Disaster narrowly avoided on deep drift dive

[jagfish]

No-one was hurt in this incident, so I think it fits best in near-misses in this forum. However, in my mind, this was a near-death experience for the diver involved, as an out-of-air event at this depth on this site, could have been fatal.

This dive has haunted me for more than a decade thinking what could have happened if the failure chain had not been interrupted by an alert divemaster.

 

[Searcaigh]

After the first dive on Day 2 Diver Z should have been left on the boat.

 

[jagfish]

After the first dive on Day 2 Diver Z should have been left on the boat.

Yup, lots of folks hold that opinion...I respect that.
Since I was in a position to be 1 on 1 and could choose dive plans that limited depth, I thought I'd try and make it a teaching moment.

 

[Miyaru]

Sounds very familiar, people not meeting the requirements for a dive, followed by ending the dive for the whole group.

Making a fast descent in a current is obviously a very difficult skill.

I remember a situation where a group of experienced cold-water divers were on the boat. Location: Ari atoll, Maldives. Crystal clear, warm water instead of 2m-visibility-cold-water.
Instruction was to descend immediately down to the reef at 30m/100ft, or they would get blown over the dive site.
Three times the whole group had to go back on the boat and jump again.
Reason: not following instructions.
Why did it work the 3rd time: they were finally quiet before the dive, and actually listened to the briefing.

In your case, the air consumption of that diver was crazy high as well. He should not have been in the water in the first place, and most certainly not in a group!

 

[chillyinCanada]

Miyaru, I've been fortunate to be able to do a number of those drops in Maldives.

Normally, the current didn't sweep me away until we were at depth and crossing the channel for a hook in. A bit frightening the first time.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Yup, lots of folks hold that opinion...I respect that.
Since I was in a position to be 1 on 1 and could choose dive plans that limited depth, I thought I'd try and make it a teaching moment.

I understand why you felt that you needed to go as far as you could with him. He had been your student. It's my guess that had he/she not been, you may have treated the whole weekend and diver Z differently.

You've told us that Diver Z was no longer cleared for deep dives with your group.

Did Diver Z continue to dive at all as far as you know?

 

[jagfish]

I understand why you felt that you needed to go as far as you could with him. He had been your student. It's my guess that had he/she not been, you may have treated the whole weekend and diver Z differently.

You've told us that Diver Z was no longer cleared for deep dives with your group.

Did Diver Z continue to dive at all as far as you know?

Your first observation is definitely true for student vs non-student!!!

I'm not sure if that diver ever dove again...moved out of the country

 

[Edward3c]

No-one was hurt in this incident, so I think it fits best in near-misses in this forum. However, in my mind, this was a near-death experience for the diver involved, as an out-of-air event at this depth on this site, could have been fatal.

This dive has haunted me for more than a decade thinking what could have happened if the failure chain had not been interrupted by an alert divemaster.

Another good video.

During the regional training I run on Scotland’s West coast, we had a student burn through a 12Lt 232bar tank in 9 minutes at 6m. It was an eye opener for my instructors. I’ve not signed off the final qualifying dive for Ocean Diver on many occasions because the student didn’t turn the dive at the planned time or pressure point. During Sports Diver lessons I come across poor gas management in students who’ve done a lot of operator lead (normally warm water locations) diving; I won’t sign off lessons because they didn’t manage their gas, even when all the new skills are successfully completed. Gas management is an integral part of all open water lessons.

Narcosis, when I was survey diving in Belize back in the 1990s one of the scientists established the effects of N start at 15m.

 

[Searcaigh]

Yup, lots of folks hold that opinion...I respect that.
Since I was in a position to be 1 on 1 and could choose dive plans that limited depth, I thought I'd try and make it a teaching moment.

Some people are slow learners if not always active in the water. If I took a ride in Diver Z's car I'd be checking their fuel gauge frequently.

 

[Dan]

Some people are just not cut out to be divers.