|
"My First Few
Minutes "
Do you see yourself
in this letter sent in anonymously?
My first few minutes.
by anonymous
There's a point in a dive that I rate as the most challenging. It's at
the very beginning. To be more precise, it's the first few minutes of the
first dive of the first day after having not dove (or is it dived) for a
while. The degree of difficulty increases the longer it's been since I've
been diving, but it also decreases rapidly as the dive progresses.
A few weeks ago I called the Capt. Jim, owner of "Symbiosis",
a six-passenger charter boat and the Aqua Shack, a local Dive Center. I
booked a two-tank morning dive destined for the beautiful waters of Cape
Ann, Massachusetts. At the time, my logbook showed that it had been five
weeks since my last dive, an overnight trip to Key Largo in the Florida
Keys, where I made two afternoon dives and two morning dives. My memory and
my logbook recall those dives on the John Pennekamp coral reef as fun and
problem-free.
The enthusiasm and confidence that lingered from the trip five weeks
earlier probably made me a bit cocky as we motored 12 miles out to the
wreck of the "Chester Poling" in 100' of water off Gloucester,
Massachusetts. I hadn't had time to rig my tank when the boat was still at
the dock (as Jim had recommended), and it was too difficult to do once we
were underway. With five other divers, the divemaster and the captain/boat
owner aboard, there was little room on deck to move about. Plus, the seas
were a little high that morning, and I didn't want to be fidgeting with my
tank and equipment as the boat rocked and rolled.
No matter, I thought. I'll just get it together when we stop at the dive
site. Which I did, but not without feeling rushed. The water temperature at
the surface was about 54°F and undoubtedly cooler below, so I put on my two
piece 7mm farmer john and jacket combo. I also wore a hood and mittens.
That meant a lengthy and difficult dressing sequence in the close quarters
on deck, which ratcheted up the I'm-feeling-rushed factor another notch.
Also, I was diving with strangers, which is bound to generate some concern.
Even so, I was feeling great. It was a gorgeous day, we were cruising
along nicely, the seas were calming, and I was about to go diving. What's
wrong with this picture? Absolutely nothing!
So why did I begin to feel a little confused and disorganized soon after
jumping into the water? I had trouble getting all my gear distributed
properly on my body, my mask leaked and on the descent my ears weren't
clearing as easily as they normally do. Frankly, I was surprised at my
mental state. Following the Keys trip I thought I was at the top of my
diving game, given my relative novice status, yet here I was fumbling at
the start of the dive.
Once I got organized, cleared my ears and made the descent, the dive
played out nicely. I got my first glimpse of a seal, a big bull flashed by
a few times just at the limit of the visibility. I even managed to grab a
couple "keepers". When we were all back on board the boat and had
dried off, I commented about how the first few minutes of a dive are the
toughest for me. I got confirming nods all around.
It's no surprise, really. There's more going on in those first few
moments than at any other time in the dive. Our world changes in an
instant. We transition from standing upright and breathing normally to
becoming "weightless" and sucking air through a mechanical
device. Our ears rebel against the pressure, our eyes have to adjust to a
new perspective, and suddenly we have to manipulate and rely on equipment
for all our needs.
All of this occurs in the first few minutes of a dive. If you're not a
grizzled veteran or you haven't been diving in awhile, making a smooth
transition to the underwater world probably will require deliberate
preparation.
A good place to start is at home, long before leaving the dock.
Visualize the dive, from the point at which you begin rigging your tank to packing
your sopping-wet gear after the last dive. By imagining every step of the
preparation and the actual dive, you avoid the anxiety of not knowing
what's going to happen. You place yourself a step ahead mentally. Instead
of reacting to events, you anticipate them, and that makes all the
difference in terms of attitude and confidence.
Prepare your gear as soon as you can after boarding the boat. Try to set
up your tank before the boat leaves the dock, and have your other gear
ready to don before reaching the dive site. Avoid feeling rushed, and
you'll be able to relax and think clearly. After gearing up stop and
breathe! You don't want to start a dive already winded. Force yourself to
stop, take some long full breaths in and long relaxing breaths out. The
idea is to take in oxygen and blow off carbon dioxide. This will help you
regain a nice relaxed slow breathing pattern and go a long way to making
you more comfortable and relaxed once you do jump in.
Try to get in the water early so you'll have time to adjust your
equipment, position and check your gauges, and get comfortable before
beginning the descent. Don't worry about getting to the bottom as quickly
as you can. If it takes an extra minute to clear your ears and adjust to
the increasing pressure and decreasing temperature, so what? It's certainly
worth investing a minute to achieve a more relaxing and comfortable dive.
You're also most likely to experience equipment problems early in the
dive, so it's only prudent to take your time in the initial phase.
The second dive that day on the "Symbiosis" was even better
than the first - better visibility, a second seal, and interesting granite
ledge formations populated by a variety of plants and animals. The slight confusion
I had experienced at the beginning of the first dive was long gone by the
time I entered the water for the second time.
On that second dive, I was ahead of the game mentally - I knew what to
expect. The first few minutes were as good as the last.
Here are some hints to help you avoid feeling stressed at the start of a
dive:
- Arrive early. If you
are planning a boat trip, make sure you get to the dock with plenty of
time to set up and check your equipment prior to departure.
- Visualize. Imagine every
step of the dive, including a mental checklist of potential problems,
and how you'll handle them.
- Take your time.
Don't enter the water until you are fully suited-up and all your gear
is comfortably in place. Once it is, stop and breathe! Get your breathing
rhythm back down before entering the water.
- Descend slowly. If
conditions allow, let yourself float at the surface and breathe while
you acclimate before descending. Use a descent line to better control
your descent.
Back to top
"Air Planning for
Deeper Dives / Gas Management 101."
Gas Management
basics everyone should know!
"Air Planning / Gas
Management for Deep Dives"
by Capt. Jim Hinckley
When I first got certified to dive back in May of "77" I was
taught, as I'm sure you were, to always surface with 300 - 500psi of air
left in your tank (preferably 500). For most divers this rule works pretty
well, as most dives are generally less than 60'. As an instructor I'm often
asked how do I know how long my air will last at a particular depth? How
can I plan on having enough air for the dive when I start diving deeper?
Anyone who has been through a deep, wreck, or cave diving course knows
the importance of planning for an adequate air supply. But for those of you
who haven't, and are starting to dive deeper, you should be aware that air
planning is of paramount importance (just as important is redundancy, but
that is a subject for another article). You may be surprised that figuring
your air needed is really not as difficult as you may think, and can
actually be fun (besides enhancing your experience as a diver).
It never ceases to amaze me when I hear so called
"experienced" divers planning a deep dive without even knowing
their surface air consumption rate (SAC Rate), or how much air they'll need
for the dive and safety stops or decompression stops. Many simply carry as
much air as they can sling around on their backs. This is fine, I mean, it
never hurts to have extra air, but anyone attempting a deep dive should
have an air management plan worked out in advance!
To simplify your calculations, you could use the Surface Consumption
Rate (SCR) which seems to be the average for many people. That is, .65 cubic
feet per minute (cu.ft./min.). If your actual SCR is less than .65
cu.ft./min. then you'll have extra air to spare. If you're what some divers
call an air hog or your friends call you "Hoover" you'll probably
want to figure your own actual SCR.
One really important thing to remember - if you figure your own SCR
you're going to be working with P.S.I. first, then converting it to cubic
feet (cu.ft.). If you use different size cylinders on your calculation
dives, similar drops in pressure amount to different amounts of air
consumed.
You can figure out how many PSI equals 1 cu.ft. for your cylinder, by
dividing the working pressure of your cylinder by the cubic foot capacity
(size). For example: in a 3000psi, 80 cu.ft. cylinder, 37.5 psi = 1 cu.ft..
(3000 /80 = 37.5)
If you want to determine your own personal SCR rather than use the .65
cu.ft./min. average, you will need to use the following formula.
