32 replies to this topic

[DandyDon]

Good topic for discusion so I've moved it to the General Diving section where it can get the attention that it deserves. Marvel


I am not really a Solo Dive, but more of a Same Boat Diver – in that my Pony bottle and I will dive the same reef or wreck as everyone else at the same time. I’ll kinda’ help look out for others, and if things get hairy – I am not one to bluff my way thru things Rambo style; I’ll join a buddy team as a self-invited new-bud if it looks like the prudent action available. Like all the teams I joined on today’s Papoose dive off of Morehead City NC…

The viz hadn’t been great for the dive, and then I found myself surrounded in schooling Baitfish and Amberjacks, as well as just not at all sure where the anchor line was on this interesting junk pile. “No problem,” I thought. “I’ve got lots of air left, no other problems, and my Pony. I’m in good shape.” But this wreck is a big one, and when I didn’t find the lifeline in short order, I soon adopted a pair of divers I knew were from my boat and not the big one anchored across the way – as they headed away from the wreck and on a slow swimming ascent.

All the hunting around had put me into just a little Deco time, but “No problem, as I’ve got lots of air left and a solution at hand.” There was a bit of a head current, though, and I soon found my PSIs dropping down to the 500 range. I heretofore never had deployed my Pony other than in practice and to aid other divers short on gas, but this seemed like a good time to use the Bail-Out-Only bottle for a prudent Bail-Out. I was still following the other two divers, whom I hoped really knew which way they were going, but one of my multitude of back-up plans was to be with a small group if they screwed up and we all had to do a free ascent to be picked up later, certainly better than me alone drifting down current too far from an anchored boat. One of them went ahead and surfaced alone, while the other stayed below with me as we extended our swimming stop, and I was quickly reassured that we were now following a surface swimmer certainly headed for the boat.

I was to be latter advised that I seemed to have a significant leak from the Pony’s first stage, though, and that back-plan played out all too quickly. Some of you may know that sick, icky feeling of taking a couple of increasingly difficult drags on a reg, knowing that you’ll next be taking your last drag on that bottle at this depth. Gawd, but that was not fun, yet – I had only to switch back to my main reg & bottle – comfortable that I still had 500 PSI of a 120 cf bottle, thinking: “This is not really a problem. I’ve got 20 cf of 30% Nx left, at 20 feet, only a few minutes of Deco left, and surely we’re close to the boat." The stressed situation may have taken a toll on my consumption rate, though, and it did take a while to finally find the hang line. You know that sick, icky feeling of taking a couple of increasingly difficult drags on a reg, knowing that you’ll next be taking your last drag on that bottle at this depth is really not a good thing twice on the same dive.

I held onto that last good breath and swam down just a bit to be safe on over expansion while I sought obtain the attention of the first diver I could find on the line. I wasn’t desperate yet, as I could easily go for a direct ascent to the boat if I wanted to blow off 5 minutes of Deco, sit out the boat ride in on an Oxygen mask, lock up the one of two computers that had not cleared yet, and sit out the next day of diving – at best?! Things could play out not that well, of course, and we are never guaranteed to get or not get bent, so I signaled the diver politely: “I am totally out of damned air!” He gave me a reg, opting for one of his others at that point, and I started eyeballing my computer and flashing a decreasing number of fingers at him over 5 minutes. I hate screwing up, as I must always admit that some of the problems had to be of my own making, but I really hate being found out when there’s half a dozen other divers from the same boat on the line watching the drama. Jeeze!

Finally – after a long, embarrassing hang time, my second computer finally cleared, I offered him a thumbs-up, and I pulled my own reg to my mouth in hopes of finding a couple more breaths as I slowly ascended the last 20 feet. The last I saw of him as I did get that next breath was him showing me his 8 minutes left on his computer yet! “Gosh, I hope I left him with enough gas?” I was in no position to be even thinking about aiding others, though, as I still had myself to finish saving, so I just counted on him being a good diver who would have told me if I had been overstaying my welcome.

All along, I had a number of contingency plans, some I used, a couple I had left to drop back on – always mindful that I could drop the weights, orally inflate my BC and Sausage if ultimately needed, and ride out the consequences with only the assurance that I’d entered the water healthy and well hydrated in case of emergency.

But I like think that I am a better diver than to let some of those problems happen, and I am so embarrassed that I’m asking Don to publish my story – as I don’t want it under my username!

[drbill]

I can empathize Don. A few months ago I discovered that my pony bottle was leaking due to a slightly rotten o-ring and deteriorating seat. Had I needed to use it, there wouldn't have been much air left inside. So much for my backup. Now I regularly check the pony bottle for air leaks and make sure it is pumped up to the full 3,000 psi each weekend.

Dr. B.

[Diverbrian]

At least the diver in question thought to get gas from another diver doing deco instead of going directly to the surface and risking DCS.

Everything is a good learning experience as well. It may have been more easy to see the significant leak in the bail-out bottle if it were slung where one could see the first stage instead of tank mounted.

Much of the other stuff is common sense that the author has beat up on themselves enough over. Thankfully, as I said, they are willing to swallow their pride enough to get help underwater and solve the problem there while they have a deco obligation.

I would like to see this in General Diving where more divers will see the analysis. I think that there is alot of "done right" and "done wrong" to make it worth commenting on in a more visited area.

This is the type of thread that we can use to become safer divers.

[Latitude Adjustment]

That's why I have a small OMS SPG on the pony, I don't like those kind of surprises underwater either!

[DandyDon]

That's why I have a small OMS SPG on the pony, I don't like those kind of surprises underwater either!

Me, too. It was fully when I went in the water, but I failed to notice the leak.

Actually, I failed in many areas, and have much to work on improving.

