This can also be remedied by dropping lead. There's no reason for someone to drown because their air was off and they couldn't reach the valve. That's just poor training and/or reaction to a relatively minor emergency situation.
Side Mount Yes/no?
- Thread starter soggybadger
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KevinNM
Contributor
You are assuming they are running a balanced rig and can drop enough weight to get to the surface before they pass out. Typically these happen with a dive site where you are supposed to plummet to the bottom in a current, and their reg was was pressurized before it was turned off, so they get a breath or two, before finding at 50 feet they have no air and are sinking fast.
Tragic for sure. It's hard for me to understand a single tank recreational diver doing something like that. To reach 50 feet in just two breaths is sinking like a rock. Entering the water so incredibly negative in buoyancy is a very risky dive plan. Similar to BASE Jumping, you better be damn sure your equipment is working right before you jump, because there may not be time to deal with a problem. My advice would be to dive with as little weight as you need to stay below 15 feet. If you need to drop fast, swim down. I think it's much safer that way.
Reku
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I once sank to the bottom of a small lake and had to walk out - I would not recommend.
OP
soggybadger
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Just thought I'd add that the reason I want to be able to reach my valve is incase it gets snagged. I always make sure my air is on very carefully.
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In an ideal world this is true ... but we don't live in an ideal world, and not every diver is going to react to a "relatively minor emergency situation" in a calm, rational manner ... even if they have been trained to do so. Because not everyone practices what they were trained to do, and therefore they may not think to fall back on training (even good training) during a moment of stress. And because "training" often refers to the act of mimicking an instructor once, while on your knees, in a planned exercise, which is not at all how things happen in the real world.
Sorry, nope ... can't accept that response. Not being able to breathe once submerged isn't what I'd call a "relatively minor emergency situation" ... it's just about the only emergency situation I can think of where your life is being measured in seconds unless you do the right thing to remedy the situation. And the right thing in this case is to reach behind your head and turn your air on. The next best response in this case would be to reach for another source of air, whether it be your dive buddy's octopus or a pony bottle. But in the world we live in, not everyone is going to have those options readily available.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
I would say OOA is the only major emergency underwater (apart from medical issues such as a cardiac arrest). Anything else, so long as you are breathing is something that can be dealt with at a relatively methodical pace.
To add my thoughts to this, if you can't reach your valve for whatever reason (such as a shoulder injury etc), you should be able to (at least partically) doff your gear, turn the valve and don the gear again. So long as you maintain a good grip on your gear, it should be a relatively easy manoeuvre to do. This is especially true if you are diving with a decent buddy who can assist.
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Like any skill, it gets easier with practice. But most divers never practice their skills once out of class. They just assume they'll be able to do what they need to during a moment of need. Unfortunately, the DAN accident reports are littered with cases of people who found out their assumptions were not justified ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Very true - classes (when taught properly) prepare you with the knowledge and skills but it is up to you to keep them honed to a point where they will actually work in real life.
OP
soggybadger
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I think I'd rather be able to reach my valve easily than have to remove gear ( even partially) in an oh ****! Moment. I am fairly new to this malarkey and am confident with removing gear just not in a hurry. With regards to buddy assistance all well and good provided they are in the water and not still on the boat / dock whilst I'm having my little moment. Probably best to check test check test before I find out I've dropped a bollock.
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