Change "it happend to me" to "let's come to the wrong conclusion".

[TerryH]

Dive has just popped through the door and had a quick glance
through.

Just wondering if it would be possible to rename "it happend
to me" to "let's come to the wrong conclusion".

Chunky (unknown)camera, potential enrapment, own torch not on,
distraction/lack of buddy awareness etc. and what was the
writers conclusion? Don't panic!

I'm sure we all enjoy these stories as a warning to us all
not to become complacent, but come on! If we are going to have
these stories, at least think what wrong/bad decisions got you
there in the first place.

TerryH

[Philip Smith]

Just wondering if it would be possible to rename "it happend
to me" to "let's come to the wrong conclusion".

I haven't seen the article in question yet, but I have had the same thought about previous "it happened to me" articles.

Phil S.

[dandiver]

Dive has just popped through the door and had a quick glance
through.

Just wondering if it would be possible to rename "it happend
to me" to "let's come to the wrong conclusion".

Chunky (unknown)camera, potential enrapment, own torch not on,
distraction/lack of buddy awareness etc. and what was the
writers conclusion? Don't panic!

I'm sure we all enjoy these stories as a warning to us all
not to become complacent, but come on! If we are going to have
these stories, at least think what wrong/bad decisions got you
there in the first place.

TerryH

Terry,

After 25+ years of diving I take on board your point about warning people not to become complacent, and could not agree more however IMOHI I disagree with your comment in respect to "at least think about what wrong / bad decisions got you there in the first place".
I am an active Instructor affiliated with big two agencies diving between the UK and warmer locations, anyway thats imaterial and no big deal....only setting the scene.
As you will appriciate I get my equipment serviced on a regular basis, hold proffesional liability insurance etc ..etc.....i consider myself a responsible diver / instructor and I trust i have set the scene.
Recently whilst Escorting & leading a group of experienced divers in the Red Sea i suffered a 1st stage failure @ 15 mins into the dive at 20 + mtrs with 180 bar in my cylinder. Good dive planning, training and procedures enabled me to share air from my buddies octopus to safely return to the surface.
This was not a Story, this was an experience that through time and after a few beers in a pub after a good days diving one day will end up as a story, maybe it may grow arms and legs......that makes them more interesting.
Unfortunately i have racked my brains to "think what wrong/bad decisions got me there in the first place"......my own conclusion is just my love for diving an unfortunate event ?
Unfortunately i have not submitted the event to Dive, but thats another Story :-))

IMOHO I dont think all incidentS are caused by wrong / bad decisions.

This however is a scenario i will no doubt pass on to students during my lectures.

Safe Diving
Dan

[TerryH]

As you will appriciate I get my equipment serviced on a regular basis, hold proffesional liability insurance etc ..etc.....i consider myself a responsible diver / instructor and I trust i have set the scene.
Recently whilst Escorting & leading a group of experienced divers in the Red Sea i suffered a 1st stage failure @ 15 mins into the dive at 20 + mtrs with 180 bar in my cylinder. Good dive planning, training and procedures enabled me to share air from my buddies octopus to safely return to the surface.

So your conclusion was that even if you do all the planning,
s**t happens and good and well-practiced dive skills saved the
day. Nothing wrong in that conclusion.

Now let's change your scenario slightly. What if you didnt get
the 1st stage serviced or maybe it was a 20m+ dive just after
it had been serviced. Would your conclusion be the same?

Problem I have with these stories is that it isnt the incident
that's the issue (we all have them), but a conclusion that may
give new divers the wrong idea or the wrong emphasis.

The best example was the one where the green diver was left
hanging, alone outside the wreck while the more experinced
buddy went inside. She almost panicked when he didnt return
and was I beleive a hares breath from going after him. The plan
was pre-approved by the DO on the boat.
Wrong conclusion - be calm dont panic etc.
Right conclusion - dont hang about solo on wrecks (bad planning)

Here's one of mine.
Leading a group over the drop-off in Lanzarote over the wrecks,
just as we close up to drop down (UK divers - have to watch for
vertigo sufferers) my brother-in-law (I wasnt trying to do him
in, honest!) at the back signals OOA. I quickly round up the
group and present octo etc. His gauge is visably going down
with a quite pronounced leak from the SPG.

Luckily we have another DL who knows the site and can take
over, so cutting the depth back from 30m to the 18m plateau,
I hand over the group and take my charge back to the boat.

a)Wrong conclusion (or rather secondry conclusion). S**t happens
and well rehearsed bailout plans kick in to provide a happy
result. Diver safe, group continue (albeit not as deep as
planned).

b)Right conclusion. It was assumed that the SPG was serviced
along with the 1st. 2nd & Octo. This was not the case and when
checked it was a simple O-ring failure. So moral is to not only
make sure ALL elements are serviced and checked prior to
diving, but to buy SPG's which can be easily stripped down and
checked and not buried in some plastic/rubber lump.

a) Means I will do nothing but continue diving and
training. Preparing myself (and others) for that one time
I might need it.

b) Actually meant that I not only checked my SPG's, but that
of the club + the servicing contract. Turns out it was just
my BIL's reg that he had got serviced himself. Plus .......
I still do everything in a).

