Almost became fish food this last Sunday during a boat dive

fnfalman · 05-20-2008, 10:54 AM

I with my dive partner to a boat dive to Catalina Island. It was a lovely day, the water temperature was a luke warm 57-F, air temp was around 80+F, not a cloud in the sky, the boat only had twenty people so we weren't all cramped up and all of the divers were certified (no students). There were three Dive Masters plus three instructors (I think that PADI instructors had to be dive master certified, but I'm not sure). Everything were great. Four of the dive chicks were quite young and yummy.

My partner and I did two great dives by ourselves playing in a grotto and in the kelp forests chasing lobsters and rock fishies. Everybody had a good time until one dude decided to dive without his hood because the water was fairly warm (57-F is warm by California standard) and got caught in a surge that slammed him against a rock and cut his head a bit. Nothing major, just a scrape. Then on the third dive, me and my homey went with the three cute babes. One of them recently got her cert so she was quite cherry still. We got separated in the nastiest kelp forest I've ever seen, but no need to panic because the other two chicks were with each other and weren't alone, and this inexperienced girl is with me and my partner. So we swam around a bit, took her down deep (she hadn't been past 30-something feet) to around 60-ft, burned up some air and then went up.

As we went up, I heard my BCD (bouyancy control device, aka inflatable vest for the non-divers) popped as though I overinflated it and the air escaped through the pressure relief valve. I thought that was weird because my BC was not close to being fully inflated. When we got to the surface, I couldn't pop up but bobbing at 6" below the surface. By this time my air is fairly low, maybe 500-psi left in the tank. I tried to inflate the BC but nothing happened. I then kicked up hard enough to yell out to my partner to come over to help me float. He couldn't keep me afloat so I ditched my weight pockets. I still couldn't float and started to really worry. He gave the emergency distress signal so the dive master and an instructor jumped in and swam to me (about 80-yards away from the boat). Meanwhile I was struggling to surface and my homey with his best intention trying to drag me back to the boat, yanked the damn breather from my mouth

So that freaked me out for a bit, sucking down some water until i got my octopus (secondary breather) into my mouth. I figured that if the dive master were not to be able to reach me by the time my air runs out, I'd ditch my BCD and just float in my wet suit (we're talking about three or four thousand dollars worth of gears here). But I reallllly didn't want to ditch my gear.

At least not while I'm still alive.

The dive master reached me and gave me a float board to hang on and told me that the corrugated hose separated from my BC's air bladder and that my air bladder is now full of water. By this time I was dead tired from treading water and he towed my ass back to the boat. No harm, no foul.

Last night I took my BC to the dive shop and the owner looked at it and said that usually the hose doesn't unscrew itself unless I fucked with it and I told him that I never touched that damn thing. We figured maybe when the manufacturer assembled the hose to the air bladder, they didn't screw it on correctly. There are two plastic connections with slots that have to mate up. But he replaced the gasket and got it screwed in nice and tight, we tested to make sure that it held air. So it's good to go. I had to buy some new weights and weight pockets, but he'll talk with the manufacturer to see if they would comp me for my loss.

It was exciting time, I tell you what.

the chi · 05-20-2008, 10:58 AM

thats terrifying!!!

Glad you made it out okay, no blood no foul!!

Trip · 05-20-2008, 10:59 AM

I watched a show about how a husband killed his newlywed wife scuba diving last night. He said something similar happened to her, only problem was all of her equipment was in working order. He turned off her air and let her drop to the bottom. Wasn't insurance money scam or cheating thing, he apparently is just psychotic.

Captain Morgan · 05-20-2008, 10:59 AM

Damn, glad to hear you made it. Yeah, would suck to ditch the gear, but 3K ain't worth death!

Now, post up pics of the cuties! Figured I'd say, cause I know other dudes will at least think it.

Rider · 05-20-2008, 11:14 AM

Yeah I would have popped off that BCD right quick and had my buddy old on to it while I tread water.

fnfalman · 05-20-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Morgan

Now, post up pics of the cuties! Figured I'd say, cause I know other dudes will at least think it.

I didn't bring my picture taking thingie with me this last dive, but here are a couple of chicks from other dives.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rider

Yeah I would have popped off that BCD right quick and had my buddy old on to it while I tread water.

It's lesson learned for next time. Although I don't know if he would float because his BC was fully inflated and he couldn't hold me up above the water. My BC, along with the big tank was dragging me down. I was not neutrally bouyant at 6" below the surface. When I stopped treading, I started to sink. That's why I freaked out a little bit because things were defying what I know is RIGHT. I know that my tank, when emptied with me, my rig and dive weight, I should be at the surface and if I were to drop the weights, I would have popped up. I know that I would float with just my wetsuit, so that wasn't a problem, but had I ditched my BC, that mutha would have gone down in that murky 80-ft of water and that would be it.

I think that I could have snorkeled back because when you swim, hydrodynamics kick in and you float the way an airplane fly when it moves fast. But though I didn't panic, I also didn't think through either because I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I was sinking even though by everything I know about my gears and dive weights I should be floating. That freaked me out.

VatorMan · 05-20-2008, 01:03 PM

That would unnerve me as well. I only rent so I would have dropped everything.

Rider · 05-20-2008, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fnfalman

I didn't bring my picture taking thingie with me this last dive, but here are a couple of chicks from other dives.

