Request for information not covered in any course

[chillyinCanada]

Kharon clearly stated that dissecting what went wrong was not the goal of the post.

So trying to elicit information about the situation so that it can be compared against what should have been done is rude. Trying to steer a conversation directly where the OP said they didn't want it to go, is rude.

I see where you are going with that. Fair enough.

 

[lowviz]

For the OP:
View attachment 551621

Thanks for the laugh!!

I have repeatedly recovered from the ocean the most precious thing (IMHO) down there, my own ass...

(Ray Petrie, as in 'Ray's Law': you are only as good as your next dive)

 

[Kharon]

IYour initial description seemed to imply that you were drifting off for 20 minutes, however now It sounds like you were holding onto a trailing line at the surface from an anchored/moored vessel.

I need to clarify. I was drifting for 20 minutes, not on a rope. At the beginning of the dive I tried to hang on the mooring line from the boat on the surface waiting for a group. The rope was hard, drifing was harder.

How does he know that they were aware that he was in trouble? Did they yell "ya, we see you're in crisis and if we get there after we fully load this boat, we'll come and save you"?

I had no idea they heard my signal or my screams or knew where I was. I only knew they were not coming. After they did pick me up they told me they heard my signal, screams, and yelled back. In the waves and at the distance I never heard them.

Three separate issues: 1) did the boat know he was there, 2) did he know if the boat knew, and 3)was he comfortable while waiting. The answers appear to be Yes, Unclear, and No. Some SB focus on how to help with (3) might be useful.

Actually, 1. Yes - but 2. I didn't know it, and 3. Definitely not.

I am not trying to hijack the thread or revisiting the often argued back inflate vs jacket debate, but I am wondering if @Kharon was wearing a jacket or bp/w/back inflate in the rough sea? While I dive a back inflate now, I do find that it is not as comfortable or easy to stay stabilized in a rough sea than it was in my old Sherwood Avid bcd. Being knocked around is no fun in either case, but I found myself working a lot harder with my back inflate, and found trying to lay back or stay vertical, lower in the water, like I do in calm water to be a real challenge, and can see where that could add a lot of stress to an already uncomfortable situation.

You pegged it. Not too long ago I switched from a full jacket to a harness and donut (back inflate) to make travel easier. Had I been in my Tusa jacket I would have been far better off. In the future, and in the spirit of solo redundancy, I will be wearing my heavy duty snorkel vest underneath my harness and I will carry at least two huge SMB's as well. Overkill on buoyancy seems prudent to me now.

 

[scubadada]

Drifting passively on the surface with an inflated BC is far different than clinging to a rope, in a current and wind and waves and trying to yell and signal for help. The more you inflate the BC, the more drag you have and without a snorkel it is more difficult to maintain a streamlined position on the rope. Climbing, kicking back 6-800 feet on the rope to the boat can be super strenuous, depending on the size of the rope, the size of the seas, the current and the diver.

That is why, when the OP seemed to mentioned that the boat could have abandoned the ascending divers and left them on a mooring, and gone to retrieve him, I raised the issue that this might not be a good option.

Perhaps we could discuss what the protocol (for the diver and boat operator) should be when a diver ends up way down stream on a surface line, appears to be desirous of help, yet the boat is moored/anchored and there are several divers still in the water? It is an entirely foreseeable situation and the whole reason to run a long surface floatline is to handle this exact scenario. What does everyone one do when that happens - assuming no chase dingy??

Sorry, I guess I just don't understand the situation . How could he be that far from the boat on a line? If he was, why not just stay there. wait for the boat to be free and pick him up? Being on a line to the boat would be a 100% rescue. The standard procedure for being blown off the boat would be to use an SMB, aural signaling device and or light, strobe, or mirror as applicable. A boat is not going to abandon their divers on a mooring line except for a life threatening situation.

