After some contemplation I've decided to post this thread. What made me hestitate was that I knew I'd have to own up. What made me go ahead was that I think this
could be a great learning forum and provide more openness about the "dirty underwear of diving" (a bizarre concept I know).
I'd like this thread to be a "confessional", for divers who have at some point sinned against the common sense that we all hold so dear.
I put it that most of us at one point or another went ahead with a dive, or did something stupid during one that we really, really shouldn't have - because of peer pressure, selfrightiousness, stubbornness, excessive zeal, poor judgment or whatever ...
For this to work properly I suggest a simple rule of engagement:
TO POST IN THIS THREAD YOU GOTTA SHARE YOUR BUMMER!
I cringe but Here's mine:
I once went ahead with a cold water nitrox dive on a submarine resting at 40 metres. In tropical conditions this would easily be within my limits but:
Sin 1: Although I'd gone that deep before, and done a fair amount of cold water diving I'd never been anywhere near that deep in cold water. Not a sin in itself perhaps but read on.
Sin 2: I was using a drysuit for only the third time and no I didn't take the course I just hung out with experienced drysuit divers and had them offer me guidelines. A lesser sin perhaps, but at such depth ...weeeeell
Sin 3: This is rather naughty I think: We were doing Nitrox and although one buddy was a commercial diver and the other a very experienced cold water and nitrox diver, I didn't do no nitrox course but relied on their advice, expertise and our planning (however careful).
Sin 4: Although I had been diving coldwater on a near-weekly basis for a while it had been shallow dives and because of huge pressure at work I did participate in the planning but was very high-strung and had no time to mentally and emotionally adjust to the trip. This to me is really bad - we're dealing with a real task-loading setup here.
Sin 5: The boat we went on was really too small, so everyone was at least a little seasick and overheated upon entry from working all our equipment in a confined and poorly balanced work space. My buddies both vomited but it was "just the water we drank on the way out" so we still went ahead.
Sin 6: We brought lot's of deco gear but no oxy-box. Granted the airborne coast guard was no more than 15 minutes away and the chamber as well - but still no Ox (Now why must they be so expensive?).
Sin 7: Although we'd planned and calculated the profile carefully only one of us carried a written copy of that plan. I went blindly by computer and that old workhorse memory, that does soooo well at 40 metres.
As it turned out we never got to the sub. One of my buddies (an otherwise very experienced cold water diver) got a sudden and very bad vertigo hit due to a speedy descent and a sudden stop at about 22 metres (effectively like the condition that may occur if you rupture an eardrum and cold water floods the inner ear - you totally and completely loose orientation and may feel very strong nausea).
It occurred instantly and without warning. He didn't know of the phenomenon and was sure he was going to faint and drown. So he darted for the surface towing the rest of us on the buddy line. We hung on to the shot-line and tried to slow down the ascent but never managed to reel him in or detach ourselves. I wouldn't call that a real sin, but I'll go with a type of hook that I can just tear loose next time I go deep, thank you.
THe ascent was from 22 metres and the total dive time 3-4 minutes. You do the math.
Everone made out okay and the whole thing turned into a useful learning experience. I got away with my all wrongdoings but today I'm really thankful that the dive was aborted (if not for the way it was). I'm not convinced the dive was doomed to go wrong - The overall plan, (short of errh ... the safety part) held up to broad post-dive scrutiny.
But I confess that at the time the dive felt like it was at the edge of my limits when in fact it was probably a good deal beyond.
Therefore Forgive me father Neptune, I allowed myself to get caught in the heat of the moment (man, dat sub coulda been fulla, like forgotten nazi gold and stuff). I hope that my example shall serve as a warning to all my diving brethren (and sisthren): Ye shall not be overconfident.
regards
Remorseful diver
could be a great learning forum and provide more openness about the "dirty underwear of diving" (a bizarre concept I know).
I'd like this thread to be a "confessional", for divers who have at some point sinned against the common sense that we all hold so dear.
I put it that most of us at one point or another went ahead with a dive, or did something stupid during one that we really, really shouldn't have - because of peer pressure, selfrightiousness, stubbornness, excessive zeal, poor judgment or whatever ...
For this to work properly I suggest a simple rule of engagement:
TO POST IN THIS THREAD YOU GOTTA SHARE YOUR BUMMER!
I cringe but Here's mine:
I once went ahead with a cold water nitrox dive on a submarine resting at 40 metres. In tropical conditions this would easily be within my limits but:
Sin 1: Although I'd gone that deep before, and done a fair amount of cold water diving I'd never been anywhere near that deep in cold water. Not a sin in itself perhaps but read on.
Sin 2: I was using a drysuit for only the third time and no I didn't take the course I just hung out with experienced drysuit divers and had them offer me guidelines. A lesser sin perhaps, but at such depth ...weeeeell
Sin 3: This is rather naughty I think: We were doing Nitrox and although one buddy was a commercial diver and the other a very experienced cold water and nitrox diver, I didn't do no nitrox course but relied on their advice, expertise and our planning (however careful).
Sin 4: Although I had been diving coldwater on a near-weekly basis for a while it had been shallow dives and because of huge pressure at work I did participate in the planning but was very high-strung and had no time to mentally and emotionally adjust to the trip. This to me is really bad - we're dealing with a real task-loading setup here.
Sin 5: The boat we went on was really too small, so everyone was at least a little seasick and overheated upon entry from working all our equipment in a confined and poorly balanced work space. My buddies both vomited but it was "just the water we drank on the way out" so we still went ahead.
Sin 6: We brought lot's of deco gear but no oxy-box. Granted the airborne coast guard was no more than 15 minutes away and the chamber as well - but still no Ox (Now why must they be so expensive?).
Sin 7: Although we'd planned and calculated the profile carefully only one of us carried a written copy of that plan. I went blindly by computer and that old workhorse memory, that does soooo well at 40 metres.
As it turned out we never got to the sub. One of my buddies (an otherwise very experienced cold water diver) got a sudden and very bad vertigo hit due to a speedy descent and a sudden stop at about 22 metres (effectively like the condition that may occur if you rupture an eardrum and cold water floods the inner ear - you totally and completely loose orientation and may feel very strong nausea).
It occurred instantly and without warning. He didn't know of the phenomenon and was sure he was going to faint and drown. So he darted for the surface towing the rest of us on the buddy line. We hung on to the shot-line and tried to slow down the ascent but never managed to reel him in or detach ourselves. I wouldn't call that a real sin, but I'll go with a type of hook that I can just tear loose next time I go deep, thank you.
THe ascent was from 22 metres and the total dive time 3-4 minutes. You do the math.
Everone made out okay and the whole thing turned into a useful learning experience. I got away with my all wrongdoings but today I'm really thankful that the dive was aborted (if not for the way it was). I'm not convinced the dive was doomed to go wrong - The overall plan, (short of errh ... the safety part) held up to broad post-dive scrutiny.
But I confess that at the time the dive felt like it was at the edge of my limits when in fact it was probably a good deal beyond.
Therefore Forgive me father Neptune, I allowed myself to get caught in the heat of the moment (man, dat sub coulda been fulla, like forgotten nazi gold and stuff). I hope that my example shall serve as a warning to all my diving brethren (and sisthren): Ye shall not be overconfident.
regards
Remorseful diver
