My near-miss in the Galapagos

[Leejnd]

Sorry for the double post, but I just had to add that I REALLY agree with you on one point:

I don't think dive operators should offer dives to advanced sites without good boats, good captains, and emergency equipment.

YES YES YES! If this had in fact been the case, this thread wouldn't even exist.

[Shasta_man]

Lee, you're just not getting it. We're telling you there's diving and then everything else. :-) That's satire since you can't see my smile.

I think you're forgetting that you've posted this as learning for everyone. The posts aren't just talking to you but those who read this. You decided to do what you valued and that was your decision, and that's fine, but since we're talking to others perhaps less experienced, we have to still point out our concerns with this decision.

I have to still stand by my comment but I've said it and your responses are clear you still disagree. That's OK, but I think I can clarify my point by saying this: Would someone go to the Galapagos and not dive based on what could be sketchy gear/op? No probably unreasonable to expect that. So yes, you do dive one. My comment came because after day one's experience, you went day two. Yes, you recognized the danger, thought about it and agonized over it, but my comment came because you still went. In stark analysis, you're judged by your decision, not by how much you agonized over it.

My angle is really TSandMs. At this point in my interests, I tend to plan diving trips which include sightseeing. I dive until I'm done diving, then I sightsee or anything else. That's partly so I have time to adjust if diving is delayed (sightseeing has to go!) and partly so I'm not exposed to illness in the foreign land I'm in any more than absolutely necessary because if you're sick, you can't dive (Read that too newbies!).

We can see how you went on this trip because it was an opportunity and why you dove, but I felt diving day two was where you made a decision that concerned me. Like TSandM said, in a place like the Galapagos, my own gear is a must. So, after day one, I would have had to say, hey, I've got to do something else and doggone it, we HAVE to come back to DIVE! We're only talking a day. You had to have seen amazing things already. I mean, now you know the place, you can be comfortable coming and what to expect. Recon where you want to go so you can come back easily. That's an advantage we don't usually have.

So I'm glad you survived. I'm sure the next decision point will be just as difficult.

Thank you to everyone's comments and tips. I'll try to remember them on my upcoming trip. I'm going all the way to Raja Ampat and don't have enough vacation time to visit the land too. ARGH!! But a land only trip will be peanuts compared to paying for the liveaboard. :-)

[Scott L]

Leejnd,
I beleive the best lesson learned from your mishap is the need for more research. It is nearly imposiable to discern whether a operation is good or bad without direct testimonials from those whom you trust and respect. It is perhaps much easier for some more heavily involved in diving such as TSandM and others (perhaps myself) who have training agencies, friends, etc, from which to inquire. In this case that conduit was someone whom you knew of quite loosely, if at all. Take advantage of other's due dilgence and experience. This point and mistake #3 are the only things I would beat myself up over. You know the old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, you are a bit stronger and more knowledgable now. When the thread dies out drink a glass of wine or two and get back out diving! Scott

[Bubbletrubble]

Leejnd,
I beleive the best lesson learned from your mishap is the need for more research. It is nearly imposiable to discern whether a operation is good or bad without direct testimonials from those whom you trust and respect. It is perhaps much easier for some more heavily involved in diving such as TSandM and others (perhaps myself) who have training agencies, friends, etc, from which to inquire. In this case that conduit was someone whom you knew of quite loosely, if at all. Take advantage of other's due dilgence and experience. This point and mistake #3 are the only things I would beat myself up over. You know the old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, you are a bit stronger and more knowledgable now. When the thread dies out drink a glass of wine or two and get back out diving! Scott

Scott, I'm going to provide another view here. Your point regarding "due diligence" research is a good one, but I have to disagree about that being the best lesson learned here. To be sure, there was a great deal to digest...with lots of issues contributing to a dangerous situation. In my opinion, one of the most important (if not the most important) lesson from this adventure is that a diver must assess that his/her gear is in functional condition before the dive begins, regardless of whether the diver owns that gear or if it is rented from a dive shop halfway around the world. As soon as this responsibility is abdicated, the diver introduces an unacceptable level of uncertainty into the whole equation. I think that LeeAnne recognizes this as evidenced in Post #46. Good for her. I hope that even when she's at home and using her well-cared for, well-maintained dive gear that she'll still do a comprehensive pre-dive check for functionality. Maybe her pre-dive routine will change as a result of her recent experience. If it does, it can only make her a safer diver.

For all of the newbies out there, please understand that it is your responsibility to check your gear before a dive. It is not the responsibility of the DM, your spouse, your dive instructor friend, your buddy who has 1,000+ dives, or even the captain of the dive boat. Airplane pilots don't just trust that the maintenance/repair crew has everything on the plane in good working order. Pilots go over each critical instrument in a pre-flight check themselves. Perhaps this is the kind of accountable behavior we all should seek to emulate. Develop a solid pre-dive routine or checklist and stick to it no matter what gear you are using.

Diving is a lot of fun...but it can also be dangerous. Let's all act accordingly.

Now where's that glass of wine that Scott mentioned?

