Cozumel equipment failure

[boulderjohn]

I am telling this story as it was recently conveyed to me by a friend. I am a little fuzzy on some details. The issue is in the generic nature of the situation, so the exact details are not important.

They were diving relatively deep into one of Cozumel's famed swim throughs, at about 100 feet. Every diver in the group was highly experienced, with good skills. This was a downward-sloping swim through. Even though this was at the very beginning of the dive, as they were exiting, one of the divers signaled OOA, and he was quickly given an alternate by another member of the group. His pressure gauge showed an almost full tank, so there was some real confusion at depth.

On the boat, he pulled his regulator, and a stream of rusty water came out.

On shore, they pulled the valve, and they found a goodly amount of rusty water in the tank, and no dip tube whatsoever--not even a dislodged one rolling around the tank.

So, what are the lessons learned?

How does one know that a rented tank has a lot of water and no dip tube? I submit that one has no way of knowing.

The diver did not have the problem until he was near the end of the swim through. I believe he exited frantically after going OOA while still in the swim through. What if it had happened farther into a narrow swim through? Even if he had been able to make an exchange with a conventional octo, could they have exited side by aide?

I suggest that the simple answer here is that the person donating an alternate should have it on a long hose. I switched to a long hose for my singles, recreational rig a while ago for a different reason--I heard a story of someone who drowned when she went OOA and her buddy's alternate had come dislodged and stuck behind his back. I think this is another reason for it.

 

[DandyDon]

Different locals have differing opinions on the various compressors on Coz. I believe there are two serving multiple Operators as well as the Ops who own & run their own.

This could happen anywhere tho. How to prevent or test? Do we need to breath the reg upside down at shallow depth first just in case?

 

[Dr Wu]

How does one know that a rented tank has a lot of water and no dip tube? I submit that one has no way of knowing.

The tank would be much heavier than one filled with pure gas.

It would also not pass the "slosh test" when standing up.

No dip tube might be difficult to know unless inverted. It depends on the amount of water in the tank.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

That sounds like “The Devil’s Throat” in Cozumel. You can end up exiting the swim through at 140 feet. A pretty exciting place to have a gear failure. Only very short dive times make getting back to the surface on an aluminum 80 feasible for two people. And then you have to be with someone who will share air. Not a given since those are typically herd dives. Hopefully everyone goes into that dive with their eyes open. There are a lot of other worthwhile, and safer, dives to do in Coz.

 

[Airleron]

I was thinking the same thing, Devil's Throat. Not a place I would want a problem to crop up. I've been through it once....

I've been reading with interest the posts by DandyDon re: Coz's fills. I go there once a year with my dive club, and wasn't aware of any of these problems prior. Thanks for the heads up Don!

 

[*dave*]

How does one know that a rented tank has a lot of water and no dip tube? I submit that one has no way of knowing.

Turn the tank upside down and open the valve. If only gas comes out:

• There is nothing but gas in the tank
• There could be as much as a couple inches of contaminant in the tank, but it hasn't risen to the level where it will enter the orifices of the dip tube.

If you do the same and water or mist comes out, you shouldn't be diving that tank.

This won't tell you if there's a dip tube, but you could hear the loose tube rattling around in the tank. A loose tube is not typically going to cause a problem, though you'll likely hear it as you change attitude during the dive. The bigger problem is the contaminated tank.

I suggest that the simple answer here is that the person donating an alternate should have it on a long hose.

Would you recommend any additional instruction to go with that long hose?

I'd consider it an easier solution to check your gas before you dive it and avoid the OOA situation all together.

 

[muddiver]

Because none of the resort operators are going to change all their regulators and offer a long hose training class before each dive, and the long hose configuration is still not considered standard anywhere except Florida, the North West or in the Tech world, there will be no move in that direction. The answer is "Why are dive operators taking basic openwater scuba divers through or into an overhead environment?". This is a standards violation because taking anyone into a choke point where two divers can not swim side-by-side, AND taking non-cave trained divers where there is no direct access to the surface above the diver is not condoned by any scuba certification agency that I know of.

The trainig agency of this dive operator needs to be notified and the word needs to be put out that they are taking people on a dive that is more dangerous than the standard recreational scuba recomended limits of 130' max., with in NDLs, no overhead obstructions.

 

[DandyDon]

I was thinking the same thing, Devil's Throat. Not a place I would want a problem to crop up. I've been through it once....

I've been reading with interest the posts by DandyDon re: Coz's fills. I go there once a year with my dive club, and wasn't aware of any of these problems prior. Thanks for the heads up Don!

Well, I wouldn't do the Throat without my pony anyway. I know that most do, but I won't. Don't care for the dive anyway and try to avoid it.

The bad tank risk could happen anywhere tho, water, CO, etc. The lack of the dip tube goes back on whoever did the last Viz and that could be traced, but that doesn't help much.

Turn the tank upside down and open the valve. If only gas comes out:

• There is nothing but gas in the tank
• There could be as much as a couple inches of contaminant in the tank, but it hasn't risen to the level where it will enter the orifices of the dip tube.

If you do the same and water or mist comes out, you shouldn't be diving that tank.

I don't know that I have ever seen anyone turn a tank upside down to check what comes out. Maybe we should, but then for Coz dives - many of us prefer the faster 6 & 8 pack boats, too crowded for much. The DM generally puts your BC on your tank at the back and brings it to you where it's up to you to check your gear, but almost impossible to do this.

I can't think of a good solution aside from good solo diving with pony or good buddy protocol - with a long hose for penetrations like the Throat.

 

[suprane]

Turn the tank upside down and open the valve. around in the tank.
A loose tube is not typically going to cause a problem, though you'll likely hear it as you change attitude during the dive. The bigger problem is the contaminated tank.

Would you recommend any additional instruction to go with that long hose?

I would suggest that very few people are going to have the opportunity (or take the time) to turn their tank upside down and check it on a dive boat crowded with people on the way to a dive site. Particularly if you happen to be bouncing across the waves on the way to the dive site!... And, I think the boat crew would seriously frown upon having unsecured tanks at this stage of the ride. It has been my experience that most folks are hurrying to get their equipment rigged prior to arrival at the dive site while still keeping it secured in the tank holder.

And chances are you may very well not hear the dip tube rattle around during the dive. Even if you did you might not realize at depth what that "unusual sound" was that you thought you heard.

As for the long house, this is the method that has long been promoted by the DIR/Hogarthian dive crowd. I have been diving this configuration for several years and though I have never had to actually donate my primary (long hose) regulator to an OOA diver, I do indeed feel it is a far safer and more effective way to handle these situations. This is a technique that should not require any additional "instruction" outside of reviewing how to route the hose around your body to keep it streamlined and yet readily accessible.

 

[boulderjohn]

It was actually in Columbia Deep. A lot of people don't know there is a tunnel there.