How common are OOA incidents?

[SloopCamotop]

Yes, I am most concerned with my (and my wifes') ability to deal with an OOA situation that occurs to someone else. I don't feel overly concerned about it happening to one of us, as at this point I am nutty about checking my SPG and asking my buddy to check his/hers. I am operating under the rule of thumb of 1000 out, 1000 back, 500 under the boat finding interesting things to look at, 500 in the tank when I surface.

I just wanted some feedback from those who had been diving for awhile whether this was a relatively common experience, or exceedingly rare or what. From the very encouraging and helpful responses here it sounds to me like swivels/o-rings are a bigger concern than panicked divers OOA.

My wife is just trying to balance the "Diving is serious business" with "Diving is so much fun!". I am trying to promote a healthy respect for the risks, without giving the impression that the grim reaper is waiting under every 40' warm water reef dive.

 

[Jupiter31]

2 Comments re the OP's questions

Very Rare

Highly preventable - maintain your equipment, and look from time to time at that thingie dangeling down on your left side connected by hose to your tank

 

[Teamcasa]

Yes, I am most concerned with my (and my wifes') ability to deal with an OOA situation that occurs to someone else.

My wife is just trying to balance the "Diving is serious business" with "Diving is so much fun!". I am trying to promote a healthy respect for the risks, without giving the impression that the grim reaper is waiting under every 40' warm water reef dive.

Recreational diving is fun and serious business. If you practice air sharing and OOA signals with her at the beginning of every dive pretty soon both of you will begin to refocus on how much fun diving can be.

2 Comments re the OP's questions

Very Rare

Highly preventable - maintain your equipment, and look from time to time at that thingie dangeling down on your left side connected by hose to your tank

Agreed but let me add to that good buddy diving skills. A good diving buddy, one who knows what to expect and what is expected, make most OOA issues just an annoyance.

 

[boulderjohn]

My wife is just trying to balance the "Diving is serious business" with "Diving is so much fun!". I am trying to promote a healthy respect for the risks, without giving the impression that the grim reaper is waiting under every 40' warm water reef dive.

I equate it with driving. If you drove a well maintained car on well maintained roads in good weather conditions while obeying all laws, and if there were no maniac drivers to plow into you anyway, driving would be extremely safe. Diving fits into that description. Now, if you start using poorly maintained equipment, and if you don't obey the rules, and if you dive in conditions beyond your training....

 

[ONESPEED]

I've been diving regularly for about thirty years and have only seen an OOA diver once, so yes, it is extremely rare. Coincidentally enough and somewhat related to the original post I had just switched to a 7' primary and a bunjeed secondary about one week prior to the incident and am very happy I did, having an easy to locate bunjeed secondary and some extra hose to donate certainly simplified things for me as the diver I rescued was pretty panicked. I don't think you're ever too new to dive a balanced rig.

 

[ONESPEED]

Agreed but let me add to that good buddy diving skills. A good diving buddy, one who knows what to expect and what is expected, make most OOA issues just an annoyance.

Agreed, however in the situation I had the OOA diver was a complete stranger that swam up to me signaling OOA so as good as you and your buddy are, you always have to be prepared for the unexpected.

Not to mention w/ a really good buddy an OOA situation is highly unlikely.

 

[Teamcasa]

Agreed, however in the situation I had the OOA diver was a complete stranger that swam up to me signaling OOA so as good as you and your buddy are, you always have to be prepared for the unexpected.

Not to mention w/ a really good buddy an OOA situation is highly unlikely.

True enough and further makes my point that if you are a good buddy and practice OOA situations with your own buddy, chances are you will be just that more prepared when a OOA stranger jerks the reg out of your mouth.

 

[Web Monkey]

She was not keen on the concept that we need to plan for panicked strangers attacking our air supply, and then said maybe this whole diving thing isn't worth the hassle and risk. ALL ASTERN FULL!!! I quickly explained how safe rec. diving is when we do this exact thing - plan and discuss and practice, then we can relax and enjoy knowing what we'll do and how to do it. She was less than enthused.

How much focus on the pitfalls is healthy? Are OOA situations not an IF but WHEN? I would love to tell her its no biggie - one in ten thousand but what the heck, lets just practice a few times anyway, but I don't want to say that if it really is more common occurrence -

Actual number of OOAs range from "never seen one" to "several times a year or more" depending on who you dive with (who's in the area, not just your buddy).

The idea is to train for it until you're completely bored with the entire concept and pulling out your reg, handing it to someone and doing a normal, controlled ascent is a complete snooze. What you don't want is to go "Oh s***! I have to take my reg out!".

And honestly if your wife or kids doesn't like the idea of sharing air, they need more practice or need to not dive, because the first time they need to share could be fatal to both the donor and the OOA diver. Any one of you might need to be a donor (or a recipient) at any time.

Terry

 

[BDSC]

I deleted this post since it was apparantly against the special rules for this forum.