View Full Version : Dive 13!
Okay, as everyone is owning up with worst dives, it's my turn - Chris may pipe in - this is not the story of me running out of air, or of Chris being urchinnned (is that a verb?), or how do we get out of the sea?, or is that all my air leaking out? or can you dive when your bc no longer functions? or.....
Anyway onto business. It was March 2001, my last dive was in October 2000 (anyone spot anything yet?). I was very experienced.......but unfortunately not at diving, having completed 12 dives prior to this one, 4 of which were the open water course and 5 of which were the "advanced" open water course.
I am an advanced diver - yeh! Yeah!? Not!
Of my 12 dives completed over the prior 18 months, 5 were in the slightly less extreme conditions found in Malta in the summer, the other 7 were in the shelter of Loch Long.
However, I (and my buddy Chris) were not too gung-ho, we were going with an "organised" trip and not ready to plunge in ourself. The new diving season (before I knew it was one long cold season all year) was upon us and the trips were starting to run. What should we do? How about the boat trip off North Berwick? The chap we'd completed our AOW with was off to set up his own new business, where we ultimately went to carry on diving with. In the meanwhile we stuck with the same old company he had worked for, but with a new guide (instructor?x?). A nice simple dive off Craig Leith Island apparently, just off North Berwick, to start the season, what could be better?
Ohh ohh , I have a feeling this is going to be a tale of the 'installments , cliffhanger' variety.
Come on then.
Sorry to hear you got 'urchined' Chris - stay away from Victorian London would be my advice :O)
I thought instalments was the way it had to be done. I am trying to build suspense here. However I can't drag this on too long - I want to know what happened - these cerebral embolisms are a real pain! :D
Anyway, I need more encouragement to post - 1 "com'on" just won't do it for me anymore! :eek:
Yogi Diver
24-03-08, 21:03
Oh go awnn! Go awnn Go awnn Go awnn!!!!:rolleyes:
I thought instalments was the way it had to be done. I am trying to build suspense here. However I can't drag this on too long - I want to know what happened - these cerebral embolisms are a real pain! :D
Anyway, I need more encouragement to post - 1 "com'on" just won't do it for me anymore! :eek:
Don't make me go into 'Gary Glitter' mode ( see note 1 )
Come on , come on !
Come on come on !
Come on , come on ,come on ( I said ) !
Note 1 ; in a musical sense only , not the child molestor way !
:D:D
Yogi Diver
24-03-08, 21:26
Note 1 ; in a musical sense only , not the child molestor way !
:D:D
Says the guy who got excited about young boys in tents!!
:D;)
Says the guy who got excited about young boys in tents!!
:D;)
I'm trying to gloss over that one :D:D
Okay, pressing on, but too slowly to satisfy your curiosity.
Let's mix the following combination of factors! - at least for now!
No diving for 6 months
Very limited experience in any case
Diving with a new and, from our point of view, untested guide
Down to the harbour and onto the boat. Questions, questions - "You guys dived off a RIB before?" - err, no. "Can everyone hurry up it'll be dark in about an hour". "Okay, this'll be a drift dive, everyone done a drift dive?" - err no - "But you know what one is?" - err, well, yes, sort of, it's a dive where you, er, drift along with the water - "Yep, that's it you'll be fine, a nice gentle drift" (Anyone spot the season yet?). "You got a DSMB?" - err, what? "Anyway, we're heading out to the site now........."
Oh dear , Oh dear !
Were you drinking a can of Dr Peppers at the time by any chance ?
This is getting good .......... wish it wasn't past my bedtime , probably gonna miss the end :O(
Oh go awnn! Go awnn Go awnn Go awnn!!!!:rolleyes:
Is that you Mrs Doyle ?
Okay, so we have
No diving for 6 months
Very limited experience in any case
Diving with a new and, from our point of view, untested guide
New site
1st dive off RIB
1st drift dive
Bit of a rush on the kitting up
Is this what's called task loading? At least I didn't have to bother with an unknown DSMB.
Anyway, roll off, buddy up on surface. Buddy checked back on the boat, a few seals bobbing about, isn't that nice. Final okay on the surface and down we go.
Hey, this is nice and new, bit different from Loch Long - not so obviously slimy. Computer says water is 5C - does water get that cold? - at least once the task loading sets in and I start sweating the cold will be about the only thing not bothering me!
