John C. Ratliff
January 10th, 2003, 11:24 AM
On a different thread, I brought up that I was now wearing a helmet while diving. Here's what I said:
That's a good question (about why wear a helmet), and I will start a new thread with this entry. I now use a helmet because in 1973 I was picked up by the US Coast Guard after my buddy and I became stranded off the Oregon coast in 20+ foot waves. We were rolled trying to come ashore on a rocky coast, and stayed in the water well over 3 hours trying to figure out how to get back in, unsuccessfully I might add. I was wearing a white-water kayaker's helmet, and that's what the Coast Guard saw and allowed us to come home that evening (thank goodness our girl friends had called the Coast Guard when we couldn't make it in and the waves had kicked up.
That's the primary reason. Have you noticed that most diving gear presently is dark (blue or black)? Have you tried to find a yellow or intenational orange BC, wet suit, dry suit? We have become invisible to searchers, and as an ex-Pararescueman, I still feel the need to be seen.
A second reason is that in about 1974 I investigated a diving fatality where the diver was trying to make an exit in Newport's Yaquina Bay, on the jetty rocks in waves, was hit by a five foot wave, and knocked into the rocks. He died of drowning, but was knocked unconscious by hitting the rocks after being slammed by the wave.
So, why not wear a helmet?
SeaRat
That's a good question (about why wear a helmet), and I will start a new thread with this entry. I now use a helmet because in 1973 I was picked up by the US Coast Guard after my buddy and I became stranded off the Oregon coast in 20+ foot waves. We were rolled trying to come ashore on a rocky coast, and stayed in the water well over 3 hours trying to figure out how to get back in, unsuccessfully I might add. I was wearing a white-water kayaker's helmet, and that's what the Coast Guard saw and allowed us to come home that evening (thank goodness our girl friends had called the Coast Guard when we couldn't make it in and the waves had kicked up.
That's the primary reason. Have you noticed that most diving gear presently is dark (blue or black)? Have you tried to find a yellow or intenational orange BC, wet suit, dry suit? We have become invisible to searchers, and as an ex-Pararescueman, I still feel the need to be seen.
A second reason is that in about 1974 I investigated a diving fatality where the diver was trying to make an exit in Newport's Yaquina Bay, on the jetty rocks in waves, was hit by a five foot wave, and knocked into the rocks. He died of drowning, but was knocked unconscious by hitting the rocks after being slammed by the wave.
So, why not wear a helmet?
SeaRat