29 Dec 10 Fiji Diving Incident (Amy O'Maley Fatality), Part I

[chachita]

I don't recall seeing a section or a comprehensive list of additional safety gear you should always have with you in the basic OW and AOW manuals, like all the items you mention. Some of these items may be mentioned here and there, but there isn't a great deal of emphasis on them or a section that shows why you should never dive without them.

I learned how to dive in Curacao, where the diving is about as easy as it gets - warm water, little current, great visibility, shore diving mostly, so navigation isn't challenging. Consequently, you rarely see anyone there using these items, locals or tourists. It wasn't until a recent trip to Key Largo, where I had to buy a safety sausage to be let on the dive boat and then experienced strong currents, that I realized the importance of a] diving with a full set of safety accessories and b] educating myself thoroughly on all safety issues, like many of the topics being discussed on this thread.

I am conscientious and safety minded and I took the studying portion of my diving courses seriously: I read the manuals thoroughly and have since reread several portions. As well, I had about 70 logged dives when I went to Key Largo, but this was my first real exposure to the importance and need for additional safety equipment. I don't think my experience is unique, which is why you still have most divers out there without signalling devices.

Someone else on this thread suggested a rating system for dive ops that is centrally compiled and available - which I think is an excellent idea. I did thorough research into dive ops before going to Key Largo, but it took many hours of plowing through scubaboard threads and posts asking for recommendations. Having everything in one place would be ideal.

I also think there should be a centrally available, comprehensive list that explains diving conditions in general and for specific locations in clear language any newbie can understand, so you can self assess whether you should be doing the dive based on your experience. For Key Largo wreck dives, dive ops suggest having a minimum number of logged dives and a minimun number of dives at 80-90-100 feet, which I had. Because I was doing the PADI wreck diving course and would do all dives with an instructor, I decided I could do it, but, having read about the currents, I began a special work out regimen 6 weeks prior to the trip. Aerobics, interval and strength training made a huge difference and made it much easier for me to swim comfortably, not guzzle my tank, and be able to lift myself easily out off the boat in very choppy seas [I'm 5'1" and weigh 120]. Also, prior to the trip I bought a full 3mm wetsuit to manage the lower temperatures but I didn't buy the safety sausage or any other accessories because I didn't see a recommendation anywhere. I bought my sausage at the Key Largo dive shop. Since then, I have bought a flag, mirror, horn and a strobe and I'm thinking of buying a GPS locator, as I am now planning much more adventurous trips to far-flung locales.

[Zodiacdiverdave]

For some reason every time I think of this thread my hart aches for little Amy O'Maley and her family. I have been diving for 34 years and heard allot of stories about accidents, even had several close calls my self, but for some reason this one continues to haunt me. chachita it is good to see you want to challenge yourself and you sound like you keep yourself in good shape but I also know how hard it is to keep current in the winter when you live in Toronto. Every spring you have to start that learning curve over again, please go easy. You do need to challenge yourself but you have to do it with baby steps.
Like you mentioned diving in gin clear water with someone holding your hand, no current to deal with and good boat crew to help you in and out of the water does not go very far for getting into the hard core status. You will get there I am sure but it takes time, no way around it.
I would also like to caution you about overloading yourself with gear. Take only what you need, having back-ups for back-up back-ups is just inviting trouble. I wont take a flash light with me during the day time unless I need it, I wont bring a pony if I am diving in 15 ft of water. You get the idea.
Good luck with your diving and I hope you achieve our goals. If you find yourself heading to NS for a diving trip and need some help finding a location to dive or a buddy just PM me.
ZDD

[chachita]

ZDD,

Thank you so much for your gracious post, kind advice and encouragement! There is no substitute for experience and it takes time to get there. The key is to enjoy the journey, no?

I was in Halifax for work a few years ago and have always wanted to go back. NS is on my list for photography and maybe even for diving... if I figure out how to deal with cold water I do promise to contact you for advice when I make my way out there!

Regards,
Johanna

[kdsmithjr]

I like Chachita's post. It seems reasonable and cognizant that not everywhere in the world is like the USA (not to mention that everyplace in the USA ain't perfect either). I'm a retired American who chooses to live here in the Philippines--on the island of Mindanao near Davao. I learned to dive here and I have never dove anyplace else actually in my 100 dive experience...other than elsewhere in Mindanao.
If you don't normally dive in the so-called industrialized world, like the USA, you already have accepted that there is no 911, not state of the art hospitals every 100 miles, no ambulances with advanced life support equipment....or people trained to use it. Hell, I over 50% of the boats I dive from don't have oxygen on board. I just completed my 100th dive yesterday and I plan on doing many, many more in environments like that found in and around Davao City. Davao is the 2nd largest city in the Philippines, you this is our state-of-the-art...nowhere near what would be taken for granted in the US.
Diving is safe if you dive safely and take reasonable precautions...we all know what they are. Diving is not without risk; and a safe dive can turn deadly really quickly. But in life you take what you see as reasonable risk and reap the rewards of life by accepting those risks. What happened in the story at hand here was tragic; no on can say otherwise. But I'm not really surprised at the scenario that unfolded. By American standards it's "wrong"; but the people there live by those standards 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for their entires lives. If you visit those areas for any purpose, diving included. you accept those norms as your own while you are there.