SCR = PSI used/B.T. X 1 atm / (D + 1) atm
Where:
PSI = PSI of air used from your tank
B.T. = your Bottom Time
1 atm = 33' in sea water
D = your Depth
For example: you use an aluminum 80 cu.ft. cylinder and complete a dive
to 30' for 30 minutes. In that time you use 1500 psi of air. What is your
SCR ?
SCR = 1500/30 X 33/(30+33)
SCR = 50.0 X .52
SCR = 26 psi/min.
Remember, your answer is now in PSI per Minute. Since you used an
aluminum 80, you divide 26 (your SCR in psi/min.) by 37.5 psi (which = 1
cu.ft. in an alum. 80) to convert to cubic feet, and you come out with a
SCR of .69 cu.ft./min., just over the average.
Once you know your SCR (or use the .65 cu.ft./min. avg.) you can plan
your dive for air needed by using the following formula. Remember from your
basic Open Water class; according to Boyle's law, if all other factors
remain constant, the deeper you go the faster you use your air? This is so
because the regulator gives you air equal to the surrounding water
pressure.
If the pressure is twice as great at 33' or 2 ata's (atmospheres
absolute, 1 atmosphere of pressure for air and 1 atmosphere of pressure for
the 33' of sea water), you will use twice as much air. From this premise it
should be relatively easy to calculate how much air you'll use at any
depth. For example, if you used .75 cu.ft./min. at the surface (1 ata) you
would express it as follows:
Air needed = SCR X B.T. X 1 ata
Air needed = .75 X 1 X 1 ata = .75 cu.ft.
If you breathed for 2 minutes, it would follow:
Air needed = .75 X 2 X 1 ata = 1.5 cu.ft.
If you breathed for 2 min. at 2 ata :
Air needed = .75 X 2 X 2 ata = 3.0 cu.ft.
This works fine for exact 1 atm intervals, but in order to figure air
consumption for any depth we have to convert that depth to atmospheres
absolute (ATA's) in our calculations. We know that at any depth we have the
pressure exerted by the water, plus the pressure from the atmosphere (1 atm
= 33'seawater). Therefore, to convert any depth to atmospheres absolute
(ATA's), all we need do is add our depth plus 1 atm then divide by 1 atm.
This can be expressed as follows:
Pata's = (D+1atm)/1atm
OR
Pata's = (D+33)/33
For example how many atmospheres equals 99'?
(99+33)/33 = 4 ATA's
From here all we have to do is add this conversion factor to the Air
needed equation to come out with the formula for figuring air needed at any
depth.
Air needed = SCR X B.T. X (D+1ata)/1ata
For example: You plan to dive the wreck of the "June K" at
150' for 20 minutes, then decompress at 20' for 2 minutes and 10' for 7
minutes. Assuming you use .65 cu.ft./min., how much air will you need to do
this dive? Using the old wreck/cave divers "Rule of Thirds" (1/3
descending and diving, 1/3 returning and ascending, and a full 1/3 reserve
theoretically still left in your tank upon surfacing), what do you think
should be the minimum air you would carry?
Dive = .65 X 20 X (150+33)/33 = 72.15 cu.ft
20' stop = .65 X 2 X (20+33)/33 = 2.09 cu.ft.
10' stop = .65 X 7 X (10+33)/33 = 5.92 cu.ft.
Total air needed would be 80.16 cu.ft.
Assuming you use the Rule of Thirds the minimum you should probably
carry would be 121.45 cu.ft. I would carry at least a 100 plus a 30 cu.ft.
pony, or even better twin 80's.
Let's try another. I'm planning to dive the bow section of the
"Chester Poling" to a maximum depth of 180' for 20 minutes.
According to the DCIEM tables (more popularly known as the Canadian
tables), I will have a decompression penalty of 40'/7 min., 30'/6 min.,
20'/8 min., and 10'/27 min. for a total of 48 minutes decompression. Again,
how much air will I use, and how much should I bring down assuming I use
the Rule of Thirds?
Dive = .65 X 20 X (180+33)/33 = 83.85 cu.ft
40' stop = .65 X 7 X (40+33)/33 = 10.06 cu.ft.
30' stop = .65 X 6 X (30+33)/33 = 7.45 cu.ft.
20' stop = .65 X 8 X (20+33)/33 = 8.37 cu.ft.
10' stop = .65 X 27 X (10+33)/33 = 22.82 cu.ft.
Total air needed for this dive would be 132.55 cu.ft. Again according to
the Rule of Thirds I should carry at least 200.83 cu.ft. For me, this would
consist of carrying twin steel 100's at a minimum.
According to the Rule of Thirds this should allow me plenty of air,
however, in reality I'd "stage" two additional tanks, one at the
"deco" stops and one for the decent/ascent. The reason for this
is that normally your SCR computations are done using figures from resting
or relatively restful dives. If you've averaged your SCR calculations over
many hard working dives then your figure may be quite accurate. However, if
you calculated it at rest, or just leisurely swimming on relatively easy
dives your figure could be way off!
For this reason many accomplished deep divers will add what they call a
"work modifier". Simply put, if your SCR was calculated at rest,
you multiply that figure (your final cu.ft./min. figure) by the work
modifier. This reflects the fact that air consumption increases with
workload. The most common and reliable modifiers I've been able to find are
as follows:
At rest ================ 1.0
Mild work load multiply by === 1.5
Moderate work multiply by === 2.0
Heavy work multiply by ===== 3.0 to 5.0 minimum (may go as high as 10X
higher!)
As you can see, even moderate working dives (which most deep wreck dives
tend to be) can as much as double the amount of air needed. The two dives
presented here are obviously NOT your average recreational dive, and the
Aqua Shack in no way sanctions these types of dives without the proper
training, experience and equipment.
However we cannot ignore the fact that people ARE conducting these types
of dives. I would like to point out to the general readership that these
dives are not the norm and should only be undertaken by very experienced,
well conditioned and highly trained divers. These dives, and the people who
do them will typically carry double or triple redundant everything, be
extremely organized, and have a detailed plan for every foreseeable
contingency.
The system I've presented here is NOT just for deep divers. It works
just as well if you dive shallow and want to extend your bottom times while
still planning to allow for plenty of air. It also works great for buddies
to figure out how much each must carry in order to be able to stay in for
an equal amount of time on a dive. In any case, air planning shouldn't be
looked at as a laborious task that only very deep divers need think about.
On the contrary, doing the calculations can actually be a fun part of
planning a dive with your buddy. Also you'll get great satisfaction when
you surface to find how accurate you actually were, not to mention that it
will greatly ease concern over whether or not you have enough air to do a
dive. Lastly, you'll be learning something extremely valuable because it's
not just about diving, it's something about YOURSELF! Remember, a good
diver never stops learning. When the time comes that you stop learning at
least a little something new from every dive, you by no means know it all;
you're just like the arms of a stopped clock. You may appear to some people
to be right, but you've ceased to tick! (More on this next month.) Till
then .....
Happy and Safe diving,
Capt. Jim
Back to top
"Advanced
Diving - What is it?"
Aqua Shack
owner/instructor/philosopher discusses what truely makes an
"Advanced" diver Advanced.
Advanced Diving
by Capt. Jim Hinckley
Many of you were probably turned on to diving as I was, by watching
television with those action packed episodes of Sea Hunt starring Lloyd
Bridges as diver/spy Mike Nelson, or by listening to the poetic narratives
of Jacques Cousteau (may they rest in peace), as the camera panned over an
unbelievable sub-aquatic scene from some far-off marine environ never
before seen by man. Those thoughts simmered in our minds, until eventually
(for some of us - years later), we decided to make the plunge and take up
scuba diving.
Filled with inspiration you signed up for a scuba class and were
thrilled when you breathed underwater for the first time (remember that?).
You faithfully read your manual, practiced your skills, and then came the
big day; your first real open water dives! No matter how long ago it was, I
hope you all remember that day, I certainly do! I was surrounded by an
instructor, several divemasters, and a clan of students. The water was cold
and the visibility was terrible, but that didn't matter. I was officially a
part of that environment of which I had only dreamed about for so long.