[Scott L]

Scott, I'm going to provide another view here. Your point regarding "due diligence" research is a good one, but I have to disagree about that being the best lesson learned here. To be sure, there was a great deal to digest...with lots of issues contributing to a dangerous situation. In my opinion, one of the most important (if not the most important) lesson from this adventure is that a diver must assess that his/her gear is in functional condition before the dive begins, regardless of whether the diver owns that gear or if it is rented from a dive shop halfway around the world. As soon as this responsibility is abdicated, the diver introduces an unacceptable level of uncertainty into the whole equation. I think that LeeAnne recognizes this as evidenced in Post #46. Good for her. I hope that even when she's at home and using her well-cared for, well-maintained dive gear that she'll still do a comprehensive pre-dive check for functionality. Maybe her pre-dive routine will change as a result of her recent experience. If it does, it can only make her a safer diver.

For all of the newbies out there, please understand that it is your responsibility to check your gear before a dive. It is not the responsibility of the DM, your spouse, your dive instructor friend, your buddy who has 1,000+ dives, or even the captain of the dive boat. Airplane pilots don't just trust that the maintenance/repair crew has everything on the plane in good working order. Pilots go over each critical instrument in a pre-flight check themselves. Perhaps this is the kind of accountable behavior we all should seek to emulate. Develop a solid pre-dive routine or checklist and stick to it no matter what gear you are using.

Diving is a lot of fun...but it can also be dangerous. Let's all act accordingly.

Now where's that glass of wine that Scott mentioned?

Fair point although the BCD was just one facet of the picture here which we beat to death already. From the Op's orginal post this was a slipshod operation from start to finish. When I travel I always gravitate towards technical diving operations, if any, that are inherently smaller (no cattle boats) and generally much more professional. As I mentioned before, if I cannot pack my 4 pound BCD I am staying home....One exception, Extreme Exposure Aquatic Center, High Springs, FL. They have my BP/Wings for rent and you could eat your dinner off their floor it's that clean...

[Leejnd]

You know the old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, you are a bit stronger and more knowledgable now. When the thread dies out drink a glass of wine or two and get back out diving! Scott

Actually I think I'll have that glass of wine now! Although I'm a little worried it may come spouting out of me like a sprinkler through the many holes that have been poked-and-poked-and-poked in me in this thread...

I do understand that this thread is to help others learn from the things that happened to me. And I think the lessons are clear, and have been repeated and clarified and scrutinized and taken apart down to their most basic level. And I still think y'all are being a wee bit hard on me...how many times do I have to acknowledge that I shouldn't have gone the second day? And after acknowledging that a certain number of times, do repeated reminders that I shouldn't have gone the second day really serve any purpose, other than to leave more holes in me for my wine to come spouting out of? But anyway, I get it. Really, I do. I said it before, and I'll say it again, and I will probably have to say it yet again in this thread when someone else comes along and feels I still haven't learned my lesson: MEA CULPA. I should have tested the BCD better. And I shouldn't have gone the 2nd day at all. There, I said it again.

I also agree that it's probably easier for people who somehow work within the dive industry to get good referrals to dive ops. Unfortunately, that doesn't help those of us who are just divers. What are my options? What COULD I have done differently? I don't know anyone in the Galapagos! I researched and read and posted and asked questions. I found a booking agent that I thought I could trust. We emailed back and forth quite a bit...and then we started talking on the phone. I didn't just blindly follow the first thing I found...I did my due dilligence to the best of my ability. Short of moving to the Galapagos for a few months in advance, how else can yer everyday average dive traveler choose a dive op there? Or are we back to...I just shouldn't have gone at all? Because that I reject.

In the end, I think we need to remember where the BIGGEST failure was here...the dive op. I shouldn't have to worry that when I go diving with a dive op, they might give me bad DMs and bum gear. I should be able to trust that I will GET WHAT I PAID FOR. And not put my life in jeopardy.

What I would REALLY like to see is for all dive ops to take their jobs seriously, and give divers good service, good equipment, and good safety practices. And I'm doing my part to help that. Now, the next diver looking to dive in the Galapagos, when they do a search on Sub-Aqua, will see my thread and think twice. And, what would be even BETTER, would be if Sub-Aqua hears about this (which they will, from the booking agent) and makes a concerted effort to improve their operation so the next brave soul who takes their life in their hands by renting gear and diving with them won't have to go through what I did. THAT would be the best outcome, IMO.

Now where's that wine?

[Leejnd]

Scott, I'm going to provide another view here. Your point regarding "due diligence" research is a good one, but I have to disagree about that being the best lesson learned here. To be sure, there was a great deal to digest...with lots of issues contributing to a dangerous situation. In my opinion, one of the most important (if not the most important) lesson from this adventure is that a diver must assess that his/her gear is in functional condition before the dive begins, regardless of whether the diver owns that gear or if it is rented from a dive shop halfway around the world. As soon as this responsibility is abdicated, the diver introduces an unacceptable level of uncertainty into the whole equation. I think that LeeAnne recognizes this as evidenced in Post #46. Good for her. I hope that even when she's at home and using her well-cared for, well-maintained dive gear that she'll still do a comprehensive pre-dive check for functionality. Maybe her pre-dive routine will change as a result of her recent experience. If it does, it can only make her a safer diver.

