Using bottom stages

[David P]

I don't feel like answering everything so I'll just hit the highlights:



Yes. We were doing a dive in the 170ish range diving stages (I don't remember why we were on stages) with a planned switch to backgas. I switched then my buddy went to do the switch. Boom. Out of air signal. My buddy was getting no gas from the backgas regs. Out of gas procedure went smoothly and I checked the valves. Long story short- backgas had gotten turned off at the surface due to some unplanned friggin' around and not turned on again. Had we not been on stages they would have noticed that their backgas was not on at the start of the dive and not at 170 feet.



Nothing formal. We started the practice after some conversations with AG and based our own experiences.

hmm question: your buddy splashed while on the stage not BG? I was thinking, splash, square away, switch and thumbs down...

 

[nadwidny]

hmm question: your buddy splashed while on the stage not BG? I was thinking, splash, square away, switch and thumbs down...

It was a few years ago so the exact sequence of events is lost to me now, but it was probably typical of the dives we did on that trip. There was usually a current running so we couldn't screw around on the surface doing the "OK? OK. Thumb down? Thumb down." thing. It was splash-descend-meet at 20'-go. Apparently my buddy was on the stage during the splash to shorten the time needed to spend on the surface. I probably did the same and the 3rd team member probably did as well.

I remember there was some frickin around going on in the boat prior to us getting in that may have something to do with not properly going through the checks before we got in the water. Live and Learn.