Ultimately you, like I, met all the minimum requirements set up by your
certifying agency, and you were finally a certified diver. Hopefully since
that time you have been diving regularly, practicing your skills, and
gaining experience with each outing. Too many people dive so infrequently
that every dive is like their first. They struggle with their gear, huff
and puff their way to the water, make clumsy dangerous entries and exits,
and thrash around both on the surface and underwater as if buoyancy control
were some alien concept. (Sound familiar - I hope not!)
Let's assume though, that because you're reading this, you've been
fairly active. You have recorded numerous dives in your logbook. Soon you
come to realize and appreciate that experienced divers are not produced in
20 to 30 hours of classroom and pool instruction followed by four open
water dives. You've made the first correct step by remaining active and
going out to do lots of "fun" dives, but this only marks the
beginning for the serious minded diver.
Experience is necessary, but education is also required to make the
experience relevant. I know too many people that dive fairly often doing
these "fun" dives but don't learn from them. They go out and look
around at the scenery, go lobstering, scalloping, or collecting artifacts;
and they are slowly getting more comfortable, that's good! Some
however, still lack good buoyancy control; hitting the bottom on deeper
dives and floating unknowingly to the surface on shallow ones. Many still
run dangerously low on air, don't know where they are or where they're
going while underwater, and surface far off from their boat or intended
shore exit point.
On top of this many people lack the academic/theoretical knowledge of
decompression sickness and dive table use. (Do you remember how to use
them?) To many people, deep diving simply means going below 60 feet,
breathing and surviving to tell about it. Nothing could be further from the
truth. You could devote an entire lifetime to studying diving physics,
physiology, human performance capabilities underwater, or marine
environments. While it doesn't take long to develop basic skills, if you
want to rise above the mediocre, you must continue to train and sharpen
your knowledge as well as your physical abilities.
Great tennis players, swimmers, and skiers are not developed overnight.
Obviously the same is true of accomplished divers. Perhaps you want to dive
deeper, explore sunken shipwrecks safely, or observe indigenous marine life
(and know what you're looking at). Maybe you want to observe nocturnal
critters while your buddy collects specimens for an aquarium. Maybe your
penchant is for search and recovery of lost and/or valuable objects.
Personally, I love navigation and wreck dives.
Without my underwater compass and the expertise to use it effectively, I
wouldn't know where I am, or where I'm going in relation to the boat or
shore, especially in the limited visibility us New England divers are often
subjected to. What really gives me a charge is planning my dive to enter at
a certain point, follow some predetermined compass pattern, cover a
specific area, and surface within feet of the boat or shore. This is
probably a carryover from boating. All skippers get psyched when they plot
a course, cruise for miles through fog, and come upon their intended bouy
at just the time and place it's supposed to be.
Being able to navigate effectively reduces confusion and anxiety over
not knowing where you are. But more than this, it will help you avoid those
long surface swims we all love so much, increase the effectiveness and
efficiency of your dive plan, avoid buddy separation, and by doing all
this, help you conserve air! The net result of good buoyancy control and
navigation skills are more lobsters, more scallops, better photos, more
interesting finds, more safety, more comfort, and more FUN ! Generally,
more of whatever you're diving for.
Hopefully, by now you're saying "Yeah, I'd like to sharpen my
diving skills!" You'd like to go beyond entry level certification and
be recognized in the water, on charter boats (many require Advanced cards
for some dives), and in the diving community as an experienced diver.
Great! Go for it by participating in an Advanced Diver program.
The first step is to find a certified instructor you would like to
emulate. One who espouses the values you believe make an advanced diver,
who enjoys teaching advanced diving, and who looks as if their gear were
custom made for their body. The Aqua Shack offers continuing education
courses from several internationally recognized certification agencies and
is the best place to start. If you're reading this and don't happen to live
near Marlboro, Massachusetts, a visit to several local professional dive
training facilities is in order. Pick the one you feel most comfortable
with. Make sure you meet the Instructor who will be teaching you to ensure
your compatibility.
The second step, if you haven't already taken it, is to carefully select
and begin purchasing your own personal dive equipment. You'll never really
"fine tune" your buoyancy and other advanced skills if you are
continually changing exposure suits, buoyancy compensators, and weights
with each dive (ie. renting). Advanced divers own and customize their
personal equipment. Once you have your own equipment and get used to
it, you'll be amazed at what a difference it makes. Your suit will fit
comfortably in the water, you'll adjust your weights to what best suits
your build, and be able to operate your B.C. blindfolded once you know
where all the controls are.
You probably had to purchase your own mask, snorkel, fins (and possibly
booties), and compass for your Open Water Certification dives. If not you
should get them first. The rest of your personal dive gear should include
at the minimum; an exposure suit, buoyancy compensator, regulator with
octopus and gauges (pressure, depth, & timer) or dive computer,
weightbelt with weights, dive knife, slate with pencil, underwater light
(for the required night dive in most Advanced courses), and of course a gear
bag to schlep everything around in. With your mad money you can get a tank
or two.
This equipment can be bought a little at a time or all at once. You
usually save a little money by buying a package. This may all sound very
expensive, but if you compare it to the cost of renting it really isn't.
You should be able to set yourself up very nicely for around $2000 (also
the Aqua Shack has a very unique Rental/Own Program, ask about it!). If you
figure on spending $2000.00 for purchasing your package, and an average of
$80.00 per weekend if you're renting, you need rent only 25 times and you
could have paid for the equipment. If you dive only two weekends a month
for the six warmer months (May - Oct.), you'll pay for your gear in two
seasons. You see, renting alone can really add up!
A divers equipment is a dead giveaway of their experience and comfort.
If it fits and functions poorly, is not properly maintained, and/or it's
apparent the "diver" is unfamiliar with his gear, then we surmise
that he is not an experienced diver. On the other hand, if a divers
equipment appears well maintained, fits properly and functions well, and
the diver demonstrates familiarity with it's special features as he runs
through a series of pre-dive checks, we surmise he's an experienced diver
even before entering the water.
I didn't intend this to be an article on selecting dive gear, but I'd
like to mention a few key points. Wetsuits must fit snugly to work. That's
how they work - by minimizing the water that flows through. It shouldn't be
so tight that your face and hands are turning blue, or that it's severely
restricting your breathing; but don't expect it to fit as loose and
comfortable as your favorite pair of old sweats either! They are a bit
uncomfortable on land, but will loosen up some in the water.
B.C.'s should also fit your body size. Too small of a B.C. will feel
restrictive, cause difficulty breathing when inflated and have insufficient
buoyancy. Excessively large B.C.'s will ride up around your neck and ears
on the surface, and flop from side to side underwater. Also they will
create unnecessary drag when inflated making swimming much more tiring.
Women may want to consider one of the B.C.'s specifically constructed for
women. The same goes for tanks. Women generally breathe less than men.
(There are lots of arguments over why, but I don't want to even get near
this one!) If you're female and/or short bodied, consider using a shorter
tank.
Next is the weightbelt, an underrated piece of equipment as far as importance
goes. Your exposure suit, B.C. and backpack, tank, weights and their
positioning will all significantly influence your buoyancy. The most
important skill you will want to master, or you'll never be considered an
Advanced diver, is perfect and infinite buoyancy control. Select many small
weights rather than a couple big ones so you can adjust your weighting
(amount) and trim (positioning) to perfect your buoyancy.
Now that you've got, or are working on getting, your own equipment and
have found an instructor you wish to take an advanced course from, what
next? Take the course. Read your manual. Complete all the exercises in it
and on the dives to the best of your ability. Listen to the instructor.
You're only going to get out of it what you put into it. Ask questions, get
interested and have FUN! Most instructors like questions. It shows you're
interested, encourages the instructor, and makes every class different.
You'll get more out of it because the instructor is having fun being able
to give more than the "necessary, standard" information. Most
instructors like to tell you what they know, but not if they think you
don't care or aren't listening.
If you get everything from your course that you should, you'll
undoubtedly learn a great deal. One thing I always tell my students at the
completion of every advanced class is "Just getting the plastic
doesn't make you an advanced diver, it exposes you to the skills necessary
to become one. Now it's up to you to practice those skills". Get some
experience. Put what you've learned into practice on all your future dives.
