Death and Diving

[colincross]

Hello, I would like to introduce myself, My name is Colin Cross, I am the widow of the Late Ronda Cross Killed in a diving accident in Cabo Mexico March 3 2012.

I have been silently sitting here reading your many posts, and comments, and i am grateful for all the silent friends I have made. I have not been able to speak out or make any comments until now. I have learned a lot from all of you, and will continue to learn from you.

I have two questions for all my dive friends out there, and by no means do i mean to ruffle any feathers, but here they are:

1. How many people trust PADI because they implement there partners to maintain quality air at their dive shops, and please tell me why you choose to dive with a PADI Dive shop?

2. who finds it troubling a big company Resort refers divers to a dive shop renting space from them and does not monitor them if they are practicing safe business practices.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

First of all, my condolences for your loss.

I am glad that Scubaboard has helped you as it has helped so many others.

1. I chose PADI because of luck and the fact that the two local dive shops were PADI shops. I picked the one that I felt suited me the best, and I'm happy with my decision based on the quality service. I trust their air because I test it with a CO analyzer and because of the experience/quality of the employees. Sometimes, even with a great shop, there can be CO problems once in a blue moon. That's why a diver should test each tank.

2. Yes, it's troubling. That's why I bring my own regulators and some other equipment to resorts if I'm going to dive there. And I'll CO-test each tank. But from now on, I think I'll go to dive resorts if I'm going diving. I will do the same thing, though; dive resorts can better suit my diving needs. I also check reviews on the resort before I go.

Hopefully, that helps answer your questions.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Colin, sorry for your loss.

 

[koozemani]

Sorry for your loss.

1. when traveling, I don't think I've ever checked which agency a shop is affiliated with. I base my shop choices on reviews both here and elsewhere and pick the one that best suits our needs.

2. That is troubling.

 

[Diver0001]

I have two questions for all my dive friends out there, and by no means do i mean to ruffle any feathers, but here they are:

1. How many people trust PADI because they implement there partners to maintain quality air at their dive shops, and please tell me why you choose to dive with a PADI Dive shop?

2. who finds it troubling a big company Resort refers divers to a dive shop renting space from them and does not monitor them if they are practicing safe business practices.

Colin,

Given he nature of Ronda's accident I can fully understand that your confidence has been shaken. I don't really know how to answer your questions except to offer the idea that unless this was a common occurrence at the shop in question that neither PADI nor the Resort would have had reason to worry.

I know this doesn't help you pick up the pieces but CO poisoning is very uncommon and therefore I wouldn't really expect anyone except the dive operator itself to be involved in taking measures to ensure that the air is safe. Maybe that's not the way it *should* be, but it would be my expectation. I know that some divers have started travelling with CO detectors to check their air as a result of the incidents there have been and maybe that's ultimately the best advice.

I'm curious. What did the investigation turn up? Who did the authorities feel was responsible?

R.

 

[colincross]

Im gonna call myself a student expert on carbon monoxide within scuba tanks as i have dedicated almost a full year of reserch and exploration on this. CO can accumulate within a tank... think about this, how many of us experienced divers come up with no air, in fact most of us cause of our relaxed attitude uderwater consume only half our air. so if you have a bad air source that is putting in 6 ppm of CO on a regular basis (inline detectors go off at 10ppm) eventually if that air source is unchecked or maintained someone is gonna have an issue. as well look at the surrrounding where most compressors are...... a marina, boats running? CO being produced, it will add up. now add your amnopheres to that and multiply the results! after 10 fills you have a potentialy deadly tank.
Since i've been testing it is rare to find a tank with 3<ppm in a tank.
This is a very interesting document the author got the dates wrong but thats not the point. Welcome to the TDO Forum! ? View topic - Co in your tanks....
So far te investigation has turned up that is was CO poisoning, and we have several very credible witnesses as to where the tanks were filled.
Believe it or not but as I have been learning, CO is very common, but not always leading to a fatality.
Thank you for the condolences.

Colin

 

[manni-yunk]

Very sorry for your loss.................



I test every tank I breathe. I dont trust padi - or anyone else, anymore, to keep me safe if I can do something myself. I maintain my own compressor religiously - and even at that, I test every tank with a hand held analyzer.

Those on here that continue to perpetuate the myth that CO is not a major issue since there is no specific data pointing to a volume of deaths or sickness directly attributed to CO poisoning - are doing a disservice.

Just recently - an operator that I trust had tanks ready for us as we got to the boat - and we found between 3 and 15 ppm Co in every tank. His snorkel had come undone while tank filling nad boat exhaust made it into the intake.

We brought it to his attention, We drained, and refilled - then retested with better results.

 

[wedivebc]

Your logic is a little off there. If you have a tank half filled with air containing 3ppm of CO and fill it with clean air then you will have 1.5ppm. If you have half a tank with 3ppm and fill it with a source containing 3ppm you will still have 3ppm CO.
I am very sorry for your loss. As has been mentioned above CO poisoning is very rare. A shop should post a recent air quality test report in plain sight. They should also have a compressor filter that contains hopcalite which will reduce the CO to CO2 which is far less toxic.
This is not something you can attribute to any one agency. If you have found more cases of PADI facilities having CO issues it will be because PADI has more facilities than anyone else.

Im gonna call myself a student expert on carbon monoxide within scuba tanks as i have dedicated almost a full year of reserch and exploration on this. CO can accumulate within a tank... think about this, how many of us experienced divers come up with no air, in fact most of us cause of our relaxed attitude uderwater consume only half our air. so if you have a bad air source that is putting in 6 ppm of CO on a regular basis (inline detectors go off at 10ppm) eventually if that air source is unchecked or maintained someone is gonna have an issue. as well look at the surrrounding where most compressors are...... a marina, boats running? CO being produced, it will add up. now add your amnopheres to that and multiply the results! after 10 fills you have a potentialy deadly tank.
Since i've been testing it is rare to find a tank with 3<ppm in a tank.
This is a very interesting document the author got the dates wrong but thats not the point. Welcome to the TDO Forum! ? View topic - Co in your tanks....
So far te investigation has turned up that is was CO poisoning, and we have several very credible witnesses as to where the tanks were filled.
Believe it or not but as I have been learning, CO is very common, but not always leading to a fatality.
Thank you for the condolences.

Colin

 

[colincross]

Your logic is a little off there. If you have a tank half filled with air containing 3ppm of CO and fill it with clean air then you will have 1.5ppm. If you have half a tank with 3ppm and fill it with a source containing 3ppm you will still have 3ppm CO.
I am very sorry for your loss. As has been mentioned above CO poisoning is very rare. A shop should post a recent air quality test report in plain sight. They should also have a compressor filter that contains hopcalite which will reduce the CO to CO2 which is far less toxic.
This is not something you can attribute to any one agency. If you have found more cases of PADI facilities having CO issues it will be because PADI has more facilities than anyone else.

I think you misread, This is based on a compressor putting out 6ppm on a regular basis.
thank you for the condolences.

 

[manni-yunk]

Your logic is a little off there. .

As is yours.... because of this...

---------- Post added March 8th, 2013 at 12:36 PM ----------

As has been mentioned above CO poisoning is very rare. A shop should post a recent air quality test report in plain sight..

Air quality test are more about compressor maintence and identifying potential larger issues. They do not help with long term CO monitoring since they are only a snapshot as to what happened at that very second of fill.

Any little change after that test can dramatically affect the results of air quality. Posting those results are not a big help. Continuous and religious real time testing of CO levels is the only appropriate action. Every commercial compressor needs to be set up with this capability - IMO.