Future of surface rescues...

[Nemrod]

Regardless, if they had the werewithall to get to the surface then what happened afterwards that resulted in their sinking and subsequent drownings? Is it training, equipment failure or poor design? Did they actually sink or simply were unable to maintain an airway?

My point is that the RC life bouy requires the diver to grab it and hold on to it and if they can do that then they can inflate the BC and drop weight. A human buddy or rescuer can maintain an airway and assist semiconscious or unconscious diver, that RC bouy cannot.

So my question remains, that bouy is cute but it will be of no use with an incapacitated diver. Why did they sink after reaching the surface?

The answer to that question is the answer to saving the life of the diver.

N

 

[emoreira]

Here there is another approach : NORAS Performance

 

[CuzzA]

Regardless, if they had the werewithall to get to the surface then what happened afterwards that resulted in their sinking and subsequent drownings? Is it training, equipment failure or poor design? Did they actually sink or simply were unable to maintain an airway?

My point is that the RC life bouy requires the diver to grab it and hold on to it and if they can do that then they can inflate the BC and drop weight. A human buddy or rescuer can maintain an airway and assist semiconscious or unconscious diver, that RC bouy cannot.

So my question remains, that bouy is cute but it will be of no use with an incapacitated diver. Why did they sink after reaching the surface?

The answer to that question is the answer to saving the life of the diver.

N

Training, equipment failure or medical could all be reasons.

 

[CuzzA]

Here there is another approach : NORAS Performance

I like the design of that one even better. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Nemrod]

Training, equipment failure or medical could all be reasons.

There is a BC design that addresses some of these issues, the old horsecollar. They have CO2 inflation as well as oral and power and they have a strong tendency to float a diver face up for airway protection which leaves weight jettisoning.

I see a lot of difficult/complicated to jettison integrated weights and worse divers using significant non jettisonsble weight as trim or as steel plates or very negative cylinders for which they have insufficient reserve buoyancy. And there is the strong tendency of the wing and back inflate BC to float the diver face down and made worse by the current fashion to choose the minimal floatation capacity. Oh and lastly the wearing of weight belts under the harness.

Unless that toy can grab the diver and float them face up and provide rescue breaths and return them to the boat for cpr and reach down and jettison their weights and inflate the BC as needed. If one has the time to deploy the gizmo they have the time to go get them themselves.

This weight belt under the harness I see often now is tech bleedover to recreational divers. All sport divers should be able to easily and quickly drop enough weight to establish significant buoyancy. Tech and drysuit divers have additional training and equipment to allow the exception and a rigid buddy system for back up.

N

 

[KevinNM]

So my question remains, that bouy is cute but it will be of no use with an incapacitated diver. Why did they sink after reaching the surface?

Because they are drowning

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg534/On Scene/OSFall06.pdf#page=16

"From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs."

 

[Storker]

Tech and drysuit divers have additional training and equipment to allow the exception and a rigid buddy system for back up.

In some places, a drysuit implies nothing more than that the diver dives in cold water. Heck, people who live in those places take their OWD in a DS.

 

[Nemrod]

Most people who drown as your quote refers to are not divers wearing a $1000 BC with multiple inflation options, supposedly with a buddy nearby and some training along the way. That is the point of training is to allow one to override instinct and panic.

Actually people drowning, if concious and able, are pumping their legs furiously as if to climb stairs right out of the water. And they will grab the nearest object including the RC rescue float. I guess I am wrongly thinking they are incapacitated otherwise they would follow training and inflate the BC and drop their weight as needed to establish buoyancy and the buddy would assist.

N

 

[dmaziuk]

Regardless, if they had the werewithall to get to the surface then what happened afterwards that resulted in their sinking and subsequent drownings?

Well, a polaris from depth would involve a rather opposite: lack of wherewithal and it may well leave them incapacitated (as in AGE), but then they should have more than enough air in their bcd to not sink right back under...

 

[TMHeimer]

As mentioned, apparently many divers are not of "SB" quality, and some just shouldn't be diving. But in light of that, I can see no reason that these things could be anything but good.