Dive in cold water, in poor visibility, in currents, and in less than
perfect conditions. Dive off the beach, get bounced around in the surf a
bit. Dive from boats and practice your boat diving procedures. Go hunting
or collecting. Practice navigation and buoyancy control on every dive!
You'll be a better, more comfortable and confident, safer, and more
advanced "Advanced" diver in the end. Remember, a good diver is
always learning, and becoming an Advanced diver opens up a whole new world
of diving activities and adventures.
Dive Safely & have FUN!
Capt Jim
Back to top
"Wreck
Diving"
TDI founder Bret
Gilliam discusses wreck diving concerns.
Wreck Diving
by Bret Gilliam
Most people have a romantic image of the sunken treasure ship sitting
upright on her keel with tattered sails still creaking in the current and
brass bound chests straining with booty. Well, reality is a bit less
dramatic. The classic 16th and 17th century vessels sailing to the New
World laden with riches were, of course, of wooden construction. Once sunk,
they quickly deteriorated due to wave action and other natural elements
such as destructive marine teredo worms which fed on the primary wood
structure. Those who have been successful in locating and salvaging these
vessels have usually spent years researching logs and voyage records to
determine the wreck location. Since the wrecks themselves were long buried
under sand or coral there was typically no evidence to the divers' naked
eye of a lost vessel. Tedious excavation of tons of sand, sediment, and
debris was necessary before any cargo could be accessed. As diving wrecks,
these older ships offered little in the way of interest unless one was a
committed treasure hunter with a considerable war chest of funding. Even
then your odds of success were better in the state lottery.
Although some modern wooden ships are remarkably well preserved in fresh
water environments such as the Great Lakes, as a general rule steel vessels
have provided divers with the most intriguing wreck diving sites. These
ships are better able to withstand the ravages of time and in many cases
can survive over a hundred years of entombment while remaining virtually intact.
A classic example is the wreck of the Royal Mail Steamer RHONE sunk in 1867
off Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands. Although her stern section
sank in 15 to 45 feet of water and has been largely reduced to rubble and
scattered wreckage by over 125 years of pounding surf and currents, her
massive bow section (nearly 200 feet long) remains fully intact in 90 foot
depths resting on her starboard side. The RHONE has become the most popular
wreck dive in the eastern Caribbean and much of the movie THE DEEP was shot
using her remains as a natural set.
The east coast of the United States has been blessed with a wide variety
of wrecks that have remained accessible due to the offshore continental
shelf which provides depths of less than 300 feet even thirty miles or more
offshore. A proverbial grab bag of ages, types, sizes and "degrees of
difficulty" are offered to divers of all levels from Key West, Florida
to Eastport, Maine. Some of the best sites resulted from sinkings during
the two World Wars when many a tanker, freighter, or war ship fell victim
to submarine attack. Others such as the Andrea Doria came to an untimely
end for other reasons.
In 1956, Peter Gimble called a LIFE magazine editor to see if they would
be interested in underwater photos of the ocean liner which had sunk off
Nantucket Shoals following a collision with another ship only the day
before. Assured that LIFE would purchase any such photos that Gimble could
produce, he and Joseph Fox hired a plane and flew to Nantucket where, after
considerable difficulty, they were able to charter a local boat to go out
to the wreck site.
The Andrea Doria was a massive ship, 700 feet in length and displacing
almost 30,000 tons. She settled on her starboard side in approximately 250
feet of water. This afforded access to her port side beginning in 160 feet.
Gimble used the standard of equipment of his day: double tanks and a double
hose regulator with no cylinder pressure gauges. Rubber suits over woolen
underwear served as thermal protection in the cool northeast water. Less
than 24 hours after her fatal plunge, the ship was still gleaming white as
the two divers dropped onto her port rail. Gimble began working with a
housed 35 mm Leica camera and had fired off only eight frames before Fox
suffered dramatic incapacitation from carbon dioxide build-up. Reacting to
his signal, Gimble abandoned his photography efforts and assisted his
sickened buddy to the surface where he swiftly recovered. His dive had not
been in vain however; the black and white Tri-X film pushed to 1000 ASA by
the lab yielded usable shots and Gimble had his exclusive with LIFE. Thus
was born a lifelong passion for him with the Doria.
Gimble would return to the site repeatedly over the years. At the age of
52 in 1981 he mounted an expedition to recover the Bank of Rome safe from
the First Class foyer. With 33 days on site, and use of both scuba and
saturation divers he successfully recovered the prize. After depositing the
safe for dramatic effect in the shark tank of the New York Aquarium it
remained for three years. On August 16, l984 the safe was finally opened
before an expectant international television audience.
Much speculation had centered on the safe's contents. Would it contain
the riches in personal valuables, jewelry and gold that had fueled rumors
for twenty five years? Gimble's worst nightmare was that it might simply be
empty. But as the door swung open finally, the safe revealed a mother lode
of U.S. and Italian currency still neatly bundled in rubber bands. Although
no gold bars were found, Gimble's monetary haul had considerable souvenir
value.
The thousands of bills, each etched by the sea's destructive influence,
were marketed encased in plastic mounts with certificates of authenticity.
The proceeds would not cover the 1.5 million dollar expedition cost but to
Gimble the reward was adequate. He had accomplished what scores of others
had attempted in vain.
Today divers are not limited just to "natural" wrecks. The
popularity of creating "artificial reefs" by using surplus naval
vessels and ships that have outlived their commercial usefulness is
increasing. In the fall of 1993 the city of Miami even sponsored a
commercial jet airliner as the latest addition to the scores of
deliberately placed wrecks off the south Florida coastline. Originally the
push for artificial reef projects was fueled by fishing interests. Charter
fishing captains had known for years the value of wrecks to attract and
become home to resident fish populations. As divers began to visit these
same sites, a symbiotic dual use was realized.
Recently, wrecks that were placed beyond the 130 foot depth level have
come under closer scrutiny by the growing cadre of technical wreck divers.
In Key West, the massive light cruiser Wilkes Barre beckons experienced
divers, her decks still bristling with heavy guns and other naval
armaments. She can be dived within compressed air limits on certain
sections but requires special breathing mixtures to safely explore the
entire wreck. Up the coast in Pompano Beach, a series of deep wrecks all
located within minutes of each other offer some of the best diving in the
U.S.
Controlling The Physiological Hazards
Obsession or avocation, wreck diving is one of diving's most popular
activities and the list for available sites is expanding every year. The
wreck diving community can be divided into two distinct groups: 1, those
divers who utilize conventional scuba equipment and limit themselves to
no-decompression exposures in 130 feet of water or less. And 2, those who
are earnestly venturing to deeper depths requiring planned decompression
and a variety of specialized gear. This latter group falls within what has
come to be known as technical diving as a clarifier from traditional
recreational applications. Sometimes this distinction can be a bit blurry
in practice since both groups are essentially diving for fun, but the
technical diving group approaches many of the increased hazards of depth
and longer bottom times from a decidedly more, well...technical
perspective.
Let's take a closer look at some of the challenges that a diver faces as
he plans deeper explorations. It's axiomatic that the deeper wrecks are
generally less visited and better preserved. But depth poses two compelling
problems (in addition to Decompression Illness which is a concern for all
dives) that must be dealt with responsibly: narcosis and oxygen toxicity.
Narcosis is not much of problem for experienced divers down to 130 feet
or so but, as deeper dives are made, considerations for such impairment
have to be factored into the dive plan. When breathing compressed air at
depth, the inert gas nitrogen tends to produce observable deficits in
judgment, cognitive function, memory, reaction times etc. These effects
vary widely in individual divers and can be further skewed by the influence
of cold water, fatigue, and elevated carbon dioxide levels from the
exertion of swimming or hard work. Some divers have found that their own
susceptibility to narcosis will vary from dive to dive. Many divers also
discovered that a certain adaptation to narcosis is achieved by frequent
exposure to deeper depths. None the less, all divers will eventually reach
a point of diminishing returns while diving compressed air.
