A FB friend posted his brother died today in Ginnie Springs

[shoredivr]

I've been a big enough PITA to never get on a dive boat with a particular unsafe diver.

Reanalyzing a tank would take a few minutes. That's the incomprehensible part.

 

[Jax]

I've been a big enough PITA to never get on a dive boat with a particular unsafe diver.

Reanalyzing a tank would take a few minutes. That's the incomprehensible part.

Not incomprehensible if you consider complacency. Just like with guns, complacency kills in any extreme sport.

 

[oldschoolto]

Like most high risk sports..... The saying.... You never will be so good that this sport can't kill you.!!


Jim.....

 

[TONY CHANEY]

I have at times, others might say more often than not, a PITA at dive sites. It's my safety also and I promised my wife and daughters I will do everything I can to return home safely. I think about my team as well. I'll be the first to sit out a dive if I think that it will be unsafe to either the team or myself. I have altered a dive plan due to not knowing what was in my stage. I thought that I knew, and later I was right, but that slight second guessing helps to keep me diving.

 

[DandyDon]

I test every tank for CO, and now that I have seen divers mistakenly dive Nitrox they thought was air on a deeper dive - I test my tanks for O2.

I don't test my bud's tanks. I offer to let him use the analyzers, but up to him. But then my dives are all recreational while carrying a 19 cf pony I did analyze - so I'm covered. I just do not impose my standards on others, no matter how tempting.

 

[FM1520]

I'm torn on this. On the one hand, the buddies asked.

On the other, if a buddy said, "Dude, those tank markings make me nervous. May I analyze your tank, just so I feel better?", then it would have been a 'catch point'.

There are many who immediately want to "blame the buddy" for someone else' ****-up. Where does one draw the line? How big of a PITA does one be??

Making a team mate that you are about to go diving with re-check a tank that is admittedly mislabeled is not in any way being a PITA. In fact I can’t think of anything more important.
The team only works if everyone does their job, it’s unconscionable that the team allowed this to happen. Even if you don’t care or like your buddy there is also a certain amount of self-preservation - my team mate’s air is also my air.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I'm torn on this. On the one hand, the buddies asked.

On the other, if a buddy said, "Dude, those tank markings make me nervous. May I analyze your tank, just so I feel better?", then it would have been a 'catch point'.

There are many who immediately want to "blame the buddy" for someone else' ****-up. Where does one draw the line? How big of a PITA does one be??

I don't blame the buddies, but if one of his buddies had needed to breathe off that tank it wouldn't have just been the deceased who was ed. If I'm solo diving, you can fall into the water ahead of, next to, or after me with whatever potentially deadly flaws you like...but if I'm actually buddied with you and you're about to dive an O2 tank as part of our combined breathing gas, you're analyzing it for me.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I test every tank for CO, and now that I have seen divers mistakenly dive Nitrox they thought was air on a deeper dive - I test my tanks for O2.

I don't test my bud's tanks. I offer to let him use the analyzers, but up to him. But then my dives are all recreational while carrying a 19 cf pony I did analyze - so I'm covered. I just do not impose my standards on others, no matter how tempting.

And that's fine for the dives you are doing Don. But caves, deep wrecks, under the ice, etc. If you don't adhere to my standards of care and safety I'd rather dive alone. That way I don't have to be responsible when you kill yourself out of arrogance and a false sense of security and confidence. Not you personally Don , just using you in the general sense.

 

[FM1520]

I don't blame the buddies, but if one of his buddies had needed to breathe off that tank it wouldn't have just been the deceased who was ed. If I'm solo diving, you can fall into the water ahead of, next to, or after me with whatever potentially deadly flaws you like...but if I'm actually buddied with you and you're about to dive an O2 tank as part of our combined breathing gas, you're analyzing it for me.

Then you do blame the buddies, they let him take the wrong gas which is part of the combined breathing gas. I'm not saying its all the fault of the buddies but they sure share in it - if not then whats the purpose of a buddy? Part of the buddy's job is the throw the bull **** flag when things don't look right.

---------- Post added August 11th, 2013 at 04:54 PM ----------

I test every tank for CO, and now that I have seen divers mistakenly dive Nitrox they thought was air on a deeper dive - I test my tanks for O2.

I don't test my bud's tanks. I offer to let him use the analyzers, but up to him. But then my dives are all recreational while carrying a 19 cf pony I did analyze - so I'm covered. I just do not impose my standards on others, no matter how tempting.

I understand your point but as a different perspective, I do impose my standards on others. They are: 1) respect rock bottom and 2) know what gas is in your tank. If you tell me you're diving air but your tanks says 32% then we are going to work it out either by analyzing or me finding a different buddy.

 

[Stoo]

Why he dove this gas will likely never be known. I liked Carlos a lot... larger than life, and a real booster of the sport. He was very sure of himself, and in his relatively short diving career, he had done a ton of diving... and I don't mean banging off four a day in a quarry, or Bonaire. I mean more than a few cave dives, 250 foot mix dives here in the Great Lakes, and the Doria just a couple of weeks ago. He put in the time to take the training, and he opened his wallet to get the best gear. He absolutely loved diving AND divers, and would spend whatever time was necessary to help less experienced divers. His gear bag was open to everyone to borrow whatever they needed... Our local dive community suffered a significant hit with his passing.

Having said this, some of us that have been diving forever, expressed concern to one another that his confidence, (Some would say cockiness) might eventually end up with him finding himself in trouble. I want to choose my words very carefully, because he really was a good diver (in my limited experience diving with him) in spite of his relatively short period of time in the sport. His "online personality" could be seen as arrogant, but the real Carlos was genuinely a nice guy who would do anything for you.

Our concern is that his "proteges" who perhaps lacked his skill, dives, confidence, or wallet might too find themselves in over-their-heads, if you will please excuse the bad pun. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I think that there's a lot to be said for racking up hundreds of dives as one works up to these advanced technical certifications.. not a bunch of dozen.

I'm going to leave it at that, but will maybe finish by saying that confidence is no substitute for the basics like analyzing gas. We all know that, and if any good is to come of this, Carlos' tragic death will serve as a reminder that even the very skilled can have a very bad day. He'd be the first to agree, which makes this thing that much harder to understand.