Problems for a Kelp diver on a Caribbean dive,rental gear.

[Lake Muroc Diver]

Since theproblem I faced must have been experienced by other divers I wanted to post sodivers can learn from my problem. I am a SOCAL kelp diver. I wear a 7mm suit and my own gear. I had anexceptional opportunity to dive on one of the best reefs in the world. I won'tmention the island since I do not intend to create any flack for the great divebusiness I used for my week long dive adventure...
I arrived on the island, my dive gear did not. So on day two, I went with mydive buddies to rent a full kit and get close to the famous reefs.
The gear was average, in good condition but not my gear. I had the divingschool BC, cheap computer, integrated weight and a so-so regulator. What I didnot have was the most important. I did not have a 7mm wetsuit.
I asked my dive buddies, both master divers and one time dive instructors,about a good guess for my weight needs. They both guessed, seemed correct to meso, with the full Kit we went on the dive boat.
The first dive was a dream come true. Warm water, perfect reefs with every fishin the book populating the reef, and no current, 100 foot visibility,absolutely perfect we dove to around 100 feet max and an average of 75',following the local dive master. When we arrived at the boat the fun started.
I had 500+ PSI in the bottle and started my double 3 minute safety stop. I wasunsure of the computers safety stop function. My computer has a countdown timerthat I would reset for the second 3 minute whenever I get to 100'. So as I amtoying with the buoyancy, computer buttons and trying to hold my depth, I was yo-yoinging my depth 27'-12'. (I was under weight about 7-10 lbs I found out later) Ihad to swim down to stay underwater. Since my dive buddies were also waitingwith me I felt confidant that although I was unsteady with my depth, I wassafely losing the N2 in my tissue.
After the 6 minute hold was up we took turns at the ladders to get out. On theboat I was trying to check my dive time and saw a "loc"on the display. It cleared and I made the second dive. About 45 minutes intothat dive I got an alarm, and"loc". I surfaced after a 3- 5 minutestop. Got out and skipped the third dive.
When I showed the computer to the dive master, he got serious and stopped mefrom diving until the computer cleared. I lost a full day of dives because thecomputer did not record my YO-YO stop as a safety stop.
The dive shop was worried that I was too risky despite the fact that I wasdiving with 3 other divers with computers that I stayed close to.
The lessons are:

1. Learn the computer before you dive.

2. Get the weight set; a little heavy is better than a little light.

3. If the computer says you blew a safety stop, that is what the dive shopwill use as the rule. (And that is a good rule).

Eventuallythe computer reset, 36 hours after the dives.
If youlose 2 out of 5 days on a dive trip you will be unhappy. If you pop out of thewater too soon due to buoyancy problems, you will be worse than unhappy.

 

[RickyF]

Did your dive gear ever show up?? Sorry for all the problems!

 

[fdog]

My mask, regulator and computer(s) are all in my carry-on luggage when we travel.


All the best, James

 

[scubadada]

A missed "safety stop" should not do anything to the computer, it is discretionary, not mandatory. Something is wrong here. Did you miss a deco stop?

I take my regulator and computer with me as carry on, always.

Best, Craig

 

[Lake Muroc Diver]

The computer said I missed a stop. The dive shop dive master, has to believe the computer. The computer did not record my up and down safety stop as a stop, so it indicated "NO STOP" and then It indicated that I was in DECO.

 

[FoxHound]

So by the sounds of what you just said, scubadada was right, you didn't miss a safety stop, you missed a deco stop which is why your computer would lock you out, and likely why the staff was serious. Safety stops missed do not lock a computer out as they are not mandatory.

Just because the other computers were close does not mean they are the same. I had a mares computer that was about 6 min difference at that depths from my oceanic computer. So it looks like you put the computer in deco, and you missed the stop ( a yo yo stop from 12-27ft will not count as a stop) and the computer locked you out.

 

[flots am]

You incurred an unplanned decompression obligation, blew your recreational no-deco dive plan (assuming you had one), blew off a mandatory decompression stop, didn't do your own buoyancy check, and didn't reserve enough gas to do the required deco stop.

You're lucky you only lost a couple of days.

And it really was luck. You apparently had no idea what was going on during the dive, and only noticed that you were nearly out of gas and in decompression after the dive was over.

flots.

 

[stevensamler]

I think perhaps you either missed a deco , mandatory safety stop , due to ascent rate because of your 27' to 12' yoyo. Most computers will penalise the user if the condition is not corrected within a given time frame , this maybe the reason for the lockout?

 

[GrimSleeper]

I don't want to be rude, but if you're going to say things like 'I'm a Fish!' on your profile... My response to a beginner diver, or someone posting this in Basic Scuba Discussions, would be a little different.

Have I got this right? You normally dive in a 7mm. Since you were in the Caribbean, I'm assuming you were in, at most, a 3mm suit, more likely a 2mm shorty. How on Earth, in that set-up, can you end up 7-10lbs underweighted? That's more weight than I use with a full-length 3mm and a pair of x-shorts. And I'm not a small - or thin - man. Regardless, you remember the weight check, right? It was taught in your Open Water course. It's useful, because it lets us come up with a pretty accurate figure for how much weight we need.

How did you not notice the point where the computer went into deco? I've yet to encounter one that doesn't fire off alarms all over the place when it hits deco. Plus, surely, the point of the computer is so you can monitor it, thus avoiding going into deco in the first place?

And, really, 500psi at the START of your planned 6-minute stop? It's not a huge reserve. What if, say, you'd had buoyancy problems and a mandatory deco obligation? Oh, that's right, you did.

I'm sorry you missed a couple of days diving. But I have to say, I think the lesson that should be learned is that, no matter how experienced we think we are, the basics matter - monitor depth, time and NDL, plan gas sensibly, carry out simple procedures like weight checks when diving a different configuration or in a different environment.

 

[g1138]

Review your basics. I think you went into deco without knowning it. You blew a deco stop without knowning it. You either aren't aware of the difference between a deco stop and a safety stop or you weren't explained that you blew a deco stop by the dive shop.
Computers don't lock out because of missed safety stops; they lock out because of missed decos.

You said your computer had a countdown timer that would reset at 100'. I think that was your NDL timer not your safety stop timer. All computers basically have the same information, some more than others. But the basics are
- Current Depth
- Max Depth
- Current Bottom time
- No-Deco Limit

Review your basics: Air and NDL management (AKA dive planning), buoyancy control, knowledge content (read your books again; cover to cover), and do a weight check at the beginning of your dive if you're unsure.
Pay a tribute to lady luck too, I think this could have ended much worse.

Just for curiosity's sake, what tank, weight, and exposure protection were you configured with?