For most divers the comfortable cut-off for compressed air dives will
occur between about 180 and 220 feet. These are by no means magic numbers
but they do serve as reasonable guidelines. (The Aqua Shack in no way
encourages or condones dives beyond "Recreational Limits" without
the proper Education, Training, Equipment and Experience.) As a result, the
technical diver has borrowed some breathing gas technology from the Navy
and commercial operations to control and limit narcosis hazards. This
involves switching from standard compressed air which is 79% nitrogen and
employing a trimix gas comprised of oxygen, nitrogen and helium. This
mixture has several benefits.
Firstly, helium has a much lower narcotic potency than nitrogen with a
resulting reduction in the severity of narcosis effects at depth. Typical trimix
blends will involve helium in the range of 17 to 50 per cent. This allows
the diver to manage his narcosis exposure precisely even to virtually
eliminating the risk. Secondly, helium is less dense than nitrogen and is
therefore easier to breathe through a regulator at deeper depths. Finally,
the hazards of breathing high partial pressures of oxygen can also be
controlled within tolerable limits.
Oxygen is not a problem within the scope of normal recreational diving.
But as the diver moves deeper, the partial pressure of oxygen increases
until it can become extremely hazardous at depths beyond 220 feet. The most
dangerous reaction to oxygen in these ranges can be convulsions which may
cause the diver to lose his mouthpiece and drown. There are published
guidelines for oxygen exposures available from NOAA and these represent
reasonable times for different partial pressures. Their current maximum
recommended dose is 1.6 ATA (atmospheres absolute) for 45 minutes on a
single dive. For those of you not comfortable thinking in ATAs, an oxygen
partial pressure (PO2) of 1.6ATA is equivalent to breathing compressed air
at 218 feet. By slightly reducing the oxygen content in the mixture from
air's natural percentage of 21%, a trimix diver can dive deeper without subjecting
himself to elevated oxygen partial pressures.
The advantages of trimix can be considerable but there is a trade-off in
increased decompression times for typical dives of 45 minutes bottom time
or less, a far stricter need to observe ascent rates, deeper first decom
stops, and a more equipment-intensive gear package necessitated by needing
at least two gas switches during the ascent/decom phase. Trimix also costs
considerably more than compressed air (around $80 for a set of doubles),
and, of course, the diver will need to seek out the specialized training
and supervised experience for this new technology. It can be a hefty
investment, but for the serious wreck diver considering diving in the
plus-200 foot range, it's money well spent to handle the inherent
physiological hazards.
Natural Hazards
Other hazards must be considered when diving around wrecks. One of the
most significant potential hazards is entanglement from accumulated fishing
line, wire leaders and the like. Remember... fish like to live in wrecks
and fishermen know that. Popular wreck sites can be become festooned with
various fishing lines like a Christmas tree with tinsel. Be sure to always
carry at least one sharp knife and pair of high grade wire cutters (or EMT
shears: editor) in an easily accessible spot on your upper body (in
addition to the one normally strapped to your leg: ed.). The wrecks
themselves can sport other equipment that can surprise a diver such as
electrical wiring, conduit, and old ship's rigging. Increasingly, the
hazard of trawls and nets that snag into the wreck can present entanglement
scenarios. Be aware of your environment and proceed with caution at all
times.
If you plan to enter the wreck to explore the interior sections you must
be careful to plan for two other insidious dangers: silting and simply
getting lost in what may be a very large and unfamiliar place. Fine
sediments, particles, even paint chips can be stirred up and quickly render
visibility to only inches (or zero: ed.). This is bothersome enough when
you're in open water conditions, but inside an enclosed compartment the
loss of vision can blind a diver to the safe exit and an avenue of escape.
Silting is most often caused by careless finning techniques which stir up
the materials that have settled to the bottom. The alert diver is cautious
to adopt a modified "cave kick" or sculling fin stroke that keeps
the backwash of the kick above the floor.
Experienced divers with good buoyancy control and practiced finning
techniques can traverse a wreck compartment without leaving a trace of
their intrusion. Some wrecks will produce silt no matter what fin stroke
you employ. These have fine silt particles that cling to the overhead and
compartment bulkheads. The diver's exhaust bubbles loosen the particles and
an underwater snowstorm results. This can be just as dangerous as kicking
up the bottom. Never venture into an unknown compartment without first
observing the area for silt hazards. A moment spent studying the effects of
your kick and/or bubbles can quickly alert you to what may be an unsafe
area.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to dealing with wreck
penetrations and the possibility of getting lost inside. In the northeast
the practice of "progressive penetration" gained acceptance with
a large portion of wreck enthusiasts. This method required the discipline
to only gradually penetrate a wreck while memorizing its landmarks,
hallways, ladders, openings and other keys to getting out if contingencies
were presented. This has worked well for some divers particularly those who
made a practice of poring over ship plans and blueprints before aggressive
excursions. Another approach has been to adopt the use of reels similar to
those used in cave diving. This method allows for recovery from virtually
any unexpected scenario since a continuous guideline to the wreck's
exterior is maintained.
As wrecks get older they can be significantly affected by the sea's
natural weakening of the structure. This can lead to "break
downs" both inside compartments and of standing masts, rigging and
deck hardware. Pay close attention to an examination of these and other
components of potential failure prior to swimming under or through such
areas.
Wrecks that have been sunk deliberately usually have been initially
stripped of the most obvious hazards. Sometimes large access holes are also
cut into the hull to allow easier access and to provide more avenues of
natural light to interior areas. Extraneous equipment, wiring, and hatch
covers or doors are frequently removed to prevent future problems. Be aware
of what kind of wreck site you are diving as natural wrecks will not be so
cosmetically attended.
Training
The imperative for proper training should stand foremost in any diver's
mind before attempting all but the most basic wreck diving. Specialty
programs are available from every recreational certification agency such as
NAUI, PADI, and SSI etc. More advanced and technical training can be
obtained through instructors from TDI and IANTD. Their members are available
internationally and offer insured curriculums in nitrox, deep air and
trimix diving for wreck environments.
A few headline-grabbing fatalities have occurred in recent years on
wrecks. But upon close examination of the accident circumstances, the great
majority of such deaths have been attributable to either a lack of training
or by diver errors (such as deliberately exceeding accepted oxygen limits,
improper monitoring of gas supply resulting in running out of air, or
becoming lost inside the wreck interior). An investment in proper training
and observation of a few common sense safety guidelines will allow divers
to explore the fascinating world of sunken wrecks with an acceptable degree
of risk. But remember to crawl a little before you try to walk.
Wreck diving is one of the most exciting and challenging niches in our
sport. Tens of thousands participate in various explorations each week all
over North America. Seek out a reputable dive operation or dive boat for
your entry level experiences and make good use of their local knowledge and
advice. You'll be rewarded with more enjoyable dives and learn how to that
keep the risk to an acceptable level. Proper training should stand foremost
in any diver's mind before attempting all but the most basic wreck diving.
NOTE: This article was written by Bret Gilliam and reprinted with his
permission. Gilliam is President of Technical Diving International, a
training and certification agency formed by Mitch Skaggs and Bret. Visit
the TDI website at www.tdiusa.com. TDI is dedicated to programs outside the
"traditional" recreational diving envelope. He is also the CEO of
Uwatec USA Inc., the worlds largest manufacturer of diving instruments.
Visit them at www.jwa.com. Veteran of more than 14,000 dives, he was a past
Chairman of the Board at NAUI, and is an internationally published author
of ten books and over 300 articles on diving. Bret also founded and is
publisher of the technical dive magazine "Deep Tech". Visit their
website at www.techdiver.com. Thanks again Bret!
Back to top
Contingency
Planning "
Guest writer Brett
Gilliam, President of Technical Diving International talks about diving
with a buddy named "Murphy".
