Deep Solo Wreck Dive

[DCBC]

Over the years, I've had a number of near misses while diving. Most of these have been equipment or operator related. Although at other times it has been my poor judgement as a result of inexperience. Sometimes s*** just happens that you have very little control of. This was one of those times...

It was 1984. I was in Bonaire for 10 days with a group of relatively experienced divers. The Head Instructor at Captain Don's Habitat and I had become fast friends and he had a day off and invited me to come on a dive with him and his friend, a professional marine biologist from the research station the following day. The wreck was the Windjammer (The Mari Bahn) which is in 200' of water. No mixed gas was available, so the dive would be on air.

As a past Navy Diver, I had several dives on air past 200', was able to manage narcosis and wasn't worried about my performance or the dive plan.

Two instructors from New York also wanted to do the dive at the last minute and although I was leary of their competence, it wasn't my call. It was agreed that each diver would dive solo and at that depth would not depend upon others to assist them. Six divers from my group would act as safety divers, stages were set and lots of decompression gas was available.

We went to the bottom and split-up. I entered the wreck (which didn't provide a hazard as the wreck is open on one side) and swam through it, then crossed over and down to the bow anchor. I checked my depth at 225' and started a lateral ascent. I noticed two divers relatively close together and identified them as the instructors from New York. They were about 50' from the ascent line at a depth of about 190'.

As I approached the first diver, he gave me the sign "Give me Air." This is not what I was expecting... I immediately gave him my octopus. The closest diver to him was unresponsive, although he looked at me, he didn't respond when I tried to wave him over; he was obviously narced.

Before I started the ascent, I wanted to get to the narced diver and tried to move my "air receiver" to be in a position to assist. He froze, but I was able to move him with some difficulty. During this time, the diver experiencing narcosis started to panic and he quickly went OOA.

In my mind, I felt that my only option was to donate my back-air to the two OOA divers and do a free-ascent over to and up the line to the first group of safety divers who were to be at 130 feet. Failing that, I knew the first stage bottles were at 30'. I knew that the two OOA divers would quickly run out of air, but I couldn't do more than that. I could not share air with two divers, one frozen, the other narced. They would be on their own. Hopefully it might give them enough time for assistance to arrive. I started to remove my B.C. ...

I just got my equipment off when help arrived. I was given air and retrieved my kit. Needless to say, I was extremely pleased.

The two OOA divers were escorted to the first decompression stop. I couldn't even look at them I was so ticked-off. When we surfaced, I was spitting nickels. They should not have been on that dive. Two instructors who should have known better.

When I sat down quietly and started to think about it, I started to shake from nerves. The dive plan was solid and the safety divers did their job.

So what did I learn? That regardless of what's said. Solo divers diving at their own risk. When it comes down to it, I just couldn't only look after myself. I had to help. It could have got me killed.

Although I felt the dive was safe for me to do, even though I wasn't diving in a team, I have a team mentality. I've done deeper dives with people who I don't know, but I talk to them about their experience and feel comfortable with them before diving. I'll never again leave it up to a Head Instructor at a dive resort to do this for me.

I often wonder if those two instructors realized how close to death they came? I wonder if the experience benefited them and/or their students?

You can do everything right, have all the right safety precautions, all the right equipment and although you do nothing wrong, you can bear the brunt of an accident.

Let the flaming begin. :popcorn:

[Rick Murchison]

Ahhhh, yes, the Mari Bahn, evaporating air supplies and narcosis... a recipe for, uh, adventure
I ain't sayin' much, but I will share that I reached my 130' bottle with 156 psi... didn't leave that $5 spool behind, though, even with that little inconsequential freeflow!
Oh, yeah, DCBC, let the flames begin indeed
Rick

[bsee65]

Flaming for what? For being the guy who bailed out a couple morons who went where they didn't belong? For risking your own safety and possibly your life to do it? For doing a difficult dive that was within your capabilities? I'm not sure what part of that you'd expect any legitimate flames to be based on. Maybe you'd get flamed for not punching the catatonic idiot in the face to wake him up and get him started?

The only flame I could throw at you is for not beating the crap out of both of them once your team got them out of the water.

Book learning does not equal proficiency or common sense.

[DCBC]

Flaming for what?

Some might say that anyone doing a dive like that on air is an idiot. Although the military and commercial fields used mixed-gas, it wasn't available to the recreational diver at that time; there was only air. I always believed in the old saying "plan your dive and dive your plan," but this was the first-time where I had to break the rule because of someone else.