So if you read this story, would you check your SPG? Yes?
Then the conclusion had a positive result.

TerryH

[will swift]

It was assumed that the SPG was serviced along with the 1st. 2nd & Octo. This was not the case and when checked it was a simple O-ring failure. So moral is to not only make sure ALL elements are serviced and checked prior to diving, but to buy SPG's which can be easily stripped down and checked and not buried in some plastic/rubber lump.

I wonder how common this is? - I had an SPG o-ring blow (the little one on the swivel) after a servive - the o-ring hadn't been changed - I was using nitrox, regs cert to 40% - but think, the second stage is at 10bar on 40% and we make the effort to put viton o-rings in - the SPG is at tank pressure, did you check those o-rings are o2 compatible?, and even 40% is going to go to work on that little o-ring at those pressures quite quickly.

[TerryH]

:=It was assumed that the SPG was serviced along with the 1st. 2nd & Octo. This was not the case and when checked it was a simple O-ring failure. So moral is to not only make sure ALL elements are serviced and checked prior to diving, but to buy SPG's which can be easily stripped down and checked and not buried in some plastic/rubber lump.

I wonder how common this is? - I had an SPG o-ring blow (the little one on the swivel) after a servive - the o-ring hadn't been changed - I was using nitrox, regs cert to 40% - but think, the second stage is at 10bar on 40% and we make the effort to put viton o-rings in - the SPG is at tank pressure, did you check those o-rings are o2 compatible?, and even 40% is going to go to work on that little o-ring at those pressures quite quickly.

Good point. The kits used on our regs are O2 compatable even
though we only use sub 40% mixes, but I will check to see
the SPG is the same. Like the original conclusion, assuming
has a habit of biting you in the a**s!

Just goes to show how the right conclusion may lead to better
preperation and less future incidents.

TerryH

[matt]

Dive has just popped through the door and had a quick glance
through.

Just wondering if it would be possible to rename "it happend
to me" to "let's come to the wrong conclusion".

With a lot of the stories, and particularly those that appear to have been submitted by inexperienced divers, I would say you had a point. In this case I don't think you have.

Chunky (unknown)camera, potential enrapment, own torch not on,
distraction/lack of buddy awareness etc.

So it would seem that the author has acknowledged he may have made mistakes, or at least dubious decisions, prior to the situation.

and what was the
writers conclusion? Don't panic!

Resolving the situation calmly and methodically would appear to have influenced his ability to recount the tale. For the reasons he mentioned, he found himself in an unexpected and threatening situation. By resisting the urge to panic and solving one problem at a time he extricated himself without making things worse.

The conclusion is applicable to anyone that finds themselves seemingly alone in a dark place - Maybe their torch failed or they dropped it. If they are sensible enough to carry a second torch, they will still need to resist panic while they locate their backup and switch it on.

I'm sure we all enjoy these stories as a warning to us all
not to become complacent,

Is it not complacent to think that you are incapable of making mistakes? To err is human after all. Personally I don't think making mistakes is the real danger - not being able to solve them is.

but come on! If we are going to have
these stories, at least think what wrong/bad decisions got you
there in the first place.

Fair enough and in this case I think most of it was covered. Personally I would not be happy having a photographer at the back of a group entering a wreck. It would have been better to have the buddy carrying the torch as tail end charlie.

MattS

[dandiver]

:=So your conclusion was that even if you do all the planning,
:=s**t happens and good and well-practiced dive skills saved the
:=day. Nothing wrong in that conclusion.
:=
:=Now let's change your scenario slightly. What if you didnt get
:=the 1st stage serviced or maybe it was a 20m+ dive just after
:=it had been serviced. Would your conclusion be the same?
:=
:=Problem I have with these stories is that it isnt the incident
:=that's the issue (we all have them), but a conclusion that may
:=give new divers the wrong idea or the wrong emphasis.
:=
Hi,
Sorry Terry as previously stated this was NOT a story, no need to change the scenario slightly unless of course you wish to make it into a story.
Maybe you would not have a problem with the stories if you stuck to the facts?
I totaly agree with Planning, preperation, risk assessments, Training etc and IMOHI that comes from experience which as you say we can pass on and share with those who may not be quite so experienced, and they will no doubt learn from this.
One thing is for sure, when the dirt hits the fan and the people involved in any such incident will no doubt reflect on what has happened to them after their dive, and i am sure they will definately think about what went wrong to avoid such incidents ever happening to them again.

Safe Diving
Dan