What if ????

[mavjax]

As I get ready for more dives as part of Intro next week, I am going through various scenarious in my mind to make sure I am comfortable with the steps. Here is one that I'm not sure of the right answer for:

What if you have a mask failure, or loose it because of whatever reason. If you carry a spare (which I know do) should you:

A) Just get the spare out, put it on, clear it, and hope that you have not drifted away from the line and/or stirred up the silt.

B) Tie off your safety spool to the line and hold it in one hand while you deal with the mask issue. That way, if you do happen to drift or create a viz problem, you already have it covered.

C) Hold onto the main line while replacing your mask, possibly putting significant strain on the line.

D) Some other option.


As an additional question, what role should a "good" buddy play in this scenario:
A) Stay on the line, providing you light and a reference point back to the line.

B) Hold onto you while you deal with the situation.

C) Some other option.


Once you have a mask on should you retrieve the dropped mask if it is sitting in a couple of inches of silt or do you leave it to become part of the history of the cave?


Thanks.

 

[OneBrightGator]

You should stop and try to maintain your location, which may involve holding on with one hand in a high flow cave, you should be neutral, so dropping into the silt should be a non-issue. Your buddy should be close, ready to render assistance, keeping an eye on you and the mainline.

 

[GDI]

Mark, we will be going over this next week. Let me just say for now that line awareness and buoyancy and communication are all important and that you should avoid task overloading.

 

[wscdive]

It sounds like your instructor has already rung in on this issue and will cover it with you next week, but i do have one comment. (as an apprentice cave diver, not an instructor!) Please dont grab the gold line to hold you in place!!! I dont need it zinging past me as you drag it with you out of the cave!!! Seriously though i had the same things going through my mind in my intro and cave courses and i am an instructor(not cave). Don't be afraid to ask your cave instructor anything, I am sure he would rather you ask how he wants it done than take a strangers advice (no matter how well-meaning). Most cave diving instructors I have met hate suprises!! Have fun, the Cave course is a great learning experience.

 

[mavjax]

I knew Rick would have an answer.... All I know is that my objective for next week is not to give Rick as many things to chuckle at as I did the last time It's always interesting to see the different views that you get here as there are so many different instructors, so many students who tend to make their own interpretations of what they are taught, and a wealth of real life experience.

 

[simbrooks]

Depends on the situation - if viz is good and i can see my buddies light i would try to stay at the same depth, position in the cave, quickly swap out masks. If i cant see the light (silted out somehow) then i would get an ok on the gold line (as little tension as possible - remaining in position by finning as needed depending on flow), that would be located by line awareness, or at worst a piece of wall if i didnt find the line on a quick sweep - depending on flow as well, then with the other hand put the mask on and clear (you only need one hand to clear). Once the replacement mask is in i would have a quick look for the original mask. As Rick said its a task loading thing, dont try to do too much at any one time, get reference (be that to a light, the line or wall), then sort the mask out, then ensure you have a reference to the exit/buddy/line and only then start looking for the mask if you have time/gas/can see it quickly.