OP
timz
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Just be very careful of Delta P.
Aborting A Dive...
- Thread starter timz
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@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.
Totally agree with this - the better diver is the one that is willing to call a dive rather than continue with the dive.
If a dive doesn't "feel right", you have the right to call it. Worst decision when descending in to a situation where you aren't comfortable is to go further and compound any issues.
If you had kept going with the dive, you might have ended up with the already stressed divers (physically and mentally) in bad situations such as cramp/ narced/ OOA with little mental or physical capacity remaining to cope with it.
Littlerayray
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OP
timz
Contributor
Owh. I thought near the gate.
Littlerayray
Contributor
Oh god no never that's a death trap unless you are trained in such a thing
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You did the right thing. And sometimes that's really hard, especially when you've paid a lot of money and travelled to a place you might never get back to again. But it's still the right thing. I've been in that situation several times ... twice on dives I really wanted to do, and will probably never get the opportunity to try again. But I don't regret the decision to call the dive ... no dive is worth dying for.
The symptoms you describe are the result of CO2 buildup, and once that occurs the only way to resolve it is to slow down and relax for a few moments to let your body slow down the production of CO2 while your breathing reduces the levels already in your system. This is very difficult to do in a current without having something to hold onto while you let your body relax and your breathing slow down.
As for your buddies, they should NOT have signaled OK, given what you described. A lot of divers ... particularly newer divers ... put too much emphasis on continuing a dive when they know they shouldn't, because they don't want to ruin everyone else's good time. Whenever I'm taking a newer diver into conditions I feel will challenge them I always tell them not to worry about calling the dive if they aren't comfortable continuing. Don't worry about "ruining" someone else's dive ... think how ruined it will be if you put them in a situation where they have to intervene in your rescue ... or worse, your body recovery. I've known people on both ends of those scenarios, and the impacts can last a lifetime, even for the rescuers. So you should never push it.
Bottom line ... good on you for showing good judgment. No good diver will ever fault you for calling a dive when it doesn't feel right to continue ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
The symptoms you describe are the result of CO2 buildup, and once that occurs the only way to resolve it is to slow down and relax for a few moments to let your body slow down the production of CO2 while your breathing reduces the levels already in your system. This is very difficult to do in a current without having something to hold onto while you let your body relax and your breathing slow down.
As for your buddies, they should NOT have signaled OK, given what you described. A lot of divers ... particularly newer divers ... put too much emphasis on continuing a dive when they know they shouldn't, because they don't want to ruin everyone else's good time. Whenever I'm taking a newer diver into conditions I feel will challenge them I always tell them not to worry about calling the dive if they aren't comfortable continuing. Don't worry about "ruining" someone else's dive ... think how ruined it will be if you put them in a situation where they have to intervene in your rescue ... or worse, your body recovery. I've known people on both ends of those scenarios, and the impacts can last a lifetime, even for the rescuers. So you should never push it.
Bottom line ... good on you for showing good judgment. No good diver will ever fault you for calling a dive when it doesn't feel right to continue ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
OP
timz
Contributor
I've learn throughout my 16 years of climbing experience. A good climg is a climb with a safe successful descent. I uses the same principle in diving... a good dive is a dive that one ascent safely...
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Reku
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It's perfectly OK for anyone, anytime, for any reason to turn the dive and signal exit. There is always tomorrow. Communication is the most important rule.
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