Missing Diver Off Vandenberg?

[Wookie]

Condolences to her family & friends.

What happened to the buddy system, I wonder?

From the reports I read, it was a follow-the-leader dive, and she didn't. Buddy dives are different.

 

[Steelyeyes]

From the reports I read, it was a follow-the-leader dive, and she didn't. Buddy dives are different.

It kind of has to be a follow the leader kind of thing. You go up ladder wells and swim single file on the outside walkways, and even poke your way up through missing decl plates to the made for a Hollywood B movie bridge.

I kind of thought if the DM didn't find her on the upper deck that she somehow went to the bottom.

 

[Wookie]

It kind of has to be a follow the leader kind of thing. You go up ladder wells and swim single file on the outside walkways, and even poke your way up through missing decl plates to the made for a Hollywood B movie bridge.

I kind of thought if the DM didn't find her on the upper deck that she somehow went to the bottom.

It's a bit disconcerting when you go outside the rails. The bottom is an additional 70 or so feet below you, and most days you can't see it. I've been to the sand there many times on both TMX and air, for a 150 air is far easier dive. The Oriskany is far worse for that disconcerting feeling.

 

[Marie13]

It's a bit disconcerting when you go outside the rails. The bottom is an additional 70 or so feet below you, and most days you can't see it. I've been to the sand there many times on both TMX and air, for a 150 air is far easier dive. The Oriskany is far worse for that disconcerting feeling.

What’s the typical viz on this wreck?

 

[Steelyeyes]

What’s the typical viz on this wreck?

It varies greatly. The first three times we were on it the viz was 130ish feet. The next year we came back and got blown off due to a high current. Went to the Cayman Salvor a bit more inshore and still had a ripping current and about 15 feet of viz. Lesson learned, if all of the buoys aren't visible on the surface you probably should stay in the boat.

 

[scubadada]

...What happened to the buddy system, I wonder?

I was wondering the same thing, she was diving with her husband. Personally, I would watch out for my wife. I would not lose her

 

[Wookie]

I was wondering the same thing, she was diving with her husband. Personally, I would watch out for my wife. I would not lose her

You are a fully formed adult human being diver used to diving self-reliant with all of the items you need to make the dive on your own. I happen to know this. You may be the common type of diver in the places you dive, but many (and no disrespect intended) are follow the leader vacation divers. At times, we (spree) would show up at the Dry Tortugas or Flower Gardens, 100 miles from nowhere, and some divers wanted to know who their leader would be.

Many divers expect there to be someone in the water to take care of them, because the major tourist destinations provide just such a person.

As has been discussed here ad nauseum, no one can take care of you in the water, and if you want someone to keep their eyes on you, you need to stay in front of them, but that certainly doesn't mean that they will keep their eyes on you 100% of the time.

It takes a split second to lose your team mate. I hesitate to use the term buddy as I think it's stupid, as it implies a standard of care that obviously wasn't followed in this case. I hate "leading" dives for the same reason, and especially on a 95 foot deep wreck in 150 feet of water where a diver could (and have) disappeared in the wreck, off the wreck, and on the surface in a smoking current. Last dive I led was on the white sand in a cove in pool-like conditions, and left that job for a better one.

I am not here to shame the DM or the husband or the victim. IRL divers expect someone to watch out for them. The reality is that all divers must be competent and self-reliant.

 

[Marie13]

It takes a split second to lose your team mate. I hesitate to use the term buddy as I think it's stupid, as it implies a standard of care that obviously wasn't followed in this case. I hate "leading" dives for the same reason, and especially on a 95 foot deep wreck in 150 feet of water where a diver could (and have) disappeared in the wreck, off the wreck, and on the surface in a smoking current. Last dive I led was on the white sand in a cove in pool-like conditions, and left that job for a better one.

I am not here to shame the DM or the husband or the victim. IRL divers expect someone to watch out for them. The reality is that all divers must be competent and self-reliant.

I remember reading the posts from when Lynne went missing. Peter said he took his eyes off her very briefly (to check gauges?) and then she was gone. Strong current, if I remember correctly.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Wookie

You are correct. I'm sure the husband and the DM feel terrible about this event. I feel sorry for them.

You are right about me too

 

[dmaziuk]

I was wondering the same thing, she was diving with her husband. Personally, I would watch out for my wife. I would not lose her

Mileages vary. Mine likes to swim around while I'm known to get stuck in place framing a shot. We do have ultrasonic pingers and mostly usually know which direction the other one's at, but being out of sight of each other is not unusual.
-- On an average reef dive, that is, not on a dive as described by @Steelyeyes in #15, though.