Aborting A Dive...

[JBFG]

good on you. Calling the dive was 100% the right thing. Who knows what else would have happened.

 

[timz]

I think it's very important to be honest to ourself. And not just go with the flow.

 

[TMHeimer]

Absolutely the right thing. I was in Rhode Island 10 years ago as a new diver and was not at all impressed with the current, surf and lack of viz. It may have been the only dive I really aborted due to "fear". I have cut quite a few short over the years for a number of reasons and "curbed" a few to get away from something that made me uncomfortable. Hey, it is supposed to be fun and safe.

 

[NYCNaiad]

You did the right thing. I totally get why you're paranoid about currents now, but it'll get better, I promise.

I had a similar situation. I was on a Maldives liveaboard & we had been trying to dive this fantastic albeit hard dive site...but the currents were always too strong. On the final day, they say we're going to dive the site. For this story, the important parts of the dive plan are: 2 DMs. Quick negative descent & get over to the reef. Let the DMs lead as there are caves that will suck you in if you go too close & you won't get out.

So we get to the bottom & there's a big current. People start swimming like crazy w some of them using their arms & I start doing the same. (It still shocks me that we did this. This was my 1st mistake as you should never use your arms. It just tires you out.) We get to the reef & the current picks up even more. 1 diver is swept away & the DM goes after them. Then, another diver is swept away & the other DM goes after them. I was slightly out of breath from the swimming, the DMs were not coming back & the viz has gone to crap. When the current picks up even more, I signal to my buddy that we should surface as I thought this wasn't a safe dive.

I begin to ascend & then I get separated from my buddy by a ripping current. As I go up, the current abates & I'm able to do my safety stop. While there, I begin to ready my safety sausage. I then notice that the boat has already found me so I don't deploy the sausage. (Mistake #2.) I try to put it into my pocket, but it won't get in there so I just hold it. My safety stop is finished so I swim up, but I notice that I'm getting further away from the surface which confuses me. I then realize my bubbles are streaming straight down.

I was caught in a down current which I had no idea how to deal with. The 1st thing I do is throw the safety sausage away from me so I can look at my gauges. (Mistake #3.) Unfortunately, I was in the down current of a whirlpool so when I threw the sausage, the cord wraps around my legs while I see that I'm already past 80 ft & going deeper. I forget I have a knife to cut the cord & try to swim straight up which does nothing. (Mistake #4 & 5) Then, I inflate my bc not realizing I should be trying to swim horizontally out of the whirlpool. (Inflating the bc is dangerous since you can pop to the surface & get bent if the current suddenly abates. However, I didn't have a lot of air left & I was shooting down quite deep. +My legs were somewhat tied together so it's debatable whether this was a full-on mistake or not.)

Funnily enough, the mantra "panic kills divers" was running through my head. Unfortunately, my brain added a 2nd sentence to it: "Panic kills divers. You are panicking &, therefore, you will be killed." This of course makes me panic more. +I'm alone .

After what seems like eons, I'm able to surface. (I ended up swimming at an angle out of it.) As the boat comes towards me, I begin to be pulled by my legs towards the side. I turn & see the whirlpool sucking me back in by the sausage wrapped around my freakin legs! My only thought is if I go back down, I'll die. I swim as fast as I can away from it using only my legs while the boat races to rescue me. Once I get to the top of the dive boat ladder that's when it really hits me & I break down. It's the last dive of the trip so the memory really sinks in.

On my next dive trip 6 months later, I was excited to dive until I got down & had a panic attack. I talked myself through it underwater, but it took a lot of dives for me to get really comfortable again...but I am very comfortable now. I've also found that it's better to do easy dives at the beginning of my dive trips to acclimate myself even if that means missing out on a number of cool dives.

In addition to learning from my mistakes above, my 2 biggest lessons learned are:
1. Find out the potential hazards in the area ahead of time & how to deal with them so there's no surprise.
2. Have a new mantra: "Slow your breathing. You're going to be ok. Just breathe & think of your next step."

Long post, but I hope my story lets you know you aren't alone in being paranoid & it will get better. Happy diving!

 

[timz]

You did the right thing. I totally get why you're paranoid about currents now, but it'll get better, I promise.

I had a similar situation. I was on a Maldives liveaboard & we had been trying to dive this fantastic albeit hard dive site...but the currents were always too strong. On the final day, they say we're going to dive the site. For this story, the important parts of the dive plan are: 2 DMs. Quick negative descent & get over to the reef. Let the DMs lead as there are caves that will suck you in if you go too close & you won't get out.

So we get to the bottom & there's a big current. People start swimming like crazy w some of them using their arms & I start doing the same. (It still shocks me that we did this. This was my 1st mistake as you should never use your arms. It just tires you out.) We get to the reef & the current picks up even more. 1 diver is swept away & the DM goes after them. Then, another diver is swept away & the other DM goes after them. I was slightly out of breath from the swimming, the DMs were not coming back & the viz has gone to crap. When the current picks up even more, I signal to my buddy that we should surface as I thought this wasn't a safe dive.

