Reef Swim-Through Dangers

[Scared Silly]

Probabally not a popular thought here, but...<shrugs> overhead-restricted is....overhead-restricted.

Just ask yourself "what if". If you had a gas failure inside a nice long swimthrough, could you count on your buddy (and yourself) to know what to do, and then, do it?

If you can't immediately answer that question with a yes, then that swimthrough is a bad place to be.

Casual overhead-restricted kills just as easily as the serious stuff. Yes, lots of folks have done it - doesn't make it the right thing to do - you're possibly betting your life on the flawless performance of your regulator.

After reading a few responses some folks really need to read this. Of course it is just not the flawless performance of your reg. Say your reg gets snagged and pulled from your mouth then floats above you. Meantime you blow your buoyancy and hit the ceiling pinning the reg. Where is your octo well it was floating and is pinned. Mean while your thrashing stops the congo line and by the time the DM figures out there there is a problem you are dead.

The bottomline is that a swim through is an over head environment. Done often, done safely rarely.

 

[krbailey]

Then why did you allow yourself to be put in such a position? I can understand you doing it once out of ignorance, but once you experienced it once, you should have known better and declinded to endanger yourself on "quite a few dives."

I "allowed" myself to be put into this position because the DM failed to take into account my level of experience. I had just finished my AOW with the same outfit, so my skill level should have readily been apparent.

A "swim-through" as was mentioned in the dive briefing is not the same as a twisting cavern with no readily apparent exit. I felt comfortable going through because my bouyancy was good and I didn't feel apprehensive before or after the dive, which led me to believe everything was OK. This doesn't mean I should have been placed in that position. Others I observed didn't have good bouyancy control and should have never been allowed to go through.

Through hindsight after my trip, I realized that there should have been an issue. As with all situations where an individual is new to an activity, they normally defer to someone with more experience, especially in a dangerous situation when a good deal of training and evaluation is required.

 

[seaducer]

Well, hopefully you learned not to trust a DM, or other people in your group more than you trust your instincts. And don't follow blindly. Sounds like you are on the right track...

Like many others have posted, I no longer dive swimthroughs. I prefer to take the time to hunt for critters. Of course, if everyone else is doing the swim through you are solo for a bit.

Take the lesser of two evils in your estimation.

 

[leapfrog]

I know it's not intended but there is a certain amount of DMbashing going on in this thread. We are an essential part of the food chain just like everybody else. There are a lot of "overqualified" people doing DM work. So many times a DM has Instructor ratings or is a very qualified diver that for whatever reson has not gone on to be an Instructor...(maybe some of us can't afford it?).
Another point I would like to make is that all certified divers are responsible for themselves (and their buddies). The DM shows the way but you make the choice. Finally, I resent the comment by one poster inferring that we (the DMs) do not take time to evaluate the skills of who we are guiding on a dive. That is just absurd. Ever heard the term "Situational Awareness"? We have major responsibilities and liabilities and if there is a situation SAPFU, we've screwed the pooch and we are history.

In a nutshell, I'll take good care of you but you should try to take care of yourself too!

 

[seaducer]

I know it's not intended but there is a certain amount of DMbashing going on in this thread. We are an essential part of the food chain just like everybody else. There are a lot of "overqualified" people doing DM work. So many times a DM has Instructor ratings or is a very qualified diver that for whatever reson has not gone on to be an Instructor...(maybe some of us can't afford it?).

I am not reffering to DM's who assist with classes or are hired to assist a diver in open water. I am strictly reffering to the DM who gets in with 15 or so divers and leads the way.

Another point I would like to make is that all certified divers are responsible for themselves (and their buddies).

Absolutely, as one poster is learning about now. And he learned because the DM leading the dive failed to consider a new diver may not be ready or comfortable in a tight overhead environment.

...Finally, I resent the comment by one poster inferring that we (the DMs) do not take time to evaluate the skills of who we are guiding on a dive. That is just absurd. Ever heard the term "Situational Awareness"?

