..and then it happens...a reminder

[Scubak]

This was sent to me by a friend down in Cali...
I thought it was relevent and a great reminder...
I post with authors permission...BTW.
K

"Full disclosure to all my SCUBA recipients.
SCUBA isn't always beautiful pictures and gorgeous creatures.
My last dive was a frustrating one and I am sending it to everyone on my regular list.
Take care.
Jim

--- On Thu, 7/31/08, Jim Swanson wrote:

Well after thinking about it for almost a week I figured I would send this out to the group. If, for no other reason, than to get it off my chest. But, more importantly for those divers who don't have 800 dives - but more like around 125 (like me). Nothing life threatening but certainly frustrating.

Why is it that when things are going so well for so long that you begin to think you've got it all figured out, and then, of course, the SCUBA gods and the ocean brings you down a couple pegs or more. So, after almost 6 months of no issues, ..... it comes raining down during one dive like domino's.

Here it is:
Just after purchasing a battery recharger and charging up 8 C cells, I popped them into my HD Light Cannon and couldn't wait to get in the water with fresh batteries, and a kick-axx light.

So, we drop into 65 feet of water and on the way down I realized that I forgot to put lens goo on my mask and that I also had not spit on the lens before dropping down. Oh well, I figured I would have to flood and purge a few times to keep the fogging to a minimum. Not a chance, I had to do this at least once every other minute. How frustrating.
Fast ball low and away. - Strike one.

About a third of the way into the dive it seems as though my light cannon is getting dim, I begin to think it is due to not being able to see through my mask, wrong on this topic. Sure enough I come to find out that my charger had malfunctioned and I only had about a 1/8 charge, so of course the batteries only lasted about 15-20 minutes. (Re-charger has been returned and waiting on replacement), but even still ....
A hanging curve ball that curves in at the last moment - Strike two:

So I reach down for my back up light (a high quality light, from a reputable company, with a good solid beam). Of course, since I hadn't used it in at least four months or more, I didn't quite remember how to unhook it from the bottom part of my BC, so I had to turn it on and hold it at a weird angle for the rest of of the dive - mind you I am doing all this and having to purge my mask constantly.
Hard pitch, low and inside - swing, foul tip - still strike two.

I have lots of air and am in no real danger, and we begin to head into shore (we dove from Vallecitos street), my buddy has a big, powerful light and I am staying near him, so seeing isn't a real problem. However, I do notice that when I am moving my backup light to and fro that it seems to be fairly dim as well. Then, I remember, or should I say, I can't remember the last time I changed the batteries in my back up light - which, of course, uses four AA's- so they aren't designed to last forever under diving conditions - Mind you, I am still purging my mask though all this.
High heater just under my chin - swing - miss - Strike three. This batter is OUT.

We pop out of the water after seeing a whole bunch of critters, and with some nice bottom time- and my buddy yelling great dive, and then I tell him my story and I finish it off with - this was one of my favorite dives.

How can that be you say: Well, it is because I was gently reminded by the ocean - who remains undefeated - when it comes to being pitted against divers and diving.
It also is a reminder to me that I am entering a semi-hostile, always ready to pounce should you be stupid, environment.

So, there ends my tale for today. Nothing overly traumatic but certainly a learning opportunity.
My number one rule for diving - is live to dive another day.

Hopefully you newer, younger divers can take something from this, ... and I now have another have a new rule.
I am going to change the batteries in my backup light at the same time you are supposed to change the battery in your smoke detector. Twice a year on the daylight savings time clock changes which usually occur in April and October.
If I rmember, I will send out a reminder notification to the group as well.

Hope to see you all out there.
Safe diving.

All my best.

Jim Swanson"

I always think that sometime, some dive...I will have a "bad dive" due to equipment or conditions or who knows what. I try and prepare for that as well and never (hopefully) let my awareness go down...
Take care and dive safe.

[Joshua Smith]

Good post! Diverdown taught me to relish what he called "Humbling Dive Experiences" early in my career! Nothing like getting your butt kicked on a dive to make you a better diver in the long run. I'm only in the ~300 dive ballpark, but I still have dives like that- just less often than I used to. Please, thank your friend for sharing that, K!

[LCF]

When I was a new diver, I spent a lot of time reading the Accidents and Incidents, and the Near Misses forums on ScubaBoard. I still read any new threads posted in those places, as well as on other forums, like TDS and the cave diver forum. So often, as the story of the incident is told, you can see early on where something could have been turned around if people had recognized the first problems and dealt with them (or abandoned the dive). The lesson for me was that complacency is one of the biggest dangers we face.

I often irritate the people I dive with by going through a dive plan, a gas plan and an equipment check, but I figure that anything I can head off at the pass will be one less way the ocean can humble me once I get there. Same thing with practicing what you might need to do underwater, whether that's air-sharing or deploying backup lights.

I want to dive for many years, and I'd strongly prefer that as many of those dives be trouble-free as possible!

[Dusty2]

At near 500 dives I'm still put in my place on occasion and I agree that complacency is the biggest sin. To often we get impatient to get in the water and do things we know better than to do or just forget to do things we should do. Most of the serious incidents we hear about are the results of just that. Simple over confidence or neglect.

Here's hoping that all our reminders are minor ones and that we continue to learn from them and become safer divers.