How Often Do You Abort Dives?

[TSandM]

I've called a lot of dives before getting into my gear -- for weather, or forgotten items. I haven't aborted many.

I can remember literally levitating out of the 43 degree water and back onto Phil Sammet's RIB, when my dry suit flooded on entry in Monterey. Peter and I thumbed a dive about ten minutes into it in the Channel Islands, when we realized we simply couldn't find any shelter from the ripping current. I cut a dive a little short in the BVI, when I developed a leak from the junction of the hose and second stage on my primary regulator. I called a dive on one of the NW's premiere wrecks because just too many things had gone wrong in the process of trying to get into the water and in position for the dive (and the current turned out to be much stronger than it was supposed to be).

One of the most important lessons I've learned is not to dive when I'm not on an even keel emotionally. I attempted a cave dive one day after a prolonged and heated argument with my spouse, and turned the dive after about ten minutes, because I was floundering around like a rank beginner. (I've seen the video; it was THAT bad!) A year ago, I bagged another one because I was trying to get back into my gear in the water and not doing very it very well, and realized my frustration level was just too high -- not mentally fit for that dive on that day.

I make most of my go-no go decisions on land, or on the boat. It's rare to be surprised by something that requires abandoning the dive once it has begun.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

interesting question. I have aborted 4 dives out of over 900. Twice for ear issues, once for a tank leak issue, and once for a regulator malfunction. All were me. I show no aborts for a buddy problem. I have been very lucky, I suppose.

 

[Phil_C]

I have cancelled a lot of dives because conditions at the dive site were not what we were expecting, or we have had gear related issues before getting in the water - mostly our gear related stuff has been due to boat issues (we dive from a rhib) rather than the scuba kit itself.

Aborted dives once we have got in the water have been very few and far between, we have usually picked up any issues before that point, but twice I have had a buddy who couldn't equalise past 20 foot, so we thumbed it, and once an instructor I was diving with (not during a lesson though) had a HP 'O' ring blow at 60 foot so we had a shared air ascent and abort from that.

We have cancelled second dives because we have been too cold and not warmed up during the surface interval, or because a partial drysuit flood has meant we were wet, but that is about it. But to me the ratio doesn't matter - if the dive isn't right for any reason you modify the dive plan or you just call it if you're not happy, with no come-back, there's always another day - Have fun and Merry Christmas ! - Phil.

 

[TMHeimer]

I aborted once in 406 dives. I was new and was uncomfortable with the low viz, surge and felt like I was possibly going to cramp up (a big concern for me, diving or not). I had also lost sight of the group I was with. This was in the ocean off R.I. Another time I was on a shore dive with a DM guiding and 3 others in Panama-- the DM called it off when we descended down a buoy line into maybe 1 foot viz at 20 feet. Not sure if I would've aborted it myself. Of course, I don't count times when I just cancelled a plan due to weather-- being retired I could easily just go another day.

 

[Peter_C]

I lost count of how many dives were called a long time ago. I just don't care, and it is part of diving. Some I have thumbed, and sometimes it is my buddies thumbing them. If I can't see my hand on the anchor line, I always call the dive. Seems I have called many dives on the way down the anchor line, or at the bottom when vis doesn't improve. I have recalled my friends with my outboard by revving it when things started going wrong for us at the surface. There are many reasons to end a dive and we are told "Any one, at any time, can call a dive". I may get frustrated, but never mad.

So I guess this thread is an eye opener for me as I have called many dives, and most often for bad vis, as in less than 3 feet.

 

[TSandM]

I unfortunately have plugged ahead with too many of those 3 foot viz dives . . . Now I get the viz report before I get in the water, and I don't go if the reports are horrid.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

I have cancelled a few when I got to the site and conditions were bad for the dive. Have not "aborted" in terms of intentionally ending a dive before my NDL or gas level. Been lucky, no equipment issues thus far in almost 1000 dives.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

One advantage of solo diving ... if vis is sufficient to read a compass, no problem ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Laurie S.]

None so far out of 200+ dives. Had a couple where my ears didn't want to clear at first, but I eventually resolved that problem and continued the dive.

 

[tomfcrist]

Not very often. The only dives that I can remember aborting completely involved rough seas and being sea sick underwater.....that sucked