The following message was posted to the Power SCUBA meetup mailing list this morning. I'm passing it along with the permission of the author and operator of the meetup.
Personally, I like this kind of message; it reminds us that complacency is dangerous in our sport, and gives some focus for reflection on our diving habits, skills and risks.
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Folks,
Effectively immediately, for the next five days, Power Scuba will go into a voluntary Safety Stand-Down. All Organizers are asked to forgo hosting events and diving until 0700 on Saturday morning. Member are also asked to voluntarily not dive until Saturday and instead reflect and refocus on the various aspects of safety that surround our sport.
This past weekend, for the second time in less than two months, a member has gotten bent while on a Power Scuba boat trip. At least one of the instances was entirely preventable.
Our goal is not to embarrass anyone or make them feel bad. Rather, it is through the sharing of info and the telling of the story that others will learn and this avoid similar situations.
Our latest chamber-riding member, made two dives to a wreck in the 95-115 fsw range. Well-within the recreational limit, depths he'd dove before, no deco, and with an hour+ of surface interval between dives. During his surface interval after the second dive he became violently ill over the side of the boat and stated he didn't feel good. It was revealed he'd been drinking heavily the night before and had less than 4 hours of sleep. He passed a five-minute neuro check with flying colors, but to be safe he was put on O2 and asked to drink water while he was being monitored. The signs he was exhibiting were those of a classic hangover and sea sickness.
By the time the boat returned to the dock, the member was feeling only marginally better and stated he didn't feel like he could walk off the boat to get himself on dry land. Then, again, just to be safe, Baywatch and City Paramedics were called. They quickly decided they would transport him to Emergency Services where he was kept overnight and given chamber rides. He shared the doctor had informed him he had received a "serious hit".
I've deliberately left details out of this account as it's not my intention to share a full Accident Report with you.
The main take-away from this, then, is:
THERE IS NO BUTTON ON YOUR COMPUTER TO TELL IT YOU HAVE RISK FACTORS FOR THE BENDS. Some of those risk factors are:
Here me well on this, folks: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UNDESERVED HIT. You may not know why you got hit (you may never find out), but there's always a reason. The PC crowd now wants to change "undeserved hit" to "unanticipated hit"... for the reason I just stated. Well, to my thinking, MOST hits are unanticipated. In my world, a hit is a hit is a hit.
Doesn't mean the diver isn't a good person. Both of our recent cases are, but KNOWING that a hit can come out of the virtual blue, doesn't that then behoove us all to dive just a little more conservatively? I think it does.
Power Scuba prides itself on being more safety conscious than the average club or org... and yet here we are.
Let us all... ALL OF US... think about what our dedication to safety REALLY is in this sport and whether or not we're just paying it (safety) a bit of lip service.
Every morning this week, through Friday, I'll send you all a safety-oriented email or article link. Please give them your consideration, share the info, and help us to help you all be safe.
Yours,
Bill Powers
Power Scuba President
www.powerscuba.org
Personally, I like this kind of message; it reminds us that complacency is dangerous in our sport, and gives some focus for reflection on our diving habits, skills and risks.
-----------------------------
Folks,
Effectively immediately, for the next five days, Power Scuba will go into a voluntary Safety Stand-Down. All Organizers are asked to forgo hosting events and diving until 0700 on Saturday morning. Member are also asked to voluntarily not dive until Saturday and instead reflect and refocus on the various aspects of safety that surround our sport.
This past weekend, for the second time in less than two months, a member has gotten bent while on a Power Scuba boat trip. At least one of the instances was entirely preventable.
Our goal is not to embarrass anyone or make them feel bad. Rather, it is through the sharing of info and the telling of the story that others will learn and this avoid similar situations.
Our latest chamber-riding member, made two dives to a wreck in the 95-115 fsw range. Well-within the recreational limit, depths he'd dove before, no deco, and with an hour+ of surface interval between dives. During his surface interval after the second dive he became violently ill over the side of the boat and stated he didn't feel good. It was revealed he'd been drinking heavily the night before and had less than 4 hours of sleep. He passed a five-minute neuro check with flying colors, but to be safe he was put on O2 and asked to drink water while he was being monitored. The signs he was exhibiting were those of a classic hangover and sea sickness.
By the time the boat returned to the dock, the member was feeling only marginally better and stated he didn't feel like he could walk off the boat to get himself on dry land. Then, again, just to be safe, Baywatch and City Paramedics were called. They quickly decided they would transport him to Emergency Services where he was kept overnight and given chamber rides. He shared the doctor had informed him he had received a "serious hit".
I've deliberately left details out of this account as it's not my intention to share a full Accident Report with you.
The main take-away from this, then, is:
THERE IS NO BUTTON ON YOUR COMPUTER TO TELL IT YOU HAVE RISK FACTORS FOR THE BENDS. Some of those risk factors are:
- Serious drinking the night before, resulting in the number one risk factor for a hit... DEHYDRATION. Any tech instructor (and most recreational instructors) will tell you that you MUST be well hydrated when diving... and drinking a cup of water after a night of binge drinking ain't gonna cut it.
- Age - The more you're on the plus side of 50, the more this risk factor increases.
- Being cold/cold water
- Smoker
- Fitness level/elevated body fat %
- Pre-existing Injury or illness - Can affect normal circulation
- Exercise - <12 hours after dive and (many now think) BEFORE DIVE as well
- Diving like an idiot
Here me well on this, folks: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UNDESERVED HIT. You may not know why you got hit (you may never find out), but there's always a reason. The PC crowd now wants to change "undeserved hit" to "unanticipated hit"... for the reason I just stated. Well, to my thinking, MOST hits are unanticipated. In my world, a hit is a hit is a hit.
Doesn't mean the diver isn't a good person. Both of our recent cases are, but KNOWING that a hit can come out of the virtual blue, doesn't that then behoove us all to dive just a little more conservatively? I think it does.
- Don't push the limits... and if you do, give yourself MORE STOP TIME, than your computer sez you need. That three minute safety stop? Make it six+.
- Doing a recreational deep dive (100-130)? Throw some deep stops into the equation.
- Don't always butt up against the NDL limits of your computer.
- Don't set your computer to the liberal mode... ever.
- Sometimes, breath Nitrox on an air table (while obeying your MOD of course).
Power Scuba prides itself on being more safety conscious than the average club or org... and yet here we are.
Let us all... ALL OF US... think about what our dedication to safety REALLY is in this sport and whether or not we're just paying it (safety) a bit of lip service.
Every morning this week, through Friday, I'll send you all a safety-oriented email or article link. Please give them your consideration, share the info, and help us to help you all be safe.
Yours,
Bill Powers
Power Scuba President
www.powerscuba.org