Contingency Planning
"Never expect things to
go right and you'll rarely be disappointed".
by Bret Gilliam
It goes without saying that sooner or later even the best laid
dive plans go awry. And usually when you least expect it. But even when the
worst occurs, a well trained diver can manage his new circumstances if he
is conditioned to always have a contingency plan to implement.
"Murphy's Law" has an infinite series of disasters lurking for
divers whatever environment they choose to explore: caves, rivers,
quarries, deep walls, or even shallow reefs on drift dives. Let's examine a
few curveballs that get tossed the way of these intrepid explorers.
Most scenarios will involve low or out of air situations or isolation
from surface support. Low air crises are typically initiated by one or more
of a combination of events that often involve entanglement, getting lost
inside or outside the wreck, equipment failure, poor observation of gas
management rules, or unpredictable natural catastrophes such as break-downs
of the wreck structure itself. How the diver reacts to these types of
stress may determine his ability to survive.
We've recently featured in past issues, suggestions for generic
guidelines in gas management that may involve various implementations of
the cave diving community's "rule of thirds" (one third of starting
gas volumes for initial penetration, one third to come out on, and one
third in reserve), or less conservative rules if no penetration or
decompression ceiling is anticipated. Key to all gas volume planning is
matching the plan to the diver with the highest breathing rate and the
smallest volume of breathing gas carried by the team. This should allow a
reasonable margin of safety in most circumstances.
Entanglements in fishing line, old nets, electrical wire, wreck debris
etc. are a matter of routine for many divers. The assistance of a buddy
diver can be invaluable in extricating a trapped diver but individual
self-rescue should be the first order of priority. That includes an
attitude of "defensive diving" and an awareness of one's surroundings
at all times. At least two sharp knives worn on the arm or chest area
within easy reach should be standard gear. Many divers have found that
carrying a pair of wire clippers capable of quickly cutting through such
hazards are invaluable. Your macho-looking "broadsword" strapped
to your calf won't do you much good if you can't reach it or if it isn't
sharp enough to do the job.
Most divers can easily cope with entanglements that snag them from the
front, but can you deal with a wad of monofilament hung in your valve
manifold where you can't see it? Familiarization with your own equipment is
absolutely essential. You may have to remove it in a confined area to deal
with the problem and then replace it. This can take time and throw your air
consumption and bottom time calculations out the window. Self control and
smooth logical reactions to stress are survival tools not practiced enough
by most divers.
Well, now you've managed to cut away the entanglement but in the process
the wreck interior has silted out from your bubble stream and movements in
the confined space. Your powerful dive light can only reflect a blinding
backscatter of suspended particles rendering your vision to zero. One
school of thought advocates "progressive penetration" whereby, at
least theoretically, the diver "memorizes" the wreck interior by
gradual excursions over many dives until the diver can effect an exit by
touch and learned landmarks.
I happen to think that this is a bit overly optimistic especially if you
are four decks down inside the Andrea Doria, and some veteran wreck divers
whom I greatly respect swear by this method. But after some thirty years of
diving and having wrecks cave-in on me, lights fail, and other dive teams
silt-out rooms for me once too often, I'm a firm advocate of employing a
reel with line to provide me a continuous pathway to the safety of the
wreck's exterior. One thing is for sure, you can't start up to the surface
until you get outside the wreck. You make the call on which method will
provide the most reliable exit.
Almost all deep wrecks will call for planned decompression. Some divers
elect to carry all necessary gas volumes for the dive itself and the
decompression on themselves in the form of doubles or extra "stage
tanks" reserved solely for ascent and hangs. Others plan to return to
the anchor or ascent line and rendezvous with extra cylinders hung off at
the first decom stop or supplied from hoses attached to large cylinders on
the boat. Since a growing number of divers are using oxygen or nitrox mixtures
for more efficient decompressions, it's vital that these extra gas supplies
can be located and accessed. That's usually not a problem if ocean currents
are not a factor or if the diver can guarantee his underwater navigation
will return him to the ascent line.
However, if your dive buddy is named Murphy, you can count on getting
disoriented due to reduced visibility and missing the up line or simply
getting blown off the wreck by a strong current. Even if you do everything
perfectly, the boat itself could break free if its anchor line parts or
breaks out of the wreck. That's why the prudent diver will leave his decom
tanks clipped into the wreck at the nearest point to his penetration
entrance. If unexpected events delay his exit or make it impossible to
return to the anchor line, he will still have the necessary gas supply to
make a controlled ascent and complete his decompression.
On a large wreck without strong current he could elect to fasten his
reel line to the wreckage and ascend to his decompression depth. This would
still keep him in a fixed vicinity and his bubble stream would identify his
position for the surface observers. However, in a strong current an
"up line" can be impractical and it will be necessary to deploy a
lift bag on the reel line to mark his position and then complete his
decompression schedule while free-drifting beneath it. This is a less
desirable scenario since the diver will move away from the wreck with the
current, but an alert surface crew will be on the look-out for the lift bag
and send a chase boat or recover the diver after the other team members are
aboard. Most divers carry the lift bag in a BC pocket or attach it with
shock cord to the cylinder where it's out of the way until needed. To
ensure it will be spotted, a high visibility color or painted reflective
markings along with the diver's name are added.
Okay, you've survived entanglement, silt-out, and gear failure while you
made it to your stage tanks. In spite of being blown away in the current,
you've deployed your lift bag and completed your decompression. Now you
surface expecting the boat to be waiting for you. But Mother Nature has
teamed up with Murphy to yank your chain a little more: fog or dense rain
limits visibility to a wispy thirty feet or so. Aren't you glad you brought
that sonic alarm and a high intensity signaling strobe? In areas where fog
can materialize quickly like the northeast, I recommend a collapsible radar
reflector that can be held up on a "safety sausage" to aid the
boat in finding you.
The investment in a few peripherals such as a reel, line, lift bag,
signal device etc. are probably less than your bar bill on New Year's Eve.
These devices combined with a healthy dose of common sense and some
defensive diving skills, will enable you to cope with most contingencies.
It's rare that everything goes wrong all at once but it's nice to be
prepared and have the confidence to implement safety plans quickly and
efficiently. Training, experience, and anticipation of the unexpected mark
the diver who will manage effectively when a stressful situation presents
itself. Never expect things to go right and you'll rarely be disappointed.
NOTE: This article was written by Bret Gilliam and reprinted with
his permission. Gilliam is President of Technical Diving International, a
training and certification agency formed by Mitch Skaggs and Bret himself.
Visit the TDI website at
www.tdisdi.com. TDI is dedicated to programs outside
the "traditional" recreational diving envelope. He is also the
CEO of Uwatec USA Inc., the worlds largest manufacturer of diving
instruments. Visit them at www.jwa.com. Veteran of more than 14,000 dives,
he was a past Chairman of NAUI, and is an internationally published author
of ten books and over 300 articles on diving. Bret also founded and is
publisher of the technical dive magazine "Deep Tech". Visit their
website at
www.techdiver.com.
Thanks Bret!
Copyright 1994, Reprinted with the permission of the author Bret
Gilliam.
Thanks Bret
For more information specific to Wreck diving read "wreck Diving
Concerns" by Brett Gilliam. ABOVE
Back to top
"Is Diving
Safe?"
Aqua Shack
owner/instructor/philosopher discusses the risks of scuba diving.
"Is Diving Safe?"
by Capt. Jim Hinckley
Recently I was asked by one of my students if diving was a safe
"sport". Basically, I told her if it's done right that it was a
very safe recreation. That's making a long story short. Now for the long
story.
First, diving is not (or should not be) considered a sport. The term
"sport" implies competition. Diving is not meant to be
competitive. It's not you against another diver, or you against the
environment. It should be you working with other divers and cooperating
with the environment, becoming a part of it , existing harmoniously, even
symbiotically!
Secondly I've spent some time thinking about "safe" and
"dangerous" and realized that most discussions are based on the
conventional rules and limits as taught by the certifying agencies, dive
shops, and instructors worried about not losing their businesses and
careers to "Land Sharks" (eg:lawyers) and liability suits. Let's
try to analyze what's really going on here. A typical instructor (myself
included) might make the statement "Dives deeper than 130' are
dangerous and shouldn't be attempted by recreational divers". Does
that imply that dives to 127' are safe? Let's discuss this for a moment.
