing a reg recovery (or whatever skill he was doing by "making an 'ahhh' sound"- I'm assuming it was not a CESA). He didn't mention having any difficulty with the skills, so there is no evidence that the instructor (or DM - hard to tell) should have had any indication that he would have any issues.

yhike admits he knew what he did was wrong according to training standards. He also does not want to name the dive center:

I will not name the dive center I have nothing but good things to say about the Dive Center and would not want to ruin their name.

Yet their apparent lack of training almost led to a tragic incident. Does that seem consistent to you?

Our assumption is that his performance reflects his level of training, which could very well be the case, but it is also just as possible that he just didn't perform the same way he did during his previous instruction sessions. Is it fair to assume that someone will always perform up to the level of their proficiency demonstrated while being instructed (not that they should, but that they will)? Our first instinct seems to be to blame the instruction.

 

[Rick Murchison]

... I think the professional had an obligation to ask about the gas at intervals, or remind the diver to check...

I agree completely. We don't know if that was done or not. Assuming a standard console arrangement, the instructor could have seen the OP check his instruments when he checked his depth and made the (wrong) assumption that air supply was checked as well. And as has been earlier noted,

it is possible he was not even low on air, but just panicked

Along those lines, I don't accept an "OK" in response to a "Check Gas Supply" signal... only a number - and it should be pretty close to what I expect it to be. Even then I "sneak a peek" at students' gas supplies from time to time.
Rick

 

[openmindOW]

I was diving on our last open water test and we did a few things like flood the mask and etc and make the ahhh sound and etc.

It sounds like this was a class.

I did something dumb I check to see how far we were under it said 48' but I did not look at my Air pressure. I could feel the air getting harder to breath

The diver might have been experiencing some CO2 build-up; he might have felt like he was not getting enough air.

. . . and I panic. I started swimming as fast I could to the surface hoping I was going to make it. I spit out my regulator about 15th, sucked in water and somehow I still managed to make it to the top.

The diver did panic. He is honest and he admits it.

Yhike is to be commended for his honest admission.

One of Yhike's Instructors failed in my view. He needed more training before getting his OW card.

 

[merxlin]

>>>>>The diver did panic. He is honest and he admits it. Yhike is to be commended for his honest admission.

One of Yhike's Instructors failed in my view. He needed more training before getting his OW card.

I do not disagree that his training, at least how it has been explained, sounds lacking. However, is your point that every time a diver "panics" is it the fault of the instructor? (again, not arguing but looking for the rationalization).

I was on a AOW deep dive with an instructor and two students. Student A had a mask leak issue. He was 3 ft from the bottom at 80 ft. He stopped to clear, went vertical, and I was no more than 6 ft from him when he bolted for the surface. I missed catching him and then slowed my own ascent as I watched him surface. 1st thing out of his mouth when I got to him was "damn, I'm sorry, I 'effed up' big time." And then he explained not only that he panicked, but what happened (forgot to vent, grabbed his console reaching for his inflator, etc). Fully aware of what his training was and what he should have done, but he just didn't execute.

Bad instruction, or failure to execute what he had been trained? BTW- I was on his next deep dive, and he did just fine, including a LOA share drill (handed off a pony to him) at 75ft.

 

[openmindOW]

I do not disagree that his training, at least how it has been explained, sounds lacking. However, is your point that every time a diver "panics" is it the fault of the instructor? (again, not arguing but looking for the rationalization).

Not always. But frequently panic is the result of a training failure. A calm diver is a safer diver. Being calm in the water requires confidence and that means time in skill acquisition. In Yhike' case, it sounds like Yhikes got a rushed course. He was not comfortable at depth.

 

[orm]

Sounds like very very bad conditions, crummy training and inadequate supervision all rolled into one perfect storm of a **** up. This is very nearly a fatality.

The OP NEEDS to go do the OW again. I fear that if the OP turn up in Coz, there will be problems.

Also, yhike without sounding rude, you have no real idea of how good the instruction is, if you ask every student, within reason, their instructor is the best. You simply aren't equipped to offer that judgment as you are unaware of the standards that the training agency demand and those which may have been broken.

You need to report this to PADI the report is for any person that is involved in or has witnessed a dive incident that could have lead to an injury.

I think it's safe to say yours could have lead to a very serious injury.

 

[lavachickie]

Be wary of the Cozumel operators. Most of the diving is drift diving. They may take you to depths that you are not well trained for: I.E. 90+ feet.

I second this. My first post OW cert dive in Cozumel was Palancar Caves (no real caves, but pass throughs). To 87 ft. Fast current, through some tight areas that require good buoyancy and control.

It was incredible and I loved it. But so much can go wrong and when you are new; truth is you may be able to handle a perfect dive with style, but the issue is always what about when things don't go perfectly? I realize now that if I'd had a full mask flood issue like a good kick to the face, I would not have handled it well. But I didn't even KNOW I had a comfort issue with that until about dive 25 when I unraveled the pre-dive anxiety I had.

With new divers, there can be such a huge range in ability based on both natural aptitude and quality of training.

No one is going to watch out for you but YOU.

It was REALLY hard to, but I sat out of two dives that week because after the brief something in me just said, "Not for you, not yet." Especially when the other three in my party (two diving 3+ years, but one newly certified too) all went.

 

[tracydr]

Did you rent your gear? Make sure, if you had plenty of air, that the dive shop knows it breathes hard. Good sign that it needs service or replacement.