It's lesson learned for next time. Although I don't know if he would float because his BC was fully inflated and he couldn't hold me up above the water. My BC, along with the big tank was dragging me down. I was not neutrally bouyant at 6" below the surface. When I stopped treading, I started to sink. That's why I freaked out a little bit because things were defying what I know is RIGHT. I know that my tank, when emptied with me, my rig and dive weight, I should be at the surface and if I were to drop the weights, I would have popped up. I know that I would float with just my wetsuit, so that wasn't a problem, but had I ditched my BC, that mutha would have gone down in that murky 80-ft of water and that would be it.

I think that I could have snorkeled back because when you swim, hydrodynamics kick in and you float the way an airplane fly when it moves fast. But though I didn't panic, I also didn't think through either because I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I was sinking even though by everything I know about my gears and dive weights I should be floating. That freaked me out.

Hey man, the most important thing is that you got back on the boat safely, no matter how you had to go about getting there.

pickle.of.doom · 05-20-2008, 02:43 PM

So if you did bite the big one, would you have been buried in your Mama Mia suit?

fnfalman · 05-20-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickle.of.doom

So if you did bite the big one, would you have been buried in your Mama Mia suit?

They can bury me in my wetsuit.

05-20-2008, 10:54 AM	#1
fnfalman Europhile Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SoCal Moto: Aprilia RS125, Aprilia SR50 Factory, Aprilia Tuono, BMW Rockster, KTM 990 Adventure Posts: 1,875	Almost became fish food this last Sunday during a boat dive I with my dive partner to a boat dive to Catalina Island. It was a lovely day, the water temperature was a luke warm 57-F, air temp was around 80+F, not a cloud in the sky, the boat only had twenty people so we weren't all cramped up and all of the divers were certified (no students). There were three Dive Masters plus three instructors (I think that PADI instructors had to be dive master certified, but I'm not sure). Everything were great. Four of the dive chicks were quite young and yummy. My partner and I did two great dives by ourselves playing in a grotto and in the kelp forests chasing lobsters and rock fishies. Everybody had a good time until one dude decided to dive without his hood because the water was fairly warm (57-F is warm by California standard) and got caught in a surge that slammed him against a rock and cut his head a bit. Nothing major, just a scrape. Then on the third dive, me and my homey went with the three cute babes. One of them recently got her cert so she was quite cherry still. We got separated in the nastiest kelp forest I've ever seen, but no need to panic because the other two chicks were with each other and weren't alone, and this inexperienced girl is with me and my partner. So we swam around a bit, took her down deep (she hadn't been past 30-something feet) to around 60-ft, burned up some air and then went up. As we went up, I heard my BCD (bouyancy control device, aka inflatable vest for the non-divers) popped as though I overinflated it and the air escaped through the pressure relief valve. I thought that was weird because my BC was not close to being fully inflated. When we got to the surface, I couldn't pop up but bobbing at 6" below the surface. By this time my air is fairly low, maybe 500-psi left in the tank. I tried to inflate the BC but nothing happened. I then kicked up hard enough to yell out to my partner to come over to help me float. He couldn't keep me afloat so I ditched my weight pockets. I still couldn't float and started to really worry. He gave the emergency distress signal so the dive master and an instructor jumped in and swam to me (about 80-yards away from the boat). Meanwhile I was struggling to surface and my homey with his best intention trying to drag me back to the boat, yanked the damn breather from my mouth So that freaked me out for a bit, sucking down some water until i got my octopus (secondary breather) into my mouth. I figured that if the dive master were not to be able to reach me by the time my air runs out, I'd ditch my BCD and just float in my wet suit (we're talking about three or four thousand dollars worth of gears here). But I reallllly didn't want to ditch my gear. At least not while I'm still alive. The dive master reached me and gave me a float board to hang on and told me that the corrugated hose separated from my BC's air bladder and that my air bladder is now full of water. By this time I was dead tired from treading water and he towed my ass back to the boat. No harm, no foul. Last night I took my BC to the dive shop and the owner looked at it and said that usually the hose doesn't unscrew itself unless I fucked with it and I told him that I never touched that damn thing. We figured maybe when the manufacturer assembled the hose to the air bladder, they didn't screw it on correctly. There are two plastic connections with slots that have to mate up. But he replaced the gasket and got it screwed in nice and tight, we tested to make sure that it held air. So it's good to go. I had to buy some new weights and weight pockets, but he'll talk with the manufacturer to see if they would comp me for my loss. It was exciting time, I tell you what. __________________ *Cogito Ergo Vroom - I think therefore I ride*

05-20-2008, 02:43 PM	#9
pickle.of.doom el diablo de verde Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Howell, MI Moto: VTR, CBR, DRZSM Posts: 1,046	So if you did bite the big one, would you have been buried in your Mama Mia suit? __________________ WOS Forums

05-20-2008, 10:59 AM	#4
Captain Morgan Let's do another U-turn Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Indiana Moto: 2009 V-Strom Posts: 3,816	Damn, glad to hear you made it. Yeah, would suck to ditch the gear, but 3K ain't worth death! Now, post up pics of the cuties! Figured I'd say, cause I know other dudes will at least think it.

05-20-2008, 11:14 AM	#5
Rider Moto GP Star Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 12,156	Yeah I would have popped off that BCD right quick and had my buddy old on to it while I tread water.

05-20-2008, 01:03 PM	#7
VatorMan Wrap Yo Ass in Fiberglass Join Date: Feb 2008 Moto: Feet Posts: 1,605	That would unnerve me as well. I only rent so I would have dropped everything.