Student drowns in scuba class off Pompano

[pt40fathoms]

The only two parts of the story that I consider accurate are the weather reports and the fact that the student and instructor were separated.

The instructor leaving the student alone is enough to raise a red flag. He may be in some trouble over this.

In hind sight one could say he should have had an assistant, or that he should have returned to the beach with the student then retreived the float, or he should have taken the student down with him to untie the float.

 

[MikeFerrara]

pt40fathoms once bubbled...
The only two parts of the story that I consider accurate are the weather reports and the fact that the student and instructor were separated.

The instructor leaving the student alone is enough to raise a red flag. He may be in some trouble over this.

In hind sight one could say he should have had an assistant, or that he should have returned to the beach with the student then retreived the float, or he should have taken the student down with him to untie the float.

It's not hind site it's common sense, right out of instructor 101.

 

[cornfed]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...

It's not hind site it's common sense, right out of instructor 101.

They try to teach common sense in instructor classes? No wonder we hear so many horror stories. Maybe it should be a prerequisite instead.

 

[cornfed]

PhotoTJ once bubbled...
I'd be willing to bet that this was written by someone who has not the slightest inkling about scuba, and that the connected line was just the wording they chose to use.

Bingo!

I've read several stories where the reporter talks about "oxygen tanks".

The guys writting these stories aren't divers but they generally get close enough.

 

[5615mike]

If the weather was so bad and possibly the vis was bad, what the he#$ were they doing out there by themselves? As mentioned, why was there not an assistant?

Mike, would you ever do this or allow an instructor of yours to do such a thing?

 

[divemed06]

Just wondering...is it common practice to have a 1 person class (1 student with the instructor). What if something happens to the instructor (ie. medical problem, gear problem, anything you can think of). In all the courses I've helped out on/been on, there is always at least one DM and one instructor, no matter how small the class is. During my open water class, we were 10 students with 1 instructor and 3 DMs in the water (2 to help out with skills and 1 keeping an eye out on all students) + 1 DM as surface support. It may have been overkill but I tell ya, never felt safer (they all knew what their roles where, no confusion). On all my subsequent courses, always at least 1 or 2 DMs. And BTW, DMs don't get paid up here. Was I just lucky???

 

[BIGSAGE136]

6 People. 1 Instructor. 2 swam back back the buoy alone. Afraid
to go further. No assistant. No DM.

 

[Otter]

if its raining, we aren't diving. Plain and simple. Largely its an issue with urban runoff, but its also the fact that even if conditions are 'safe' at the beginning of the dive, they may not be at the end. Admittedly, weather issues are likely different on the East Coast -- but rain here generally means, storm, wind, waves, surf.

On the few occasions where I have NOT had a Certified Asst with me, the max divers I have had are two AND I go out solo to set the float and then come back to shore and get them. Once we are finished and we are ready to ascend, then I will remove the auger from the sand. We ascend together and then I pull up the rope/auger and we swim in together. At no point, are the students left unattended on the surface or (certainly) underwater. Its more work for me, but the student's safety comes first....Instructor 101.

I don't know what happened in this case, but it appears [on limited and inconsistent information] to have been avoidable.

Edited for typos...

 

[Otter]

BIGSAGE136 once bubbled...
6 People. 1 Instructor. 2 swam back back the buoy alone. Afraid
to go further. No assistant. No DM.

Am I taking 6 students out alone!

 

[BIGSAGE136]

DONT DO IT MAHN!