I feel a bit guilty....would you?

[Charlie59]

I am not sure how to determine the importance of the old "we've all heard stories of" when it comes to an instance like this one.

In truth diving deaths and accidents are not frequent (see DAN or Undercurrent articles on diving safety). Diving, considering that we are in an environment we should not be, is relatively safe. I have seen boats full of people that barely have sense to get to the dive operator, yet, nothing bad happens. This happens all over the world, with people breaking protocol to extents that make this kind of event a non-issue (dm ascending without less experienced accompanying diver).

Panic, inexperience, and lack of physical condition lead to alot of accidents. I think this was a real non-issue.

 

[Downeast Diving]

I am not sure how to determine the importance of the old "we've all heard stories of" when it comes to an instance like this one.

In truth diving deaths and accidents are not frequent (see DAN or Undercurrent articles on diving safety). Diving, considering that we are in an environment we should not be, is relatively safe. I have seen boats full of people that barely have sense to get to the dive operator, yet, nothing bad happens. This happens all over the world, with people breaking protocol to extents that make this kind of event a non-issue (dm ascending without less experienced accompanying diver).

Panic, inexperience, and lack of physical condition lead to alot of accidents. I think this was a real non-issue.

I agree.

This was no doubt a personal dilemma for you Kim. It is always the totality of the circumstances. Do not ponder this any further than we have already done with you here. You were there, and we were not. Thank you for posting.

Dennis--

 

[Cave Diver]

I am not sure how to determine the importance of the old "we've all heard stories of" when it comes to an instance like this one.

In truth diving deaths and accidents are not frequent (see DAN or Undercurrent articles on diving safety). Diving, considering that we are in an environment we should not be, is relatively safe. I have seen boats full of people that barely have sense to get to the dive operator, yet, nothing bad happens. This happens all over the world, with people breaking protocol to extents that make this kind of event a non-issue (dm ascending without less experienced accompanying diver).

Panic, inexperience, and lack of physical condition lead to alot of accidents. I think this was a real non-issue.

I'm not sure I agree with this. Deaths may not be frequent, accidents, well that's another story. DAN may not list a high frequency rate, but that is only *reported* accidents.

How many times are there near misses, or "that could have been an accident?"

Yeah, we can over analyze this and say nothing happened, so no big deal. However part of my training was that accidents are seldom one single event. Rather they are a chain of events, that left unbroken leads to disaster. Most people can manage one thing that goes wrong. Some can manage two. But what happens when the third or fourth thing goes wrong?

I'm a competent diver. My dive buddies are competent divers. We've all done solo ascents at one point or another under the rationale that we can take care of ourselves. That is probably true for the most part, but what happens that one time...

I'm not here to convince anyone their way is wrong or my way is right. I'm just saying that recent events have caused me to rethink my approach to some things I've done in the past and will cause me to do things differently in the future.

 

[Diver0001]

What would you have done?

Could you see the surface?

R..

 

[00scuba]

I go in with my buddy and exit with my buddy...period. I don't care the level of experience my buddy has, if that is my buddy.....we start and finish together.

 

[Pook-60]

Was last time I looked..... :14:

Pardon my mid-western American upbringing Mr Kim! I still value your actions as a dive buddy.

 

[Kim]

Could you see the surface?

R..

No, not very clearly. Vis was probably around 50ft.

 

[Charlie59]

I'm a competent diver. My dive buddies are competent divers. We've all done solo ascents at one point or another under the rationale that we can take care of ourselves. That is probably true for the most part,.

Oh course you have and of course you will in the future. I think it would be hypocritical to try to relate this incident to a dive disaster. This (ascending alone) is a normal part of diving for experienced divers. The approach would be different for a new/inexperienced diver, in that case you ascend with them and then go back if you want.

On more than a few dives someone in a party of divers is sent to the boat alone if they run low on air. This is an approach common for many experienced divemasters. In this case it was the DM who returned to the boat, not much different. I would also go further and say that a DM is not a real divebuddy if they are leading a dive.

Since you do it, I am not sure why you think it is an issue.

 

[tracker]

Even before all the replies, I would be thinking I was uncomfortable not staying with him and I would not make the same decision again, eh? Don't beat yourself up about it. Live and learn.