Calm-headed response

[Fastmarc]

I was taught controlled surface ascent if you had air issues. Perhaps it's over-conservative, but if I have a major equipment issue underwater, my plan is to safely ascend in a controlled manner, then investigate what went wrong.

Totally agree with this.
While his level of calmness is great, I'm not sure why he wasted so much time instead of surfacing. He took it off, started to turn the knob, but stopped. He left it to bubble for quite some time. Why not just shut off the valve to stop the bubbling then surface?

What was that constant beeping?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Totally agree with this.
While his level of calmness is great, I'm not sure why he wasted so much time instead of surfacing. He took it off, started to turn the knob, but stopped. He left it to bubble for quite some time. Why not just shut off the valve to stop the bubbling then surface?

As I said, I think he fiddled around more than was necessary or best-practice because he decided it was an opportunity to challenge himself and maybe also to teach his divers something (and maybe even to show off a little). Maybe the situation reminded him of the "gear exchange" exercise in the DM course that is intended to instill in a DM confidence in his ability to calmly solve problems under stress. "That was an exercise--now here's the real deal! I know I can do it!"

 

[Diving Dubai]

I don't agree

Firstly he had air, so an annoyance rather than emergency. Then he switched to the alternate to try fix the issue, so could then be independent again. In the same situation I'd have carried the BCD to the surface rather than put it on again while sharing which would have been more of a faff

One of the things you learn while training to be a DM, and practicing the 24 skills to demo standard (slow and clear) is how long you can be without a reg in, same with Tech and deco swaps. You learn that you don't need to rush these things and have comfort

When I had a second stage pop off one on my SM sets at 35m, it wasn't a drama just an annoyance. Reg change, shut down, find reg and put it on, re pressurise and test.

After that I told myself off for not checking my hand tight regs were screwed on fully for the rest of the dive

 

[Lorenzoid]

I don't agree

Firstly he had air, so an annoyance rather than emergency. . . .
One of the things you learn while training to be a DM, and practicing the 24 skills to demo standard (slow and clear) is how long you can be without a reg in, same with Tech and deco swaps. You learn that you don't need to rush these things and have comfort

I can appreciate that he "had air" and that he had learned not to rush from his training, but he could only guess whether the air would last long enough for him to take off his rig off and examine the first stage. That was a calculated risk he didn't need to take.

When I had a second stage pop off one on my SM sets at 35m, it wasn't a drama just an annoyance. Reg change, shut down, find reg and put it on, re pressurise and test.

After that I told myself off for not checking my hand tight regs were screwed on fully for the rest of the dive

I had a similar thing happen fairly recently, except fortunately it was while floating on the surface. The second stage came unscrewed from the hose while the second stage was in my mouth. Suddenly there was the sound of escaping air, and I could see water churning around me (as the hose whipped around), but it took me way too long to figure out the problem, even with a perfectly clear head, on the surface. The guy in the video has skills I can only (for now) envy.

 

[johndiver999]

If he had a lot of air when the incident started, then he knows it will not all leak out in 20 seconds. I view the incident as: something blew behind my head. I can breath fine. There is lots of regs I can snag if I need. First priority is to get all the customers to the surface safely and not induce a panic.

Let me ensure they are calm and then take 8 seconds to see what is going on back there. Maybe a hose unscrewed? Maybe it sounds worse than it is. Then he sees no immediate resolution and starts the ascent.

Not that big of a deal to him. Worst case he could have dropped tank and swam up exhaling from like 60 feet. If there is any critique, he could have maintained more secure physical contact with donor.

Taking the tank off was not a risk, it was an investment of about 8 seconds toward an investigation of the problem.

 

[cerich]

I can appreciate that he "had air" and that he had learned not to rush from his training, but he could only guess whether the air would last long enough for him to take off his rig off and examine the first stage. That was a calculated risk he didn't need to take.

I suspect he was 100% certain that he could easily CESA (I would be) and had two other divers nearby, and even with the leak could breath from his reg.. so.. he didn't take an unnecessary risk IMHO at all.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I suspect he was 100% certain that he could easily CESA (I would be) and had two other divers nearby, and even with the leak could breath from his reg.. so.. he didn't take an unnecessary risk IMHO at all.

Yeah, I know--it looked relatively shallow. Still, doing what he did (or delaying for any reason), OR doing a CESA, is taking more risk than necessary. Isn't it still taught that a CESA is the option of last resort, because it's somewhat riskier than the other options? The lowest-risk option when your first stage is spewing bubbles for an unknown cause is take a donated reg before doing anything else. Now, someone brought up the possibility that as a DM leading a group he may not want to burden the other divers, but I still believe calmly taking a donated reg and ascending without undue delay would have been the most straightforward way to handle it, and the way most OW divers are taught.

 

[AdivingBel]

These were the actions of a competent diver not a "mystical" skillset. If you're truly comfortable in the water and you know you have access to a gas source, there isn't much you can't sort out. Along with comfort in the water the self-awareness and wisdom to know what you should deal with at depth vs. what you should sort out on the surface based on circumstances and conditions comes with experience. This was an inconvenience not an emergency. New divers are taught that if anything untoward happens during a dive to find an air source, surface, and then sort it out...nothing wrong with that approach either. All IMHO, YMMV. Safe diving.

 

[Lorenzoid]

If you're truly comfortable in the water and you know you have access to a gas source, there isn't much you can't sort out. . . . New divers are taught that if anything untoward happens during a dive to find an air source, surface, and then sort it out...nothing wrong with that approach either.

The only point I have been trying to make is that that procedure is taught to new OW divers because it's the most reliable, lowest-risk option of the various ways to handle such an "inconvenience." I try to keep in mind that what is at first merely an inconvenience can spiral into a problem. That was unlikely under these circumstances, but there is always the possibility. He ultimately had to surface anyway, and he probably knew immediately that there was a good likelihood he would have to surface. The most prudent thing to do on an OW dive, whether you are a new diver or a seasoned pro, is to follow that procedure. That's the nice thing about OW diving--you can always make a direct ascent to sort out anything. Of course, nobody is forced to do the most prudent thing--even in our everyday lives we make calculated decisions to take unnecessary risks. All good.

On one hand, showing the other divers how one can calmly sort out a problem is admirable. On the other hand, showing them how one can calmly implement the recommended procedure would also have been admirable. I'm definitely not criticizing him--questioning his motives, maybe, but not criticizing him. Either way, there was something we observers could gain from watching it.

 

[uncfnp]

The only point I have been trying to make is that that procedure is taught to new OW divers because it's the most reliable, lowest-risk option of the various ways to handle such an "inconvenience." I try to keep in mind that what is at first merely an inconvenience can spiral into a problem. That was unlikely under these circumstances, but there is always the possibility. He ultimately had to surface anyway, and he probably knew immediately that there was a good likelihood he would have to surface. The most prudent thing to do on an OW dive, whether you are a new diver or a seasoned pro, is to follow that procedure. That's the nice thing about OW diving--you can always make a direct ascent to sort out anything. Of course, nobody is forced to do the most prudent thing--even in our everyday lives we make calculated decisions to take unnecessary risks. All good.

On one hand, showing the other divers how one can calmly sort out a problem is admirable. On the other hand, showing them how one can calmly implement the recommended procedure would also have been admirable. I'm definitely not criticizing him--questioning his motives, maybe, but not criticizing him. Either way, there was something we observers could gain from watching it.

Ultimately it is a judgement call and each diver must decide for themselves the right course of action. Some divers may feel that the appropriate response should be standard practice, end the dive. Others have a different philosophy of diving. No one is right. No one is wrong.