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on 6/25 - Wayne says
> As I see it, scuba dives in the extreme ranges (350+) are basically solo=
dives regardless of the communications, surface based support, or presence=
of other divers......Suppose I'm at 900 fsw in some remote area of the=
world and run into trouble.
Ok, I can't resist any longer. If you're sick of this topic please don't=
read any further. *This is not a flame, just a rant and rave.
What in gods name are you doing at 900fsw? At that depth you are not a=
sport diver, you are an astronaut. Your dependence on equipment is total. =
There is NO escape. You either have total redundancy as well as a=
pre-planned response to all possible equipment failures, or a good living=
will. But if you insist on solo diving in this environment, I won't stop=
you....hell, I might even say a few kind words about you at the appropriate=
time...;/
Cousteau describes in his book, The Silent World, why he developed/adopted=
the buddy system as a diving rule. One of his divers, Falco I believe, was=
solo penetrating a wreck when his air intake hose became entangled in a=
razor sharp edge of some rusted part of the wreck. It took him over a half=
an hour to free himself, and he nearly ran out of air. He realized how=
close to death he potentially was in any diving situation. If he were=
diving with a buddy, it would of been a trivial problem. After that=
incident, the Cousteau group decided to always use the buddy system. =
Simply put, you can not foresee, prevent, nor escape every potential=
problem that can develop while diving, and a dependable, competent buddy=
greatly increases your chances (but doesn't eliminate) of surviving=
unexpected catastrophes. Equipment failure does not necessarily cause all=
diving accidents, and all the redundant tanks in the world won't help you=
in every situation.
Yes, I agree that an undependable, incompetent, risk taking, and just plain=
stupid buddy can be more of a risk/liability than none. Diving with a=
buddy however, does NOT mean being dependent on them. You should be=
confident, independent, and totally self sufficient before you dive, buddy=
or no. If you are dependent on your buddy, and they need your help, then=
you will be helpless and worthless to them and yourself. The real problem=
it would seem, is how to find a buddy with skills at least equal to your ow=
n.
IMO, there are two major divisions of technical divers, commercial, and=
recreational. Professionals feed their families & earn their living by=
diving and generally spend huge amounts of time in these hazardous types of=
situations. They demand every possible safety precaution be taken, don't=
unnecessarily operate alone or without some type of communication/surface=
support. They know that given enough time underwater, every possible thing=
that can go wrong, will, and given a little more time, even some impossible=
things will go wrong. I know of a commercial diver who had his lifeline=
(airline) severed by a passing boat propeller, and another diver who=
experienced an underwater earthquake. (Good visibility everywhere one=
second, total absolute zero vis everywhere the next, and a 100 foot instant=
sideways ride.) You can't plan for or avoid these types of things, and I,=
personally, believe in having a reliable buddy - just in case. (Don't ask=
me where to find them, there is no easy way.) I also prefer to dive within=
no-deco limits, where I can shed any piece of equipment I have, such as my=
tank/reg, (and only air supply), and walk, er, swim, away unscathed (free a=
scend).
I think Mark Twain said it best with - "Each person is born to one=
possession which outvalues all his others - his last breath."
Re: Rapid Field Neurological Exam:
One important point about the string concerning the neurological exam for=
possibly bent divers: Never allow the suspected bent diver take any=
aspirin or other pain killers, since it is important for them to be able to=
describe their symptoms while undergoing treatment by doctors.
& -tab- asked about accident/incident reports...Check back issues of=
Undercurrents (an interesting dive rag/zine that accepts no industry=
advertising). They have been running a series called "Why divers die" - a=
study of the various causes of accidents.
Mark L.
"Hope springs eternal - from the well of fools" - me
"Diviner than dolphin is nothing yet created" - Oppion
*The preceeding statements were solely my opinions, and not professional adv=
ice.
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