The good news, I now realize that I'm not as good of a diver as I though I was and realize that I do need a lot of work!

[Marvel]

Sounds like a good learning experience, Don. Glad you made it back from the dive safely- how did the other diver fare?

[DandyDon]

Sounds like a good learning experience, Don. Glad you made it back from the dive safely- how did the other diver fare?

Thanks! I was still a little shook-up when I tryped the story, and I fear I was cavalier in my short statement about me air donor.
(1) I was confident that he'd tell me to disengage if my use of his air would run him short; and
(2) There were seveal others on the line, as I had anticipated there would be - in case he or I need an alternate source of more to extend our time below.

Glad you moved this here. I did want to share about my mistakes and problems in hopes of helping others.

[DandyDon]

Called my LDS that serviced the reg a week ago about the failure on Saturday, and of course - he is extremely interested, as well as willing to do whatever it takes.

Called Oceanic this morning as I was driving to RDU airport. I had been a good sport about my CDX being recalled for retrofitting after failing on a dive boat before a 115 foot dive, but I was not so happy about this failure at the bottom of a 115 foot dive. My attitude was I don't care when the warranty expired...!! but I didn't get that far. They offered to replace it with a new model right away, no charge. They just want to see the first one to fail after retro fit.

I thanked them for standing behind their product, but also explained that the Tech who serviced it - one of their dealers whom they know well - had the same feedling. He agreed to that situation and promised to work it out quickly.

More good news, beyond my learning what I need to learn - I'll have a new Ocanic reg on my pony in addition to my MK-25 on my back gas.

[randy54]

Over all it sounds like you did good. Stayed calm, anlyzed the situation, and took proper corrective action. Good job to you, and your on the line buddy.

[Sunchaser]

I just finished the book by Pippin Ferrar (spelling?) The Dive and the mistake he makes with his pony bottle sticks out in my mind. Not really pony bottle but a lift bottle. I know he was confident in his diving skills and things like this remind us just how human we are. As for another thing after that this topic also reminds me of a air spuing crack in the neck of my first pony bottle and my first real scare with scuba gear.

Such is life and God knows I need a good buddy that performs an even better buddy check.

[Sunchaser]

The book is titled THE DIVE. TO clarify

[Laura]

Don,

Thanks for posting this, it sounds like you handled it well and learned from the experience. Just goes to show that no matter how comfortable we may be in the water, things can still happen and we must be prepared to deal with it. Divers can never afford the luxury of becoming complacent.

You did well, and I'm really glad that you..er, your friend, I mean made it back safe and sound.

Take care
Laura

[chinacat46]

Don glad everything worked out and I'm sure you learned a lot. I'm also glad you shared it with all of us so that we to could learn from the mistakes. It's humbling when something like this happens but it makes you better and discussing it with others makes that even better. I think we all must remember to treat diving with the respect it deserves and never think we know it all and can't learn more. Thanx for your story and insight.

[WreckWench]

Other lessons learned:

1. Sling back up bottle as a stage vs a pony so that it can be seen and monitored for leaking regs, pressure etc. Most of the air a person is relying on can escape a small bottle during the course of a 30-40 minute dive.

2. Get proper training in solo diving if the possibility exists that you will be separated from you dive buddy and left to fend for yourself...or that you will end up diving by yourself for any reason.

3. Consider getting training in staged decompression diving and/or advanced nitrox so that you are more prepared to handle air consumption issues related to planned decompression diving. Don carries a pony for back up emergencies however the gas donor who assisted him carried a stage/pony for his planned decompression diving. Knowing why people carry extra gas is important in your emergency and contingency planning stages. (In this case it was fine as there were several divers who stayed close by to Vinny who donated Don extra gas so that he would not run short himself.)

4. If you are diving new equipment or employing new training for the first time, let your dive buddy know so that they can be aware of any issues that might arise due to these new circumstances.

Several divers had several situations that could have ended up being problematic or serious but instead were handled in such a manner as to be safe yet still a learning experience. I for one had several including trying out new equipment issues with my new drysuit such as forgetting to attach the inflator hose to my suit and then having to attach it underwater and under pressure. I also had the opportunity to do a free ascent on the last dive in 10 ft of vis in open water 30-40 yards away from the boat. Being dive 6 in my new suit and having just dropped 2 more pounds of lead I was extremely concerned that I might end up too light now that I did not have the anchor line to control my ascent. Fortunately I learned pretty quickly how to adjust the air in the suit and ascended safely. At one point I ascending too fast and spread eagle to slow my ascent while I dumped air from my bc...however lifting my inflator hose to dump also vented my suit releasing too much air. I then started to sink. I quickly put a small burst of air in the suit and leveled out. Another small burst of air allowed me to stop sinking and starting ascending again. At 23 feet I was able to maintain my bouyancy between 18 and 22 feet to clear out my 2 minute deco obligation as well as a 3 minute safety stop. Don was with me and we cleared his 3 minutes of deco and made his satety stop. Normally I would have shot my lift bag or safety sausage to let the boat capt know where we were while we were doing our deco & Safety stop however being new to the drysuit and worried I might be too light I opted to wait til we were at the surface and then signal if needed. Fortanately we were close enough and they knew we had not come up on the line that they saw us before we saw them. I did pull my reel and sauage at 20 feet and before I could shoot them I found myself drifting upwards to the surface. Obviously I need to practice shooting a bag in my new dry suit....but in a quarry NOT in open water!

All in all many of us learned to improve our skills or as others have noted...not take those we have for granted. -ww

[hnladue]

I'm glad you all are ok!! Lots of lessons learned here, but if you aren't always learning you might as well lock yourself up in a hole!

Did the Hot pepper jelly arrive ok?? I got confirmation that it arrived on friday, but I don't know if it found you guys!!