Diving involves risk. As soon as you set foot near a full tank
you are at risk. What happens now is that every step you take getting to,
on, into, and deeper under the water increases the risk. What we have is an
escalating scale of risk as the dives become more and more complex. The
Risk of a certain dive is a function of the technical requirements of the
dive, the conditions, depth, objective, etc. It has nothing to do with the
diver (the diver comes in when we talk about Danger). In theory we should
be able to grade every dive on its risk factors. This is difficult in
practice, although cave dives have been graded. Ocean conditions, being
dynamic and variable, may make a divesite low risk one day, and high risk
on another. Nevertheless, an accurate assessment of the risk factors for
any dive has to be made before the dive is attempted. This is why experience
is so valuable.
The actual Danger on any particular dive depends on two factors. First
the dive itself - the Risk factors, secondly the diver attempting the dive
- their skills available to deal with the risk. Safe diving occurs when the
skills, experience, knowledge, and equipment requirements of the diver
meets or exceeds the skill, experience, knowledge, and equipment
requirements of the dive. Diving in 30' of clear, calm, water devoid of
dangerous marine life is a low risk dive, but can be very dangerous (even
fatal) if the diver doesn't understand the consequences of breath holding
on ascent! Similarly, a dive to 200' in dark, cold water with a current is
a high risk dive, but can be made safer if the diver has the appropriate abilities,
experience, and equipment. Professional divers do these dives all the time.
It might be crazy - but it's not stupid! Stupid divers are those who
believe they have the abilities that they in fact, do not possess, or
divers who do not understand, or care about the risks of a particular dive.
Nothing is absolute: A dangerous dive is one where it is likely that an
injury will occur, a safe dive is where it is unlikely (but not impossible)
that an injury will occur. A high risk dive is one that is deeper, longer,
colder, rougher, more strenuous, involves penetration of a wreck or cave,
involves interaction with dangerous marine life, is difficult to enter/exit
from, etc. My point is a high risk dive need not be a dangerous one if
the diver can identify the risk factors and has ability to deal with them
through disciplined education, training, proper equipment, and experience
gained in gradual increments. All accomplished wreck divers use this
method (gradual increments) to get to know their wrecks. They don't just
delve into the deepest bowels of a wreck on their first dive - they use
progressive penetrations. On each dive they penetrate deeper, getting to
know the wreck, and learning successive recognition points one at a time.
We must also realize there is no such thing as a completely safe dive.
The reason for this is that first, nobody knows all the physiological risks
associated with diving (and everyone's physiology is different), and
secondly, some marine phenomenon (not to mention some buddies) are unpredictable!
A safe diver is one who is able to accuratly assess the risk factors of
a dive, and has the truthful self-knowledge that his/her ability is
sufficient to deal with these risks. All divers should make an honest
assessment of their training, skills and abilities without any influence by
peers.
Now the question has to be asked: Why are there stupid divers? Remember,
these are the divers who imagine their ability is far greater than it
actually is. Maybe it's just machismo (a phenomenon that afflicts women
also), they don't want to admit to others or themselves that the dive may
be beyond their knowledge, experience, or physical ability. Then again
maybe they think they actually are that good (and that's an even scarier
thought). Both of these kinds of divers are always making dangerous dives,
even though they are diving within the established "safe" time
and depth limits. As an instructor I hate to say this, but the blame may
lie partially with instructors. Not all, mind you, but some. For that very
reason, I always stress a thorough pre-dive assessment/evaluation. Some
factors to consider are not just depth and dive time, but the divesite
conditions, air comsumption requirements, entry/exit considerations,
currents, visibility, water temperature, strenuousness of the dive, hazards
typical of the type of dive you are conducting (ie. jagged metal, silt-out
and entanglement possibilities on a wreck dive), your dive objectives, etc.
Then consider your knowledge, training, and experience; finally don't be
afraid to abort a dive if you don't feel right about it. There's a
saying that goes something like this: "There are old divers and there
are bold divers, but there aren't many old bold divers!"
There should be more emphasis by all instructors and every diver on
assessing the risk factors for all dives, and making a personal critical
and honest assessment of one's dive skills, knowledge, and
experience. High standards should be set by instructors for their students
to aspire to - and divers should aspire to high standards themselves.
Positive reinforcement is used by every good instructor to increase the
students level of confidence and rate of learning. But at the same time,
the successful open water student must be made to realize that vast
improvements can still be made. They need a true assessment of their
skills and knowledge. Good divers never stop learning. Getting that shiny
new "C" card is not the end, it's only the beginning. Divers
should always dive within their abilities and gain experience slowly,
cautiously, and in steps; not leaps and bounds! Gradually work your way up
to longer, deeper, more strenuous dives, with tougher entries and exits,
less visibility, and more difficult or complex objectives.
The development of specialty courses is a positive step in the right
direction, but unfortunately, only a small portion of all divers take them.
Also some of those who DO, think taking the course makes them an expert!
As I always say at the completion of every class "taking this course
is invaluable in gaining knowledge and experience, but now it's up to you
to put into practice what you've learned and gain more experience with
every dive".
In closing, I'd like to reiterate - Stupid divers lack discipline. They
go diving in much the same way many people play golf or go bowling..., just
for the "fun" of it. (Please all you golfers and bowlers out
there, don't jump all over me. I only used those sports as an example
because the consequences of of not being totally serious when you play are
usually not life threatening). Diving is fun, but serious fun. Also, diving
is safe - if done correctly! It's a bit of a pity that diving is being
promoted as a "fun sport" for the entire family that
"everyone" can safely enjoy. While it is true that almost everyone
with good health can learn to dive - to be a safe diver requires
dedication to study, practice, mature thoughtful preparation and planning
and proper execution of the dive according to the plan!
Happy & Safe Diving,
Capt. Jim
Back to top
"SOLO Diving - Pro
or Con? by Capt. Jim Hinckley "
Solo Diving
Capt. Jim Hinckley
Aqua Shack
owner/instructor/philosopher discusses his views on Solo Diving.
Disclaimer: Before all you self righteous, die-hard buddy divers out
there persecute me, let me admit it right up front - in some ways SOLO
Diving is more risky than buddy diving - but... here's some things to
consider on both sides of the issue.
"Dive Buddy Liability: Are You
At Risk?
by Jon Hardy
If
your dive buddy gets hurt or dies, could you
be found liable in a court of law? Yes.
Disclaimer: This article provides a
review of emerging legal issues pertaining to the responsibilities
of dive buddies. It is not intended as legal advice.
If you don't believe you're
legally liable as a dive buddy, stop right now
and read The Last Buddy Dive." You'll find America's collective
fervor for litigation is alive and
well under water. To make matters worse, it's
hard for a dive buddy to even know what he or she is liable for.
Yesterday's Rules, Today's Nonsense?
Unlike dive professionals, whose duties
and standards of care are spelled out
by their certifying agency, buddies are often given vague, conflicting
and outmoded recommendations:
"Always dive with a buddy."
Solo diving is not only common, it is actively
promoted in books and magazines.
"Know how to use decompression
tables." Most divers use dive computers and cannot
correctly work the tables.
"Do not make decompression
dives." Such dives are commonplace with conservative dive
computers, safety stops, slow ascent rates, extended-range and tech
diving.
"Do not dive beyond 60 feet as an
open-water diver or beyond 130 feet as a recreational
diver." Yeah, right.
So What Rules Should You Follow?
The basic answer is: those established by good practice and later
refined by the courts. A growing number
of legal cases against buddies has forced courts to begin to define what a
dive buddy's legal responsibilities
are and when negligence of them constitutes a punishable offense. Let's take
the last one first: When can you as a
dive buddy be found negligent?
Fit These Four, Shut the Jailhouse
Door...
Four criteria are used to establish
negligence in a court of law.
1. Duty:
In diving, you can establish your duty to another diver by becoming his or
her
instructor, dive master or buddy.
