Bahamas Close Call Video

[stefo2]

One question, maybe I missed it somewhere. Why were you alone in the rescue all the way to the surface? I can understand that you went down alone to fetch those two, but once you had them at a safer depth, where was you buddy? What about the other two divers you mentioned? And if your wife (and others) were taking photos of you when you surfaced with the two divers, why didn't anyone come down and offer you air and assistance during the safety stop? It would have helped a lot if each of you had only one low-on-air diver to handle there, you could have extended the stop etc.

 

[snowmaker]

Guys that have an issue with the times on the computer. I have the same computer and if you push it past the no stop time it goes into deco. The time it shown is "Total Assent Time" This is the time to get to the surface if you head up then including deco time and safe accent rate. Look at the video on youtube in HD format. At 2:31 you can see 10' for 1 minute between the depth and time displays.

BTW I ran this computer next to my Shearwater and tables and do not like how it does deco at all. I would never rely on this computer to get me out safely with a deco obligation. It seems to like to add time at ten feet but doesn't like deeper stops. I know this is not a deco computer but since the OP went into deco I thought I throw it out there. In one profile my Shearwater had my first stop at 40' and this one had it at ten feet.

 

[ahpoolman]

Stefo2 thanks for the comment. The situation was I was paired up with my wife and my brother as dive partners. So there were 3 of us. When I went to get the other 2 divers at 150ft none of us knew there was a potential OOA situation. For all I knew they were very experienced divers knowing what they were doing and I was interupting their fun. I told my other 2 partners to stay together and I went down to check on them myself. Before I went down to them I was tapping on my tank with no response, before I noticed they were not paying attention to my tank tapping then I went down to them. I hope that clears that up.
My other 2 partners were within visibilty of me and if I felt I needed their help I would have asked for it. It would have been nice if they were with me but I have full confidence in my diving ability to take care of this situation myself. I've delt with much scarier situations being a US Navy Search and Rescue Swimmer.

 

[ahpoolman]

Snowmaker I also agree that my computer is not a good deco computer. I think that was awesome of you to use your computer to recreate the dive. Remember the video clips may be out of order on a couple clips. I can send you all the clips that are in order if you really want them. The moral of the story is definately to "Dive within your limits"
I did go back over some of the other posts and one person did mention a real interesting point that they may not have understood the dive briefing topside before we entered the water. Reguardless of that diving to 150 should never be done on a recreational dive and I think we all agree on that.
Just to clear up another question for some other people they were a father/son "team"
Aaron

 

[drdaddy]

I saw and saved this video a while back on UTube. It made an impression then and I'm glad it made its way to Scubaboard.

Thank you Aaron.

drdaddy

 

[DennisW]

The two divers were obviously not experience divers. One was swimming with his hands. If I had been there, I don't know if I would have descended to 150 ft to get them or not. Hard decision. In any case, of course they were narc'd out of their minds, they were at 150 ft. They would have been perfectly happy until the moment they tried to take a breath and their regulators went ppbbbtttt. You saved a couple of Darwin candidates that day. I am very happy you were ok and so were they. Lucky, lucky boys all of you, but there was some very good logical thinking being done at 150 ft by an experienced diver. Not easy when you are also narc'd as well.

 

[snowmaker]

Snowmaker I also agree that my computer is not a good deco computer. I think that was awesome of you to use your computer to recreate the dive.
Aaron

I think you may have misunderstood me. I never recreated the dive. What I have done is take my computer(same model) on deco dives in the past just to see how it would react. This is how I knew what yours was doing and looked for that info on the video. Either way that not really important.

What is important is you helped those two when they needed it and the numbers on your computer back up your story. The problem many have is understand what those numbers are saying and how to interpretative them. Most divers will never intentionally do a deco dive and most divers don't know how a computer will react and the info they will display. It's a hole different set of info when you go from showing NDL time to first stop depth and time.

 

[drdaddy]

The two divers were obviously not experience divers. One was swimming with his hands. If I had been there, I don't know if I would have descended to 150 ft to get them or not. Hard decision. In any case, of course they were narc'd out of their minds, they were at 150 ft. They would have been perfectly happy until the moment they tried to take a breath and their regulators went ppbbbtttt. You saved a couple of Darwin candidates that day. I am very happy you were ok and so were they. Lucky, lucky boys all of you, but there was some very good logical thinking being done at 150 ft by an experienced diver. Not easy when you are also narc'd as well.

I only hope that I would not be foolish enough to attempt such a rescue. And I hope that many others would not attempt it either!!!

Please take note of this!!!!

This rescue diver was experienced at depth and knew that he could do it. I have been mildly narc'd at 120 ft and did fine, but what would happen to me at 150', I don't know. Only a diver who is experienced and knows that he/she will be OK should attempt any rescue. We all learned this basic tenant in our Rescue Course. Forfeiting your life into a failed rescue is not being a hero, it is being foolish.

Congratulations and thank you to this real hero who saved the life of these two very foolish divers.

 

[ahpoolman]

Forfeiting your life into a failed rescue is not being a hero, it is being foolish.

You couldn't have said it better!

 

[cloudswinger]

On one of my first dives on a wall, I was following a fish too closely, and my buddy chased me and pulled me back. It was only to about 100 though. I may have been a little narced. I can't imagine having two novices buddying though, that's like the blind leading the blind.