Could you do it?

[ArcticDiver]

It is interesting reading the current discussion of both the general strategy and specific tactics of dealing with an underwater emergency. The items metioned fit right in with previous discussions. Differing attitudes but no one is taking the situation lightly. Which is as it should be.

Several times in my life I've been in situations where serious injury or possible death were involved. Despite past experience each one was brand new. Each reinforced the fact that no one knows exactly how they are going to react when it is time to make that instant decision.

I can remember one case where everything happened so fast no one even had time to think, let alone act. In another it developed so slowly there was lots of time to think, plan and execute an appropriate response. Yet another was a situation where the rules said: "Don't go in there. Wait for more people". But, I took a calculated risk, went in and did the rescue. I got away with it; that time. And so on.....

Don't overthink the problem in advance. When it happens to a large extent Luck and Time will determine the outcome. The Stop, Breathe, Act strategy has a lot to be said for it.

 

[Blackwood]

I think it is situational.

I wouldn't risk myself if I thought there was little chance of the victim's survival.

 

[cudachaser]

I tell my students that in the case of a panacked diver...."Don't try to be a hero...get something between you and the victem"

 

[Diver Dennis]

I'm a little in shock that so many feel they would rip their octo out of a OOA divers mouth if they were being pulled to the surface!

Ask any Cayman DM/Instr who has been on the job for a little while, we all have had divers on our octo dragging us up, we've all slowed them down as much as possible but all ended up on the surface with a scared diver after the elevator ride. I can think of only a couple of times I've heard of this actually ending up in the chamber for the donor and that was when this happened on the forth dive of the day.

I wonder if it could be training? How any threads here talk about not going past NDLs and slow ascent rates? Lots and divers are trained from day one not to make fast ascents. Most divers are not DMs and do not have the experiences with as many different divers as a DM does. I'm wondering what instructors teach about what to do in a situation like this. Are students told this is low risk or is this discussed at all?

 

[JeffG]

I wonder if it could be training? How any threads here talk about not going past NDLs and slow ascent rates? Lots and divers are trained from day one not to make fast ascents. Most divers are not DMs and do not have the experiences with as many different divers as a DM does. I'm wondering what instructors teach about what to do in a situation like this. Are students told this is low risk or is this discussed at all?

Or it could be because of the "don't make it two victims" attitude that you see all over this thread.

In the context of a panicking diver, that "rule" holds true but following a diver to the surface doesn't really fall into that category. Sounds good on the net, but in practice doesn't really make sense.

 

[Diver Dennis]

But this is about being dragged by a panicked diver to the surface, right? I was speaking in the context of a run away ascent, not just blowing a safety stop.

 

[JeffG]

But this is about being dragged by a panicked diver to the surface, right? I was speaking in the context of a run away ascent, not just blowing a safety stop.

Being at the surface ready to give help and being at the surface being attacked by a panicked diver is 2 different things.

I would a be with my buddy all the way to the surface, panicked or not. If they were freaking out, I would be behind them but I would still be on the surface.

I would not be at 15 ft doing my safety stop, hoping that they would make it.

 

[cerich]

I would guess that we (instructors) do drill in a slow assent rate to our students (because it is the best way to do it), so to contemplate a super fast assent is just a huge NO NO from what they have been taught and scares the you know what out of folks... but a fast assent doesn't equal being bent in every (or even very few) cases when you are looking at recreational limit diving.

Same thing on your comment on "blowing" a safety stop. Yup it is a great idea to do one, but it is a "safety" stop, not mandatory deco and 99.999% of the time not doing one doesn't have any bad effects.

I've seen both super fast (out of control over 100fpm) and skipped safety stops cause otherwise feeling fine divers have a panic attack that they just bent themself.... the reality is that most divers on most days will get away with it. (otherwise in resort areas we would be having a diver death a day vs. the more normal one or two a year) When a diver does get bent doing one of these two 90% of the time a 6a treatment or two is all it takes to resolve. (boring....)

 

[lamont]

I would guess that we (instructors) do drill in a slow assent rate to our students (because it is the best way to do it), so to contemplate a super fast assent is just a huge NO NO from what they have been taught and scares the you know what out of folks... but a fast assent doesn't equal being bent in every (or even very few) cases when you are looking at recreational limit diving.

Same thing on your comment on "blowing" a safety stop. Yup it is a great idea to do one, but it is a "safety" stop, not mandatory deco and 99.999% of the time not doing one doesn't have any bad effects.

I've seen both super fast (out of control over 100fpm) and skipped safety stops cause otherwise feeling fine divers have a panic attack that they just bent themself.... the reality is that most divers on most days will get away with it. (otherwise in resort areas we would be having a diver death a day vs. the more normal one or two a year) When a diver does get bent doing one of these two 90% of the time a 6a treatment or two is all it takes to resolve. (boring....)

I had a rapid ascent from 70 fsw on one dive where I had added thermals without adding additional lead. I managed to get up to around 30-40 fsw before I lost it and shot to the surface. No damage done other than to ego.

 

[JeffG]

I had a rapid ascent from 70 fsw on one dive where I had added thermals without adding additional lead. I managed to get up to around 30-40 fsw before I lost it and shot to the surface. No damage done other than to ego.

I had one of those due to a 30 lb dropped weight belt. Speadeagle and scream to the surface

Still managed to survive.