This wasn't happening to someone I was training, it was happening to me. It was me who was in the frying pan and I was questioning if I was going to make it out of a bad situation. I was shocked. How can this be happening to ME. I crossed the "T's" and dotted the "I's," or at least I thought I did.

It's hard to describe, but although my training had prepared me well, it had also left me with a sense of invincibility. I had been led to believe that if I did things by the numbers, things would be ok. I was wrong. It taught me a huge lesson.

Regardless of ones training level, situations may present themselves that are completely outside of your control. You find yourself in a world of hurt. It happens and it can happen to anyone.

I see DM's supervising inexperienced divers and I wonder who is going to rescue the DM if he needs help? Two newly certified divers diving for the first time unsupervised; neither of them having received any training in rescue and I have to wonder.

Problems can happen to anyone, at any time. Perhaps we all should all be better prepared for that day.

[Rick Murchison]

Flaming for what?

There is a common thread in both our little adventures, and it has to do with being a little too accomodating. In DCBC's case, he let some (highly experienced but not in 200' dives) folks he wasn't sure of join him and it nearly bit him when his reservations proved well founded. In my case, I let a (highly experienced, but in "vacation mode") buddy talk me into taking a whole bottle of gas less than I knew was prudent for the dive and it nearly bit me when I had a couple of equipment issues and a little current that would have been inconsequential had I insisted on my own gas plan.
Rick

[DCBC]

There is a common thread in both our little adventures, and it has to do with being a little too accomodating. In DCBC's case, he let some (highly experienced but not in 200' dives) folks he wasn't sure of join him and it nearly bit him when his reservations proved well founded. In my case, I let a (highly experienced, but in "vacation mode") buddy talk me into taking a whole bottle of gas less than I knew was prudent for the dive and it nearly bit me when I had a couple of equipment issues and a little current that would have been inconsequential had I insisted on my own gas plan.
Rick

Thanks Rick. There's something to be said about allowing ourselves to be influenced in participating in an endeavor that we should have known to be either unsafe or at least questionable.

I'd like to hear more of the specifics of your dive. As to mine, although I was concerned about the additional divers, I figured it wasn't my party and I was a guest on the dive. Regardless, that led to a situation which was hazardous and totally unexpected from my perspective.

It makes me wonder how often a diver is influenced by a buddy, DM or Instructor to do something in open-water that s/he's not comfortable with. I'm sure many of us when we were newly certified have been in this position.

How often do DM's and Instructor's even think "Who's my Buddy" and "Who is qualified to come to my assistance if it's required?" Perhaps this is not as much of a consideration as it should be.

[muddiver]

As the saying goes "There are bold divers and old divers, but...there are no old bold divers."

DCBC I suspect that all of that commercial/military diving and traing we amassed really prepared us for diving in either a unified team that will work through a problem together, or independantly with the support of a surface (or safety) support team. It's the "loose cannon" events like you discribed that catch one by supprise. Being a former Marine, with little reguard for stupidity, ignorance or imaturaty, I would have probably signaled from a distance "go up, oh, and kiss your ass good by" before I ascended to the safety team and tried to communicate "there are two OOA nuckleheads down below".

I have also, as a DM, gone through the thought process of "who is going to save the solo diving DM". Even during AAUS training dives I am technically diving solo as the DM/assistant instructor. And the kids we are mentoring are usually not very experience or well trained either. Makes for fun exciting diving.

[InTheDrink]

Thanks Rick. There's something to be said about allowing ourselves to be influenced in participating in an endeavor that we should have known to be either unsafe or at least questionable.

I'd like to hear more of the specifics of your dive. As to mine, although I was concerned about the additional divers, I figured it wasn't my party and I was a guest on the dive. Regardless, that led to a situation which was hazardous and totally unexpected from my perspective.

It makes me wonder how often a diver is influenced by a buddy, DM or Instructor to do something in open-water that s/he's not comfortable with. I'm sure many of us when we were newly certified have been in this position.

How often do DM's and Instructor's even think "Who's my Buddy" and "Who is qualified to come to my assistance if it's required?" Perhaps this is not as much of a consideration as it should be.

In any risky endeavour the experience of the least experienced member(s) of the team will have a big bearing on the success of said endeavour. I've seen this countless times in mountaineering. If it's dodgy you want only good and known quantities around. I guess the same applies to diving.

By the way - amazing story and prior to help arriving, your plan of action was both clear yet terrifying. Nice one.

J

[Jax]

When it comes down to it, I just couldn't only look after myself. I had to help. It could have got me killed.

God Bless you.

[pdelannoy]

Those guys were lucky you were along DCBC.