Disappointing OW Dive

[JodiBB]

Hi all!

I'm in the midst of getting my OW certification and yesterday was "supposed" to be my 4th OW dive and I would've gotten my c-card BUT we had to abort the dive...granted I'm not upset with the instructor and even relieved that she has the common sense to know when enough is enough...but I am disappointed... :frown:

Here's what happened: First, our DM never showed up and the instructor didn't want to take 5 students through the surfline without assistance, so we split the class into 2 groups. It was a beach dive and the waves were consistently between 1-2 feet, which would've been perfect to get us through the surfline easily. We got through the 1st 2 waves fine. Suddenly, a 3rd wave hit and was over 6 ft high! It knocked all of us down and my regulator and octo started freeflowing due to sand blockage! I went from 3000 psi to 500 psi in 2 minutes! My instructor turned off my tank for me and we tried to clean them out, but the damage was done and I was out.

She helped me out of the water and proceeded to take out the other 2 students from my group. They got out successfully and went down. Little did they know that the visability was about 2-4 feet tops. They began their skills and came back up within 10 minutes. They got out of the water and one of the students was visibly upset (scared)...we found out that 5 minutes into their dive, her regulator began to freeflow and they couldn't control it underwater. She used the instructor's octo and they all ascended properly. Sand seemed to have gotten into her regulator as well. The instructor reported that she did everything properly and didn't bolt to the surface, but it scared her all the same.

The instructor pulled the plug on the dive and now we have to reschedule. It was a comedy of errors and wasn't the best day to dive....plus....there was a plankton bloom...explains the poor visability

 

[Diversion]

JodiBB,

Too bad you and your group had such a bad day. The truth of it is, learning when NOT to dive, may be the best lesson of your training.

It is good you appreciate your instructors judgement. There is always the next dive…

I suspect next time you go out, it will be “wow, it was sooo cool!”. Let us know.

 

[JodiBB]

I suspect next time you go out, it will be “wow, it was sooo cool!”. Let us know.

Diversion...actually, that's how I felt duringmy first 3 dives at Catalina, so I was looking forward to this dive as well...

Oh well..I have a lifetime of diving, right?

 

[Queen]

Glad to hear your instructor used good judgement and sorry to hear about your missed cert dive. It's hard to make that kind of call when you've got hopeful students waiting to make the dive and move to the "next level".

 

[kennethw]

Hey JodiBB,

It was unfortunate that you and your groups initial experience with diving was not favourable. But look on the bright sight, it can only get better from here. In Singapore, we do do a lot of our training in local waters where visability is about 0.5 - 1 metre; after that, we bring people to Malaysia where the visability can be as good as 40 metres. This simply makes everyone appreciate the good sites more.

Don't give up. Diving is one of the greatest sports in the world.

 

[ScubaMarine]

My 1st and 2nd dive for certification had roughly 18inches of vis, that it until all of us newbies kicked up all the sediment. We were in Biscayne Bay in Miami so no harm was done but I didnt even know how cool diving could be until our 3tf and 4th and then AOW certification.

 

[H2Andy]

JodiBB, too bad about your cert, but you'll get it soon, don't worry

diving is not something you can do safely irrespective of the conditions. you will
have to call a few dives in the future. but better to be ashore wishing you
were in the water than be in the water wishing you were on shore

 

[suthnbelle]

Oh well..I have a lifetime of diving, right?

Yes you do! I have to keep reminding myself of this very statement when something comes up (way too often) to cancel one of my dive trips. It does suck when you're excited about diving then you can't go out, but there is always another day to dive. Let us know how your check out dives go. Good luck!

Mel

 

[lord1234]

In some ways the instructor should have thumbed the dive when the first 6ft wave hit...i am glad that everyone made it out ok.

 

[spectrum]

Don't be disapointed, you got an object lesson in calling a dive. That 6 footer sounds like a good breakpoint. As you saw not much good came from what followed.

Hang in there we've had several delays but right now all systems are go to be certified this coming Saturday. All of our skills are done. Now we just show we can dive! Use the extra time to research and test gear or complete some chores so you can dive dive dive when you get that card.

If you haven't done alot of skin-diving go get wet, great conditioning to avoid leg cramps and it will keep your gear from drying out.

Pete