How do divers get into trouble? They don’t get a round of drinks in!!!
Seriously though, I having done a fair amount of diving in the UK and abroad I have assisted divers who through a small incident had a real in water issue. This is not a diving scare it is all about learning and how to ensure you are not the diver that gets into trouble.
A couple of minor incidents:- 1. Boat moors off a reef. Diver jumps off the boat with the other divers. Divers are grouping on the surface waiting for other divers to get in. Our diver starts sinking and struggling to stay on the surface, the BCD shoulder dump is letting by and he cannot keep his jacket inflated.
2. Another diver despite check breathing his air on the surface (BWRAF) is swimming long at circa 18 metres, he then notices that his pressure gauge is going down to zero when he breathes in. He immediately swims to his buddy for his alternate air source.
Both of these incidents could have been difficult for both divers and bit of a heart thumper. The BCD issue was some sand in the dump valve, easily identified and easily cleared. When the diver was struggling on the surface he just had to put his regulator in and fin back to the back of the boat and hold onto the diver ladder. The sand was then washed out of the dump valve. The air gauge was again easily identified and rectified simply by opening the air valve on his tank fully. The gauge did not react to a partially opened air valve on the surface as it was at 1 ata; down at nearly 3 ata the water pressure made the gauge react going down to zero on a breath. This was not an out of air situation and the diver could still breath.
These incidents were dealt with calmly and quickly and the dive carried on as normal. This is possible due to the level of training and experience of the staff divers. As open water divers we were told STOP, THINK, ACT. If something goes wrong do not panic, stay calm and work out the solution. The practice of skills makes it second nature when it really counts, for example. I was with a holiday group down at 30 metres on a wreck when my jacket started power inflating as the O ring had become dislodged and caught inside the power inflate spring, rapidly filling my jacket. Simple solution, disconnect the low pressure hose, stopped the problem immediately and I finished the dive with a normal ascent and safety stop. When I needed to air in my jacket I just did it orally. The practice of skills will help you when you really need it. I liken it to driving a car, at first you have to remember everything: gears, mirror, indicators, feet, and steer! After time and practice driving becomes second nature and you do things almost without having to think about it first. Dive safe.
The business of diving in and out of trouble.
How do divers get into trouble? They don’t get a round of drinks in!!!
Seriously though, I having done a fair amount of diving in the UK and abroad I have assisted divers who through a small incident had a real in water issue. This is not a diving scare it is all about learning and how to ensure you are not the diver that gets into trouble.
A couple of minor incidents:- 1. Boat moors off a reef. Diver jumps off the boat with the other divers. Divers are grouping on the surface waiting for other divers to get in. Our diver starts sinking and struggling to stay on the surface, the BCD shoulder dump is letting by and he cannot keep his jacket inflated.
2. Another diver despite check breathing his air on the surface (BWRAF) is swimming long at circa 18 metres, he then notices that his pressure gauge is going down to zero when he breathes in. He immediately swims to his buddy for his alternate air source.
Both of these incidents could have been difficult for both divers and bit of a heart thumper. The BCD issue was some sand in the dump valve, easily identified and easily cleared. When the diver was struggling on the surface he just had to put his regulator in and fin back to the back of the boat and hold onto the diver ladder. The sand was then washed out of the dump valve. The air gauge was again easily identified and rectified simply by opening the air valve on his tank fully. The gauge did not react to a partially opened air valve on the surface as it was at 1 ata; down at nearly 3 ata the water pressure made the gauge react going down to zero on a breath. This was not an out of air situation and the diver could still breath.
These incidents were dealt with calmly and quickly and the dive carried on as normal. This is possible due to the level of training and experience of the staff divers. As open water divers we were told STOP, THINK, ACT. If something goes wrong do not panic, stay calm and work out the solution. The practice of skills makes it second nature when it really counts, for example. I was with a holiday group down at 30 metres on a wreck when my jacket started power inflating as the O ring had become dislodged and caught inside the power inflate spring, rapidly filling my jacket. Simple solution, disconnect the low pressure hose, stopped the problem immediately and I finished the dive with a normal ascent and safety stop. When I needed to air in my jacket I just did it orally. The practice of skills will help you when you really need it. I liken it to driving a car, at first you have to remember everything: gears, mirror, indicators, feet, and steer! After time and practice driving becomes second nature and you do things almost without having to think about it first. Dive safe.