Shawn95
Contributor
So I was taking a new junior diver on his 8th dive. Conditions were great, bit of low vis from 0-20 ft but unlimited below that with lots of light. We did our descent to 40ft and were about to start swimming around. I looked down to turn on my camera and when I looked up his octo was free flowing. The cause turned out to be IP creep on his 1st stage and it wouldn't stop. it was clipped to his BCD strap in an octo holder so the bubbles
were coming up right in front of his face in between us. I reached down to see if I could stop the flow or pinch off his hose. While I did that he takes the 1st stage out of his mouth to see if that was the one that was free flowing but drops it, I think because it was in the flow of bubbles. I look up now and see him without a reg so I give him my long hose, switch to my bungied back up while I continue to play with his octo. Well then he drops
that reg for some reason. So now he reaches for the one I am breathing! So we have 1 of his dropped, 1 of his freeflowing still, my long hose hanging 7 ft down and the one in my mouth. Heres when it starts to get fun. I move in close to him and give him my reg, I figured I would be able to get any of the 3 hanging regs to put in once I give him some air. So he takes a breath but still doesnt hold onto the reg so I feel it snap back to my neck. At least he got a breath of air out of it. This is the point where he decides he wants to swim to the surface! I knew there was no way we were going to have a successful CESA at this point so we continue to work the problem. I get his octo in his mouth and he starts breathing. Now I can turn to the important goal of getting some air for myself! For some reason I think I reached down to my long hose dangling, I know I was not thinking clearly at this point and I really dont know how long this has lasted up to this point. I finally went to put my bungied reg in and as I do that the bungy had shifted to a position that hindered putting it in till I fought with it some more and finally got some air.
My buddy is now signalling to go up but I am just concentrating on getting big gulps of air at this point. I have been invloved in a few panicked diver situations and medical emergencies but I have never come that close to an actual emergency for me before. The diver had access to all 4 regs and seemed to like non!! I never reached the point of wondering me or him but now that I think about all the stories I've heard about DMs and divers
going down together it makes me think about the choices we make as DM/Instructors on how far we go to rescue or help a distressed diver underwater.
We surfaced, got back in the boat and disected every move and decision we made. His dad was on the boat so he got in on the conversation. We switched out his reg, got back in the water and had 2 outstanding problem free dives after that.
were coming up right in front of his face in between us. I reached down to see if I could stop the flow or pinch off his hose. While I did that he takes the 1st stage out of his mouth to see if that was the one that was free flowing but drops it, I think because it was in the flow of bubbles. I look up now and see him without a reg so I give him my long hose, switch to my bungied back up while I continue to play with his octo. Well then he drops
that reg for some reason. So now he reaches for the one I am breathing! So we have 1 of his dropped, 1 of his freeflowing still, my long hose hanging 7 ft down and the one in my mouth. Heres when it starts to get fun. I move in close to him and give him my reg, I figured I would be able to get any of the 3 hanging regs to put in once I give him some air. So he takes a breath but still doesnt hold onto the reg so I feel it snap back to my neck. At least he got a breath of air out of it. This is the point where he decides he wants to swim to the surface! I knew there was no way we were going to have a successful CESA at this point so we continue to work the problem. I get his octo in his mouth and he starts breathing. Now I can turn to the important goal of getting some air for myself! For some reason I think I reached down to my long hose dangling, I know I was not thinking clearly at this point and I really dont know how long this has lasted up to this point. I finally went to put my bungied reg in and as I do that the bungy had shifted to a position that hindered putting it in till I fought with it some more and finally got some air.
My buddy is now signalling to go up but I am just concentrating on getting big gulps of air at this point. I have been invloved in a few panicked diver situations and medical emergencies but I have never come that close to an actual emergency for me before. The diver had access to all 4 regs and seemed to like non!! I never reached the point of wondering me or him but now that I think about all the stories I've heard about DMs and divers
going down together it makes me think about the choices we make as DM/Instructors on how far we go to rescue or help a distressed diver underwater.
We surfaced, got back in the boat and disected every move and decision we made. His dad was on the boat so he got in on the conversation. We switched out his reg, got back in the water and had 2 outstanding problem free dives after that.