2. Breach
of duty: You can fail your duty in two ways: by not doing something you
should have done, or by doing the
wrong thing (something you shouldn't have).
3. Proximate
cause: You meet this criterion if your failure to meet your duty can be
shown to have caused an accident or
incident.
4. Damage:
Your breach of duty not only caused an accident, but also led to harm, such
as injury or death.
So What Should a Buddy Do?
The courts so far have been much better
at using the concept of negligence to
determine, case by case, what a diving professional
should do or not do than in establishing what a
buddy should or should not do. Here are some of the actions
that would likely result in a buddy being found liable for harm to
another diver:
Guilty:< Taking an open-water
certified diver who did not have the
proper training, experience or equipment into a cave, wreck or under ice.
Guilty: Taking an uncertified diver
scuba diving.
Guilty: Refusing to share air with a
buddy, with no compelling reason for the refusal.
Guilty: Taking an inexperienced
certified diver into severe or extremely demanding
conditions, such as heavy surf, strong current, polluted water,
extreme depths or cold water without
proper thermal protection.
Guilty: Providing false or misleading
information to a buddy about personal diving
experience, environmental conditions, decompression status, gas
available or equipment operation.
Guilty: Ditching the weights of another
diver when they should not have been ditched,
therefore causing an air embolism, entrapment or being run down by a
boat.
Guilty: Refusing to return the primary
regulator during buddy breathing.
Guilty: Diving while under the influence
of drugs or alcohol.
Guilty: Playing underwater chicken
games, such as going into caves, turning off lights, seeing
who can go the deepest or who can hold his breath the longest.
Guilty: Hitting, removing gear from
another diver, holding a diver down, or otherwise
sabotaging the diver's safety.
Best Buddies...
The characteristics of a good buddy team
may not be encoded in law or a
training agency's regulations, but they should be
followed by anyone who makes the conscious, voluntary choice
to become someone else's dive buddy. Yes, that choice has
potentially negative legal ramifications, but it can also lead to
safer, more enjoyable dives, if you:
1. Communicate with each other.
2. Plan the dive together.
3. Check each other's gear.
4. Know what you are going to do if
either of you has a problem.
5. Have a buddy separation procedure
that you both agree to follow.
6. Pause regularly during the dive to
check each other.
You should keep in mind that your first
responsibility is to yourself; all divers are taught
self-sufficiency as well as self-rescue skills. Also, remember that
there are three good reasons to buddy
dive, in order of importance:
1. To
share the experience with another diver.
2. To
help each other by lending a hand with dive gear, getting in and out of the
water, and so on.
3. To
make a rescue, which is the least likely skill needed and, unfortunately,
the skill that divers are the least
capable of providing for each other. Yet this need and the ability to rescue
your buddy is likely to be where most
legal actions will focus."
Jon Hardy is one of the world's leading
expert witnesses in dive accident litigation. He has
served on hundreds of cases over the last 30 years. Capt. Jim is a
USCG Captain and Master Instructor, has trained over 4000 divers to various
levelsand has been diving 30 years. He wholeheartedly endorses the
"Buddy System" if used effectively, but is an avid Solo Diver
himself.
The "Official" PADI
Statement follows:
Solo Diving: PADI Worldwide's Position
By: Drew Richardson Senior Vice-President, Training, Education, Environment and Memberships, PADI Worldwide
Why PADI advocates the use of the buddy system?
The buddy system in use today for scuba diving came from a decades old water safety concept found in swimming and lifeguard training. It was adopted because it applied to diving and because it made good safety sense. Early support of buddy diving safety procedures was referenced by Jacques Cousteau and the crew of the Calypso in the book "The Silent World". The goals of training divers include developing the skills to take responsibility for themselves and to be self-reliant. The buddy system provides divers in training with a safety redundancy to this skill base that diving alone simply cannot provide. PADI has, and will continue to, train divers using the buddy system based on its proven benefit to diving, divers and diving safety.
Practicality & Convenience
The buddy system has provided tangible contributions to millions of dives. Buddies provide an extra set of eyes and hands for each other. Providing assistance in putting on equipment, adjusting straps, assisting with weights and tanks, entering the water, helping to load and unload gear are but a few practical arguments that support the buddy system.
Safety:
The roots of the buddy system arise from diving and water safety. Early days of diver training heralded the buddy system as an important safety procedure because only through the buddy system could a diver reasonably expect to escape from entanglement, entrapment, out of air situations, disorientation, a head injury, chest pains, cramping and dozens more. Diver training and diving equipment have improved, yet these same values apply today. Like all safety-based systems, the buddy system is not perfect. However, the simple fact is that without a buddy in the water, the distressed diver has little or no chance of assistance.
The buddy system is the most basic form of scuba diving fail-safe. Buddies have helped each other in subtle and profound ways for decades. Often the smallest buddy intervention averts a string of error chains occurred and negative outcomes or tragedy. The safety record of scuba diving has improved dramatically over the past few decades, while the number of certified divers has increased. During this time, buddy system training techniques have been an integral component of this training. While there is no way to quantify the accidents that were prevented or did not happen because of one buddy looking after another, empirical outcomes support the relevancy and integrity of this training.
Enjoyment:
Diving is a social activity, so the buddy system is more than a safety rule. Diving with someone you know and are comfortable with adds to the fun. Most divers actually enjoy companionship in and out of the water. It is fun to share exciting adventures and experiences with others. Fundamentally, the buddy system is about dive companionship, something that won't appeal to misanthropic personality types.
Can Solo Diving be done responsibly?
Yes, but let's be clear about what responsible solo diving is and what it is not. It requires experienced scuba divers willing to make the necessary commitment to train and equip themselves to accept the added risks involved. That is to say, a person with the required attitude and aptitude to pursue responsible solo diving. This is true in other adventure sport activities such as solo rock climbing.
It is important to clarify what responsible solo scuba diving is. PADI views it as a form of technical diving and not for everybody. To responsibly engage in solo scuba diving, a diver must first be highly experienced, have a hundred or so buddy accompanied scuba dives, be absolutely self-reliant and apply the specialized procedures and equipment needed to engage in the activity. This includes, but is not limited to redundant air sources, specialized equipment configurations, specific dive planning, and management of solo diving problems and emergencies. When solo diving is performed within this description, we see a place for it. Responsible solo diving is not diving alone without the mental discipline, attitude or equipment. That said, no amount of redundant equipment can effectively back up a diver's brain better than another individual.
What concerns does PADI have with regard to solo diving
When a problem occurs on a solo dive, or when the diver is alone in the water, there is little or no chance of assistance for the distressed diver. This decreases the chances of a diver surviving the problem or having a favorable outcome. Diving alone reduces the chance of survival regardless of the problem. Since 1989, there were at least 538 fatalities where it was clear divers were either intentionally diving solo, or became separated from a buddy and were de facto alone.
PADI is concerned by certain proponents of solo diving within the dive industry, including a major diving publication, who attempt to promote solo diving by bashing both PADI and the buddy system with headlines touting " Why the Buddy System is dangerous". This is both irresponsible and reckless. To suggest that the buddy system fosters a false sense of security and increases the likelihood of panic is outrageous and contrary to the empirical evidence. To claim that divers shouldn't use the buddy system for fear of being sued by a diving companion is ridiculous. The unfortunate reality in the litigious U.S. is that folks have sued one another for nearly anything. It is no surprise that there have been a handful of cases where one buddy has brought suit against another. Outside of the U.S., this argument doesn't hold up and smacks of the fear mongering to sell magazines. Besides, how long will it be before a solo death results in a suit against a magazine or other forum endorsing solo diving, a practice that is contrary to community practice. There is nothing to prevent such lawsuits from arising.
PADI's position is clear; solo diving proponents should advocate responsible solo diving on its own unique merits, requisite training, and equipment needs and not through sensationalized attempts to disparage a proven safety system, that has served the majority of recreational scuba divers well.
Drew Richardson
PADI Worldwide, Sr. VP of Training, Education, Environment
& Memberships
Back to top
| 
