dumb dumb dumb (long)

[DameDykker]

Interesting storry Diver0001. Glad you all made it

I had my own little run in with currents yeasterday. We had an uncomplicated dive to max 23 m. This is the bottom of some pillars of a bridge and fully covered with sea anemones. The purpose of the trip was to gather some of them for an aquarium who needed them for their exibitions. It was a special trip for shop affiliates, so most had a lot of fresh eksperience.

The plan was simple: descend to max depth, stay there for max 10 minuts and then work your way up. We had a lifting tool and a mesh bag for each body pair.

The weater was warm and sunny and only a light breze was blowing. At the divesite the was a heavy current running North around the pillars. At 5 m the currrent was running just as fast Southwards!

Off cource we went down rater quick. At the bottom it was quiet and we started to collect anamones. After about 10 minuts we started to acent slowely and adding to the collection. As we got shallower my body started to act like a newbie . Going up and down like somebody with bounacy control problems. At 5 m we're trying to do a safetystop but my body still has problems and after approximatly one minut I suggest that we quit the safety top having been no where near the NDL. When we get to the surface we had been sweept North of the pillar and we got picked up by the boat. Discussing the events it soon turns out that what must have happend is the my body was drawn into the current by our surface buyo repeately - to his irritation. I didn't feel a thing as I was properly in his shadow and I kept very close to the wall.


So no harm done but an other experience to add to the divelog.

And now fire at will...

 

[Fitzy]

Everyone warns about getting complacent. Today it was my turn to get caught out on a stupid mistake.
<ok - bring it on>

Man that must of been one scary hell of a ride.

 

[String]

We end up having to dive near shipping lanes and first thing we do if we end up in it is send a delayed buoy up, granted no big ship will see it yet alone avoid it but the surface cover can come and pick us up.

The noise those big ships make going over the top is fairly terrifying especially as you cant see them.

Then again, 2 weeks ago due to currents and changes there were 3 dive boats all with divers spread around a shipping land and 11 separate delayed marker buoys popped up the same time. Nobody knew whos marker belonged to which boat and a lot of people ended up getting picked up by wrong boat and being transferred later on.

There is nothing in our dive planning that would stop a situation like yours happening here thinking about it. We cant swim against a 3kt current so really have no choice ending up in the lane. With some sights its sometimes a risk you have to take.

We're just as guilty here of applying a fairly slack set of "plans" to a variety of sites and not customising for the one dived. We do get complacent for anything less than about 20m especially on sites we've dived in some cases hundreds of times before.
Things can still go wrong regardless of knowledge of a site.

Provided you have the training and common sense you can get out of situations like that, as you did.

 

[oceancrest67]

I enjoy diving just as much as the next well trained diver enjoys diving...but, diving with low visibility, near shipping lanes, and with unpredictable currents brings on more work, more task loading and emergency precautions / considerations.

I understand that North Sea diving is much different than diving in tropical locations / warmer locations / temperate climates etc...but, I would still consider staying away from shipping lanes and strong tidal regions. Why risk the extra circumstances...is there really something to gain at the edge of a low visibility envelope?

I like to enjoy my diving and not bring on near misses and circumstances that lead to poor judgement. Sometimes...circumstances change underwater...but, knowing the area...having knowledge of any dive location is important.

Someone else mentioned not diving with computers...or not liking the use of a computer. I dive with an air integrated computer and I make sure it is configured properly (turn pressures, turn times etc) and that the batteries / maintenance is set. I like the reliability of it on top of dive table planning. I understand that some say computers can fail or end up being failure points...this is understandable and it depends on the kind of diving (cave diving for example).

Just my O2.

 

[grazie42]

I think that changing plan according to location,turning earlier and going shallower sooner would have been good ideas...
also:

Buddy #1 now holding on to my bcd ready to take my alternate (longhose). Rob (that's me) doesn't notice.

paying some attention to a diver low on air isnt a bad idea...

Generally I´d say that any area with any current requires greater conservatism in the plan (as I too have been surprised by changes in current), at least thats the way I do it (nowadays)...

All this is really nitpicking though...you survived and your team survived thats what really important.
I think, from the way you posted this, that you´ve already figured out that the things pointed out were what could have been done better...