20 replies to this topic

[diveguy101]

It is sad what happened. No matter of the training anyone has we are all acceptable to accidents or death. I work in law enforcement. I own my own security guard company and have witnessed officers do stupid things. It's part of life. We all learn no one is perfect or exempt from an accident or death.

By the way. Don't most BC have a lever or string you can pull to release your weights. I know that the new BC are equip with them. Check out the new Zeagal and Atomic BC.

I read an article in the Scuba mag where an experience dive master took a dive trip and died. He was also out of shape and has not dove in years. He should have taken a refresher course. The dive went well until the end of the dive. The anchor was not coming up. So he dove in to guide the anchor to the boat and instead of holding on to the chain to ascend he was using all of his strength to rise. He was running out of air and with his bad health he couldn't make it up and panicked. He tried to remove his dive belt but the formidable happened and died. The boat crew tried to resuscitate him but had no luck.

“Remember we are all acceptable to injury or death.”

[peterbj7]

I never read the original article on this tragedy and all I know is from what people have said in this thread. But in addition to the air check I suggested above there is one more thing in particular you can do to reduce your chances of becoming a victim in circumstances such as these. Ensure that when underwater (in shallow water, such as a swimming pool, with an experienced diver with you and watching) you can reach you tank valve(s) and turn it on or off. If you can't reach it or can touch it but not turn it, you need to revise your gear configuration. DON'T dive with gear on which you can't reach and turn the valves.

Additionally, ensure you can separately reach and release your weights and BC. Again, regardless of type, you must be able to do this with any gear you take underwater.

And the trick with all of this is to PRACTICE, not just once but at intervals throughout your diving career. Especially whenever you change any of your gear configuration, including changing to a new suit that may be more restrictive than the old.

For example, I once taught a guy who used a drysuit and thick gloves (this was in Britain in winter, NOT here in Belize!). It turned out that he couldn't release the feed hose to his suit when he was wearing those very thick gloves. As he was unwilling to spend money to change the inflator system and didn't want top use thinner gloves, I got him to practice taking his left glove off quickly in freezing cold water and then releasing the hose with his bare hand. I did it at the start of a training session and he managed it OK, but when he tried it later on his hands were by then so cold he couldn't release the hose even with bare hands. I told him he MUST change his inflator system, but I don't know if he did.

[Jerrymxz]

when diving OC (open circuit) I have breathed from my reg IMMEDIATELY before entering the water, watching my pressure gauge at the same time to make sure it doesn't move.

This is single handedly the best advice anyone regardless of skill can follow. ALWAYS check your own air. Do not rely on someone to check it for you. Double check the crew no matter how competent they are AND watch to see if the needle moves when you breathe on it. If it does not the air is on. If it does your air is off or only partially on.

I need to throw my 2 PSI in on this as well. Get in the habit of doing this EVERY TIME right before you stand up. 99.999% of every thing else you could forget to do can be fixed without the Imminent possibility of killing you!


As WW stated in another post on this thread over the years i've stepped off dive boats with all those things and several more she didn't mention. The time I didn't have my air on I was positive bouyant and just had the person next to me turn it on. But it could have gone much worse. NEVER AGAIN.

Another point in this is what is the reason for being so overweighted. Full up, geared up, BC empty, empty lungs you should at the most be 3 or 4 lbs heavy. (cooper river dives the one noted exception) I don't know anyone who couldn't be handed a 4 lbs dive weight and couldn't tread water with it in their hands with scuba fins on. Most if not all could do it without fins.

[peterbj7]

Jerry - I agree, but before you stand up is TOO SOON. It needs to be DIRECTLY before you enter the water. On the occasion I referred to when my air was turned off, it was a "helpful" crew member who turned it off as he was "assisting" me to the exit point. I knew he was holding my tank, quite unnecessarily in fact, but I didn't know he was turning the valve.

[Jerrymxz]

Jerry - I agree, but before you stand up is TOO SOON. It needs to be DIRECTLY before you enter the water. On the occasion I referred to when my air was turned off, it was a "helpful" crew member who turned it off as he was "assisting" me to the exit point. I knew he was holding my tank, quite unnecessarily in fact, but I didn't know he was turning the valve.

OUCH! That's the kind of help I could live without! It's bad enough you miss it yourself but to have someone turn it off... I think I would have a talk with that Gentleman.

[WreckWench]

Jerry - I agree, but before you stand up is TOO SOON. It needs to be DIRECTLY before you enter the water. On the occasion I referred to when my air was turned off, it was a "helpful" crew member who turned it off as he was "assisting" me to the exit point. I knew he was holding my tank, quite unnecessarily in fact, but I didn't know he was turning the valve.

OUCH! That's the kind of help I could live without! It's bad enough you miss it yourself but to have someone turn it off... I think I would have a talk with that Gentleman.

AGAIN...if you feel someone is touching your tank....stop and check your air again...breathe and see if the gauge moves. I always check now...cuz yes I have jumped in without my air on and even been negative. So it PAYS to check and recheck and triple check your air before YOU jump! kamala