For all of the newbies out there, please understand that it is your responsibility to check your gear before a dive. It is not the responsibility of the DM, your spouse, your dive instructor friend, your buddy who has 1,000+ dives, or even the captain of the dive boat. Airplane pilots don't just trust that the maintenance/repair crew has everything on the plane in good working order. Pilots go over each critical instrument in a pre-flight check themselves. Perhaps this is the kind of accountable behavior we all should seek to emulate. Develop a solid pre-dive routine or checklist and stick to it no matter what gear you are using.

Diving is a lot of fun...but it can also be dangerous. Let's all act accordingly.

Now where's that glass of wine that Scott mentioned?

I'm quoting this entire post, because I think it's all just so accurate and on-point. YES I have learned a really good lesson about checking my gear. And I have saved your list of pre-dive check for BCDs. It's a reminder of why I read the Accidents and Near Misses forums to begin with - I swear I have learned more about being a safe diver from these forums than anywhere else other than my original OW/AOW classes. I always tell every newbie that they should read these forums if they want to become safer divers.

In fact, it was in the Accidents forum that I first read a caution about ditching weights if there are divers below you. So if you think about it, if not for this forum, there may very well be a thread in that forum right now about some poor diver who got killed by having a weight belt dropped on his head at Gordon Rocks in the Galapagos!

Which brings up a point that is kind of off-topic, but it occurred to me at some point so I thought I'd mention it...My own gear has integrated weight pouches, whereas the rental gear involved one of those old-fashioned weight belts with lead blocks. It occurred to me that if I was wearing my own gear, my concern about ditching my weights would have been less, because I use those soft weights (made out of, I think, little lead beads in a packet?) and they are in two separate pouches, which I imagine would be less dangerous, and easier to dodge (or at least survive getting bonked in the head by) than one of those long weight belts with hard lead blocks that might crash into someone's head and even get wrapped around their neck. So if I'd had my own gear, I probably would have immediately ditched my weights.

But that's all academic, since I didn't have my gear. Anyway, just food for thought.

[Scott L]

In waters over 78 degress I have no need for weights with my .5mm skin and AL BP/Wings...

Having my glass(s) of wine. Have a good weekend all!

[Scott L]

I'm quoting this entire post, because I think it's all just so accurate and on-point. YES I have learned a really good lesson about checking my gear. And I have saved your list of pre-dive check for BCDs. It's a reminder of why I read the Accidents and Near Misses forums to begin with - I swear I have learned more about being a safe diver from these forums than anywhere else other than my original OW/AOW classes. I always tell every newbie that they should read these forums if they want to become safer divers.

In fact, it was in the Accidents forum that I first read a caution about ditching weights if there are divers below you. So if you think about it, if not for this forum, there may very well be a thread in that forum right now about some poor diver who got killed by having a weight belt dropped on his head at Gordon Rocks in the Galapagos!

Which brings up a point that is kind of off-topic, but it occurred to me at some point so I thought I'd mention it...My own gear has integrated weight pouches, whereas the rental gear involved one of those old-fashioned weight belts with lead blocks. It occurred to me that if I was wearing my own gear, my concern about ditching my weights would have been less, because I use those soft weights (made out of, I think, little lead beads in a packet?) and they are in two separate pouches, which I imagine would be less dangerous, and easier to dodge (or at least survive getting bonked in the head by) than one of those long weight belts with hard lead blocks that might crash into someone's head and even get wrapped around their neck. So if I'd had my own gear, I probably would have immediately ditched my weights.

But that's all academic, since I didn't have my gear. Anyway, just food for thought.

I don't think anyone was hard on you. Your original post indicated you were posting for others to avoid similar mistakes. Who knows how many trips you will have made safer as a consequence (1076 views)! To be honest, with your intellgence and experience you were never in much danger it seems. Only the divers who are ignorant of the practice of dropping weight at the surface when negatively bouyant would have been in any real harm. With regard to soft weights they are filled with lead shot...

Quick story about near misses. One of the larger dive charter operators (also an instructor) in Palm Beach County many years ago (still in business) quickly assembled his gear (doubles) on his boat one afternoon and rolled off the side on a solo dive. When nearing the bottom (75') he realized to his horror that he had forgotten to affix his wing (bouyancy) to his rig and was now virtually anchored to the bottom. He took a couple of deep long breaths and contemplated his predicament then doff'd his rig and made a seccessful emergency swimming ascent to the surface...If he could make such a mistake I think you are in good shape for the future...

[TSandM]

Lee, any time you post something here, it's going to get discussed to death -- that's what bulletin boards are FOR I've taken my fair share of drubbings, I'll tell you. But it's still good to have these stories to read, and it's good to have input from a variety of people, because these are painless learning experiences for the people who read them without having made the mistakes. Your ego will heal, but you may well have kept some much more novice diver from ending up on a rough surface with a nonfunctional BC some day.