Boat Dive Incident in Monterey 1/19/13

[graysby]

I think you should identify the shop and the BC.

We agree the shop owner was irresponsible for selling Gayle the wrong size suit, but the reason for posting the details of the incident is so people can learn from our mistakes. We are all ultimately responsible for our own safety.

The BC, as stated previously, is designed for warm water. The brand and model are irrelevant, it was the wrong BC for this dive.

Our advice to anyone using a weight integrated BC, where the weights are secured using Velcro should test it as we did. Fill it with the same amount of lead as you dive with, turn it upside down and shake it hard. Do the weights fall out? If so, consider buying a BC that uses clips to secure the weight pockets.

 

[antattack]

...or a completely enclosed rip cord system.

 

[fisheater]

Or, dare I say, a weight belt?


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[Agility]

Thank you for sharing the details and your analysis.

 

[lv2dive]

Nope, not mixing up terms. It was already covered in my post you quoted that safety stops are not required. I would still not want to suggest that someone skip a safety stop for fear of liability in the event of a second victim - it can happen - and that is their decision. I don't believe skipping deco stops was suggested by anyone in this thread, and is not part of my post.

I stated "think twice about advising people to ... ignore their computer's request for a safety stop", not a demand. Perhaps you like "reminder" more? Many computers start counting down a safety stop at a predetermined depth, like 20 feet, and some also start counting down a deep stop at a predetermined depth, like 60 or 50 feet. Many people will feel comfortable omitting or shortening these in the event of an emergency, but some will not.

I have heard this emergency recall speech many times, and I have never heard yet the suggestion to not complete any safety stops we see fit.



Exactly.

I've heard the emergency recall speech several times, too... and I guess we dive in different places or off different kinds of boats. What I've been told to do, and what I would do in an emergency, is to make an ascent at a safe rate of speed, stay some distance from the boat (in case the emergency is related to the boat), and await instructions. It's MHO that the odds of creating a second emergency by skipping a "safety" stop recommended by a computer are negligible, and the relative weight of those odds is further reduced when dealing with a known (but unknown) emergency on the surface. If I have a clean dive, it's highly unlikely I NEED a safety stop. But - you can cure bent and you can't cure dead, and I'd never forgive myself if a three-five minute delay on my part - just to be "safe" - meant someone was permanently impacted in some way. Just MHO, of course!

(And as others have mentioned there is a difference between safety stops and decompression stops so I have to nod at that, of course I am referencing missed safety stops only; any discussion I'd have around missed or abbreviated deco stops is entirely different and would not occur in this forum! )

 

[Notso_Ken]

We tested the BC by putting 8 lbs in each pocket. (This is the same amount she had in the pockets on the day of the incident). Secured the Velcro. Turned the BC upside down and shook it. Twice a weight pocket fell out.

If she had not lost a weight pocket, with assistance we probably could have mitigated the boot issue. Unfortunately, we never had a chance too.

Jesse and Gayle.

Thanks for that information, very helpful. I have also had a weight pocket fall out that was secured only by velcro - it also had 8lbs in it. DON'T buy a BC that only secures the pouch with velcro! Get one that has a secure buckle, that is also easy to ditch if needed. Over time the velcro looses some of its stickiness and they can and will fall out.

Also, fit is extremely important in gear. Never let a dive shop talk you into gear that s not right for you.

I'm glad you both came out OK!

Ken

 

[iamrushman]

glad all is safe...lots of useful info in this thread..

 

[raftingtigger]

glad all is safe...lots of useful info in this thread..

I agree - and what is just as helpful - everyone has kept the topic helpful, civil, and no ranting, name calling, or blaming. Thanks to all the posters so far, and especially to graysby and Gayle for sharing.

 

[g1138]

In regard to the emergency recall protocols with the Monterey Dive Boats, having been on a few and working on one as the rescue swimmer here's my take:

Not every boat in the fleet has a dedicated recall system and this is explained casually (not specifically) in the briefing. The captain will mention the phrase diver recall and then discuss what that means. For example they will say say if you hear a siren......(in which case assume there is a siren on the boat). Or the captain will say if you hear banging or engine revving, in which case assume there is no dedicated siren. Rarely will I hear them mention specifically how they activate the diver recall such as we flip this switch or we bang this on that. It's just explained plain and simple that if you hear this sound, that means we're initiating a diver recall.

Further more, in the dive briefs I've heard, if a diver recall is initiated, you (the diver) should ascend as safely as is possible, (sometimes the captain will throw in the ascent rate of 30ft/min). If that means doing a safety stop, then feel free to do it. Just keep in mind that there may be an emergency and we may be in a rush to leave.
That's roughly the words I hear in the many dive briefings I've been apart of on the boats. It would be a liability on the crew to tell divers to skip their safety stop and then have an underdeserved hit result for a speedy ascent or what not.

In the event of an emergency, depending on the location of the incident, dive profile (tec or rec), and location to other boats, the dive boat may buoy their anchor and leave as soon as they recover the diver in need of emergency medical attention. Depending on the boat/crew numbers, the DM/Rescue Swimmer may jump overboard and wait by the buoy with the other divers as they surface.

And as many others have already mentioned, the dive fleet is really close knit. We keep our ears on both 16 and our own radio channel. So if a call goes out, we all hear it.

 

[peterbj7]

A two-level recall system is required. The lower level means "stop what you're doing and return to the boat/surface, with due regard to your personal deco requirements". The higher level means "we have a serious and deteriorating emergency. Return to the boat/surface as quickly as you can consistent with safety".

The first might mean no more than "you've had your allotted time - get out". The second might mean "we have an injured diver we need to get to shore quickly", or as once happened to me "the boat is leaking and only if we get underway very soon will we be able to stop it sinking". If you hear this second alarm and cannot surface as rapidly as you believe most others will, "be prepared for there to be no boat when you do. Sit tight and make yourselves safe, and another boat will be along in 20-30 minutes". It might mean "we have to leave station and steam steadily into wind to receive a helicopter so a diver can be evacuated. We will be back once that's done".

I have experienced all of these.

Both recall signals but of completely different orders of severity. Requiring distinctive signals.