I was on the Castor in Boynton Beach, unhooked the line and went to the surface. My boat was gone. After about 10 minutes, another dive boat I knew came and picked me up. It turned out that there was an out of air diver on my boat that needed emergency care. This was a completely understandable situation.

Edit sorry, was typing when the above were posted

 

[lowviz]

Overkill on buoyancy seems prudent to me now.

But then you have to drag all that crap around with you. Try a ScubaPro Classic vest, see if you like it. I'm in a love/hate relationship with SP in general so don't think that I'm trying to 'sell' you.

I bought dumpsterDiver's SP Classic vest. Both for the freaking surface stability and for the karma.

@Marie13 <wink>

 

[Marie13]

I bought dumpsterDiver's SP Classic vest. Both for the freaking surface stability and for the karma. @Marie13

You know my opinion on THAT. Bad juju.

 

[lowviz]

Keeps me alive...

 

[chillyinCanada]

Drifting passively on the surface with an inflated BC is far different than clinging to a rope, in a current and wind and waves and trying to yell and signal for help. The more you inflate the BC, the more drag you have and without a snorkel it is more difficult to maintain a streamlined position on the rope. Climbing, kicking back 6-800 feet on the rope to the boat can be super strenuous, depending on the size of the rope, the size of the seas, the current and the diver.

That is why, when the OP seemed to mentioned that the boat could have abandoned the ascending divers and left them on a mooring, and gone to retrieve him, I raised the issue that this might not be a good option.

Perhaps we could discuss what the protocol (for the diver and boat operator) should be when a diver ends up way down stream on a surface line, appears to be desirous of help, yet the boat is moored/anchored and there are several divers still in the water? It is an entirely foreseeable situation and the whole reason to run a long surface floatline is to handle this exact scenario. What does everyone one do when that happens - assuming no chase dingy??

Ah this rope thing had me confused. I've returned to the thread and reread. Yes, hanging on a rope has been ever so much more difficult for me a time or two (more) than drifting free. It can be very hard on the body and I will do most anything to avoid it. Sometimes there's just no choice.

I've learned over time not to try and swim in on that rope either. Other divers have been pissed off because I won't do it. They have more upper body strength than do I. I'll graciously let them pass me on the line if they're willing. But there's no way that I intend to have my arm pulled out of its socket because someone else is physically stronger than I am.

Getting tied up in that trailing rope is no fun either.

Then there was the time . . .

Very bad down cross current underwater with a down current as well. I'd called the dive from depth 3 times and been shaken off each time until I said screw 'em, I'm leaving before I can't. At that point, another diver decided to come with me and that was all it took for each of us to fight for the surface. The surface was ridiculous. Super choppy and flowing like a river. I was quickly separated from the other divers.

The boat was closest to the pair with the big camera and the one handed guy, so that's what they got busy with and at first, no big deal.

Then the boat rounded to try and pick up we remaining divers but the surface current was so strong that the boat got shoved off or captain hadn't timed it right or some darn thing.

Up to that point, I'd been faintly amused by the circumstances, observing, curious as to how this whole dive was playing out. Of course, at the same time, I was drifting futher and further from the other divers.

The boat came around again, missed me again, ??, and the boat boy decided to be proactive and frantically threw me a rope. It wasn't a diver drift rope, it was a rope for tying the boat up to shore and it had a great bloody knot in it about as big as my head, which of course, whacked me in the forehead, dazing me a second or two. Then I grabbed the rope and the boat boy again displaying his incredible strength began to pull me towards the boat. I should have let go because two things were happening simultaneously.

The heavy rope was tangling around my body and the boat was moving so that I was getting pulled into the motors. I'm screaming "wait wait wait" at the top of my lungs. Apparently not a known Indonesian word.

In any event, very close to a come to my maker moment.

I learned a few more things on that dive.

BTDT

 

[lowviz]

...//... BTDT

Wow, we've all been there.

Conditions differ, but the song remains the same.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Keeps me alive...

How?