Are you refferring to me? I have never had a DM ask me about my diving history, skill level, comfort, etc. So in my experience, they do not evaluate the divers they are about to lead on a dive. If by "situational awareness" you mean you check out their gear, watch how they set it up, and listen in to what they are saying or not saying on the boat, I have another term form that. Assumptions.

In a nutshell, I'll take good care of you but you should try to take care of yourself too!

Too right!
Cheers,

 

[Walter]

I "allowed" myself to be put into this position because the DM failed to take into account my level of experience.

Often, we are unaware of the dangers of a particular situation and sometimes we trust others to know better and follow their lead. This is a perfectly logical exoplanation as to why you did it once. I was wondering more about the following dives when you already knew the "swim throughs" were twisting caverns and you felt this had some of the dangers of cave diving.

This doesn't mean I should have been placed in that position.

I agree, but you placed yourself in that position. Accept responsibility for your own actions. I've made lots of mistakes of that nature in my diving. It was always my fault. When the DM gave the first inaccurate briefing, you were unaware of the true situation until you were actually in the cavern (although you could have looked before entering), but when similar briefings were given for later dives, you knew the true situation.

Another point I would like to make is that all certified divers are responsible for themselves

Excellent point!

I am not reffering to DM's who assist with classes or are hired to assist a diver in open water. I am strictly reffering to the DM who gets in with 15 or so divers and leads the way.

With few exceptions, I believe the guide is the better diver, is more aware of strengths and weaknesses of the divers he's leading and is much better equipped to handle emergencies than the "DM" who only assists with classes.

 

[krbailey]

Are you refferring to me? I have never had a DM ask me about my diving history, skill level, comfort, etc. So in my experience, they do not evaluate the divers they are about to lead on a dive. If by "situational awareness" you mean you check out their gear, watch how they set it up, and listen in to what they are saying or not saying on the boat, I have another term form that. Assumptions.



Too right!
Cheers,

Seaducer

I am in 100% agreement! No one has ever asked me about my experience (newly AOW with only 30 dives) or to see my log book. As I have only booked dives alone, I have always been partnered with a diver who is also "buddyless", with no attention paid to skill level/experience. I had one diver I would call a "good" buddy, who I was fortunate to be partnered with on several dives through luck (he was also buddyless), not planning by the DM.

Here is a typical briefing in my experience:

"We are going to be diving xxx. Maximum depth will be 90 feet. Watch your depth gage so you don't get below that depth. Bottom time should be about 45 minutes. We will see some coral heads and do a swim-through or 2. We should see turtles, eels, etc. Try to stay with the group. Notify me when you are at 1000 psi. At 500 psi, we will ascend with a 3 minute safety stop at 15 feet."

No mention of OOA procedures, what to do if you become separarted from the group, hand signals to be used, etc.

This may be the exception to the rule, given my limited experience, but I have never seen a DM do very much more.

 

[ucfdiver]

I think having no light would make it a cave.

Question 2 - I have had no cave training whatsoever.

There's your answer, you said it....not me.

 

[deco_martini]

I think we now have 3 pages of much ado about nothing. Cozumel's swim throughts with a few exceptions aren't even as enclosed or light deprived as your average recreational wreck.

 

[krbailey]

I agree, but you placed yourself in that position. Accept responsibility for your own actions. I've made lots of mistakes of that nature in my diving. It was always my fault. When the DM gave the first inaccurate briefing, you were unaware of the true situation until you were actually in the cavern (although you could have looked before entering), but when similar briefings were given for later dives, you knew the true situation.

I believe the DM is responsible for the safety of the group he is leading, especially of they are relatively inexperienced. If I knew enough not to do what the DM says is OK, I wouldn't need him in the first place. You seem to be saying that it's fine to go through the training and certification where you taught to follow the briefing and DM instructions, but if they are wrong , it's your fault.