|
|
|
|
|
Hi Dive Animals!
Well, The millennium has passed and my dive computer still works. I know it does because it told me what my body was already telling me last weekend. The water is really cold!!! Go back to the boat and have some hot chocolate, which I did.
Enough of my whining about cold water, I do that in August also.
As the weather warms, many of us are thinking about making sure that wetsuit still fits and jumping in. With a whole new season of diving ahead, there is one topic I hope all you Animals will consider in the new millennium... diving safely.
JUST SAY NO.
A much used cliché, but it applies to diving. I'm sure that every diver has, at one point, been in a situation where they have not been up for the next dive. However, bowing to peer pressure, not wanting to look like a rookie, machismo or just wanting to get that last dive of the day in has moved many of us to jump in snorkel first without really thinking about the consequences.
As an example: Summer before last, two club members and myself were diving the Ruby E and the Elray. After diving both wrecks, (both at about 85ft) we were ready to leave. However, when we tried to pull in the anchor line, we discovered it was stuck. I was tired and suggested we just cut the anchor line, call it a day and cruise on back home (margaritas and all that stuff). Anyway, one of our diving buddies decided that she would go down and free the anchor line. Remember the "machismo" stuff? I decided that if she was going down, that I better go with her. We both thought we had plenty of air. (wrong)
We started down the anchor line with no problems. My buddy was about 15ft below me headed towards the bottom. All of a sudden I was sucking very hard on plastic. NO AIR! This was at about 65ft. I could see the top of the wreck and, to my dismay, the bright pink octo cover of my buddy's 2nd stage disappearing into the gloom.
Choices? Swim deeper after my partner or head for the surface. After what seemed like an eternity, I checked my octo, still no air but plenty of plastic. My SPG said 1100 psi. I
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
headed for the surface keeping my reg. in my mouth. This was a good thing because the natural tendency, when out of air, is to breath in ,and breathing in mouthfuls of sea water is no fun at all.
I surfaced like Shamu at Sea World, glad to still be breathing, and with very sore calf muscles. After shakily climbing back into the boat, with the assistance of the wise person who decided not to accompany us, we waited for my "dive buddy" to surface.
While I checking my gear, I discovered that my SPG was stuck at 1100 psi. What really made me mad was that it had been serviced recently. Oh yeah, something else going through my mind was, "HOLY S$%^&! I just made a rapid ascent from 60 feet after doing two relatively deep dives! I'm going to end up with DCS! What do I do now?"
I was also concerned about my dive buddy. She surfaced a few minutes later, exhausted and inhaling the very last molecules of air from her tank. She had decided to not only free the anchor but also bring it to the surface with her.
Once we were all on the boat, anchor free, we took off for home. We thought we were all fine. (wrong, again.) I was fine after my rapid out of air ascent, but my dive buddy developed DCS symptoms a few hours later. She ended up spending several hours in a decompression chamber and could not dive for
several weeks. Why I was fine and she ended up with DCS we still haven't figured out. It may have been the extra exertion of carrying the anchor to the surface. Fortunately, she is now fine and back to diving.
Playing armchair diver later that week and discussing the event with some more experienced (instructors & dive masters) we should have gone with our first thought, cut the line!
Could have, would have, should have, didn't.
The bottom line...Just say no. If you are not sure about the next dive, no one will think the less of you. They will probably think more of you for making a wise decision and you will have certainly made the better choice. If anyone on the dive trip thinks differently, find another dive buddy. Don't let your pride or someone else's persuasion get in the way of your own safety. Plan your dive(s) and dive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
your plan(s).
I bring this subject up because I know there have been some instances involving club members recently that could have turned out worse than the scare they got. While every diver wants to and should expand their skill level, make sure you have the right training before going on dives beyond your experience. Better yet dive with a more experienced diver if possible.
Now on to other club stuff...
The local diving this past year has not been all that great; good but, certainly, not great. I (Continued on page 4)
|
|
|
|
|
|