I begin to ascend & then I get separated from my buddy by a ripping current. As I go up, the current abates & I'm able to do my safety stop. While there, I begin to ready my safety sausage. I then notice that the boat has already found me so I don't deploy the sausage. (Mistake #2.) I try to put it into my pocket, but it won't get in there so I just hold it. My safety stop is finished so I swim up, but I notice that I'm getting further away from the surface which confuses me. I then realize my bubbles are streaming straight down.

I was caught in a down current which I had no idea how to deal with. The 1st thing I do is throw the safety sausage away from me so I can look at my gauges. (Mistake #3.) Unfortunately, I was in the down current of a whirlpool so when I threw the sausage, the cord wraps around my legs while I see that I'm already past 80 ft & going deeper. I forget I have a knife to cut the cord & try to swim straight up which does nothing. (Mistake #4 & 5) Then, I inflate my bc not realizing I should be trying to swim horizontally out of the whirlpool. (Inflating the bc is dangerous since you can pop to the surface & get bent if the current suddenly abates. However, I didn't have a lot of air left & I was shooting down quite deep. +My legs were somewhat tied together so it's debatable whether this was a full-on mistake or not.)

Funnily enough, the mantra "panic kills divers" was running through my head. Unfortunately, my brain added a 2nd sentence to it: "Panic kills divers. You are panicking &, therefore, you will be killed." This of course makes me panic more. +I'm alone .

After what seems like eons, I'm able to surface. (I ended up swimming at an angle out of it.) As the boat comes towards me, I begin to be pulled by my legs towards the side. I turn & see the whirlpool sucking me back in by the sausage wrapped around my freakin legs! My only thought is if I go back down, I'll die. I swim as fast as I can away from it using only my legs while the boat races to rescue me. Once I get to the top of the dive boat ladder that's when it really hits me & I break down. It's the last dive of the trip so the memory really sinks in.

On my next dive trip 6 months later, I was excited to dive until I got down & had a panic attack. I talked myself through it underwater, but it took a lot of dives for me to get really comfortable again...but I am very comfortable now. I've also found that it's better to do easy dives at the beginning of my dive trips to acclimate myself even if that means missing out on a number of cool dives.

In addition to learning from my mistakes above, my 2 biggest lessons learned are:
1. Find out the potential hazards in the area ahead of time & how to deal with them so there's no surprise.
2. Have a new mantra: "Slow your breathing. You're going to be ok. Just breathe & think of your next step."

Long post, but I hope my story lets you know you aren't alone in being paranoid & it will get better. Happy diving!

Thanks for sharing your interesting experience. I too, have been caught into down current situation with 5 feet viz. And my actual fear on current was actually from a Dive at a dive site called Chebeh 2 at Tioman Island last November.

We went as deep as 33m, the air in my BCD got compressed and I have to inflate a little bit to stay neutral. But when we dive to the 22m depth, I felt the strong current. I turned my and saw other people kicking strongly, but not moving. The lead diver swam into a tunel followed by my 2 buddies. I tried to follow but I just couldn't move. Then, i felt a strong pull from my back and I tried to swim harder but I still couldn't move forward. I then hold on to the reef with some corals... Sorry, I broke the corals, and I hold on to another branch of corals and they broke too... I hugged the reef which was covered with corals breathing heavily... Then, a diver saw me and looked at me straight into my eyes and i turned my head left and right. He fought the current to me and hold me. Suddenly, the idea of deflating and stay negative came to my mind, so I did. After deflating my BCD completely, I felt much much better...

Later, the current slows down and we continue diving and we met up with my 2 buddies. When ascended to the boat, I realized there are scratches all over my thigh. Must be from hugging the corals.

Later when I get back to home, I then realized the corals that I hugged were actually fire corals.

Till today, I still couldn't figure out if it was the air in my BCD expanded and pull me up, or it was the current that pulls me back. But since then, I felt nervous with current.

 

[NYCNaiad]

Yep, it's all about learning what to do and what not to do.

 

[Oldbear]

Good call...when things start off bad they do NOT get better.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

@timz Congratulations... you have likely saved some lives. On the day of the dive there is a good chance you saved your buddies. Posting your story here for others to learn that Aborting a dive may be the most appropriate decision could save more. Some people think it is macho to face the bad conditions and continue. The truth is the opposite. The best diver has what it takes to analyze the situation and call the dive.

 

[Jan Kruger]

Well done in making to correct decision ! Being uncomfortable under water can quickly change into panicking.
Always trust your instincts about this...and train often and regularly. Enjoy your diving.

 

[Littlerayray]

There is a spot I dive heavily that is only 30ft deep the current is moderate for my self as 99% of my dives are done in moderate to heavy current. But being that almost all of my dives are done in current this one spot I can feel the current of the river actually speed up sometimes it's not noticeable unless you dive it often and it's usually caused by slight openings of the hydro dam or when they start up another turbine I actually checked the one day to find out why but being that I'm used to diving in current and it's all I really know I am lucky in that I am comfortable with current