75 ft out of air, What do YOU do?

[Popeye]

NetDoc once bubbled...
You would make a dive below 80ft with a total stranger? With yet another cavalier bum on a boat? And you even admit this?

Do it all the time.

145 fsw, week before last.

I have confidence in my ability to control the situation in any dive I undertake.

Maybe -more training- would help you overcome this obvious fear...

Don't waste my time or yours. My classes would be of no use to you, what-so-ever!

See!

You -can be- absolutely correct.

 

[Charlie99]

NetDoc 8:49P EDT 7/15 bubbled.....
Beach Bum, you're killing me man. A reg gets clogged with aluminum oxide after one tank... that must have left some taste in the guy's mouth!

It's nice to know that you can predict or detect all failures before they occur, NetDoc.

BTW, I also had a reg clogged with aluminum oxide. It came from just one tank; on a boat in Cancun. Luckily, although it got to the point where the SPG would significantly dip with each breath, it wasn't a complete clog. No taste at all. Perhaps I don't have your superior taste buds.

 

[Popeye]

Beach Bum k10 once bubbled...
Compassion, it is called compassion. When that incident happened, I did not waste any time to think whose fault it was, I was too busy helping her out of danger. Doc, Do one good deed a day! ¨C boy scout motto[/B]

Grandly stated.

Act now, save the finger pointing for later.

"Bad diver, no biscuit!"

 

[PhotoTJ]

I drive a bimmer, with a spare air under the seat, rigged to my jacket bcd, that I wear while diving with split fins, which I keep in the same closet as my rebreather!

(But I don't have the nifty hat.)

So there!

Fire away!

 

[Charlie99]

NetDoc once bubbled...
You would make a dive below 80ft with a total stranger? With yet another cavalier bum on a boat? And you even admit this?

Do you get out and travel much? Unless you are traveling in groups and bringing along your buddies, you will definitely end up diving with total strangers. At least they were total strangers when you got on the boat. By the time you get to the dive site, if you have a bit of interpersonal skill, you will have a pretty good feel for them and how challenging of a dive is appropriate.

 

[The Chairman]

You guys are really "OK" with this? You don't even want to try an 60 ft dive before you entrust your life to a stranger at 80+ ft?

That's your decision. I take along my own buddies if I am doing that type of diving. But heck, I keep training more of them all of the time. I obviously stepped on some toes with that... but hopefully it will make you think about your next "buddy".

They do sell flamingo hats for those of you daring enough to don one. You can fault me all you like for having fun with the kids, that won't stop me from giving my time and energy to them. They are trainable. Compassion? You judge me in an area that you have no reference on. Ask those who know me how "compassionate" I am. But you will probably twist their words as well.

The best rescue is one that never has to happen. You see the problem start to develop and deal with it before it becomes life threatening. This takes situational awareness and a commitment to safety. This takes an on-going commitment to excellence in your diving as well.

 

[Popeye]

PhotoTJ once bubbled...
I drive a bimmer, with a spare air under the seat, rigged to my jacket bcd, that I wear while diving with split fins, which I keep in the same closet as my rebreather!

(But I don't have the nifty hat.)

So there!

Fire away!

Fantastic!!!

Get a Kayak for the roof of the Bimmer, and if you drive off the dock, flip the car and you'll be all set!!! ;-)

 

[Popeye]

NetDoc once bubbled...
You guys are really "OK" with this? You don't even want to try an 60 ft dive before you entrust your life to a stranger at 80+ ft?

I don't entrust my life to a stranger.

I'm responsible for my own life.

I'm as self sufficient in the water as I can be.

I did the Grove last week with a guy I never met, we had both intended to solo (he had a camera) but the boat said we had to at least maintain the appearance of buddying.

We had a great dive.

He took my picture.

That's your decision. I take along my own buddies if I am doing that type of diving. But heck, I keep training more of them all of the time. I obviously stepped on some toes with that... but hopefully it will make you think about your next "buddy".

I travel and dive in a way that makes this impossible.

It's simply not an option I have.

I wear steel toed boots.

They do sell flamingo hats for those of you daring enough to don one.

Oh, Doc, I've been drunk, and naked, in better places than this.

You get me a flamingo hat, I'll -dive- in it.

It'll fit right on my bristly little head.

The best rescue is one that never has to happen.

Yet they do happen.

 

[fins wake]

... to jump into the fray, because I fear the good doctor (Thomas, that is, not Lecter) is right about the general knowledge to be gained from the latest posts. But ...

Problem: entanglement! Accident: Drowning from same!
Solution: Don't panic. Take off BC and cut line.

I'm a bit hesitant to recommend taking off the BC as a standard solution first. For newbie readers out there, try to cut the line first, that's usually enough. Taking off the BC is the next step if simple cutting doesn't solve the issue. One reason I'm jumping on this is because quite a few victims of dive deaths are found without any gear on. Life sustaining gear removal is a last resort, not the first one, particularly for newbie divers at depth ...

Otherwise I agree entirely with NetDoc's comments and in fact with the general thrust of his argument.

You said these accidents happened to people of lesser ability.

Yes, I agree entirely with Dr Thomas on this and I cannot for the life of me understand why this is a difficult notion, or to be taken personally? Every single OOG incident that I personally know of (OOA, usually) has happened to newbie divers not checking their SPG:s. The fact that some percentile of OOG:s doesn't occur this way is no reason to rubbish the vast majority that do. And again, why the personal affront?

And the solo accidents rarely happen, but that's a different thread.

Actually, solo accidents are vastly overrepresented in all statistics, but fair enough, that's a different thread.

FWIW, I bet they've learned a few things about a diver's attitude and individual aegis.

I shouldn't really write this, it's bad netiquette, but actually it's "egos" you're referring to. An aegis is something else. Also, the epicuraean doctor's name is Lecter, not Lector. (Though the latter name is revealing, as Thomas Harris undoubtedly must have been influenced by the latin name for "reader".)

Could it be time to call the discussion?

 

[The Chairman]

Thanks for the kind comments! As for taking the BC off... I was merely trying to show that for most problems there are easy solutions to prevent them from becoming a tragedy. For that fact, most problems have multiple solutions. Just thought I would clarify!