Whats the viz? - better hold my hand in a bit nearer so I can see it. Where is Chris? Oh, he's there about 15 inches away, I bumped into him while tunring round. Have I got my bouyancy right? What was that - oh it's a rock, yes that rock rapidly disappearing out of sight - well out of sight, so that's about 14 inches then! F*?k it went away quickly - oh does that mean I am moving - that'll be the drift then. Where the hell is Chris - oh he's still about 15 inches away. Ouch, why'd Chris bump into me? - oh, it's a bloody rock again! These rocks are sure moving fast. Ouch, so's that one! Oh, boyancy, yep, I'm being dragged along the sea floor - not too bouyant then! Is this a drift dive then? Where's Chris. Yes, Chris, I am prepared to hold your hand, because I can't f*?king see anything. Have I gone blind? - no - if I press a button on my computer it lights up. Now if these f*?king rocks would stop bashing into me I would have enough time to read the bloody thing.
These drifts dives are jolly interesting - are they always this fun?
oh the memories....are you going to say what happened to our dive guide and his buddy and what happened to us...Can't wait to read the rest :D
Task loading.....I thought my drysuit was leaking I was sweating that much!!
To recap
No diving for 6 months
Very limited experience in any case
Diving with a new and, from our point of view, untested guide - who we never saw during the dive
New site
1st dive off RIB
1st drift dive - ha f*?king ha - drift my a*?e - I've driven slower
Bit of a rush on the kitting up
Coldest dive I'd ever done, by about 7C
Viz normally associated with the "Day of the Triffids"
Anyway, where's Chris? - oh he's still, there. If I dig my feet into the sand will I slow down enough to concentrate on one thing? No, but it does spin you round a bit and at least now it's Chris going backwards and bumping into the rocks! Except that we keep going and, ouch, bloody rocks again. I wish I knew what depth I was at - that's one of the things you're meant to know diving. Press the computer light again, oh sod it, that was another rock. For gods sake, the lights back off again! If I grab a rock, will that stop me? No! What the hells that against the back of my calves? Not sure, maybe it'll go away again. Try the computer light again. That bloody knocking on the back of my legs is a nuisance. What the hell is it, I really wish I knew what depth I am at or if I have any air left!
How can they call it a scenic fun dive if you can't see anything and it isn't any fun?
Oh good , I've not missed the end :O)
C'mon Peter , out of bed , finish the story !
Quote :
1st drift dive - ha f*?king ha - drift my a*?e - I've driven slower.
LOL :O) :O)
waiting very impatiently for the concluding episode.......
I could complete it, but dont want to steal Peter's thunder. I will do one for a dive or two before this trip which is quite interesting.
One of the good things about this particular incident is that although it was very earlier in our training we probably learned more from this one dive than about 20-30 other dives and some techniques picked up on this dive we still use to this day.
The going will be a bit slower, as I am at work, but it will definately be finished today.
Okay, where were we? - oh, in a dark patch in the Firth of Forth.
Good news at last - I now know what that knocking is on the back of my legs - it's my cylinder which appears to have fallen out of the band on the bc! Is that a problem - bunch of hoses running from top of cylinder over shoulders etc. Therefore tank will not fall out - not good, but not terrible. Not as terrible as not knowing what depth I am at! Get Chris to put tank back in band. It's such a niusance not being able to talk underwater - slate - like I need something else diificult to do underwater! "Chris, put my cylinder back onto my bc." "What do you mean you can't understand my strangulated shouting at you underwater?" "If I point, will that help? Yes, you've got the idea, that's better, thanks".
Okay, where were we? How long have I been here for? How deep are we? How fast are we going? How much air have I got left? Okay, start checking this? I still have some air 'casue I am still breathing. Yes, air guage looks okay, depth nothing special. Shall I check my compass - is there any point? The briefing was to keep the rocks immediately on our left - that'll be if we're going forwards then. However I can't see any rocks anymore, it's just sand, apart from the odd rock I keep bumping into - ouch.....again! How can I keep the rocks on my left, if I have no ability to control my position in the water?
"Okay Chris, we're simply not sweating enough, can we fin like mad to the left the get back to the rock. We're not trying the swim against the current just across it, that should be okay? - fine, lets go" - All of which was indicated by one of us pointing to the left and the other nodding a bit!
The going will be a bit slower, as I am at work, but it will definately be finished today.
Okay, where were we? - oh, in a dark patch in the Firth of Forth.
Good news at last - I now know what that knocking is on the back of my legs - it's my cylinder which appears to have fallen out of the band on the bc! Is that a problem - bunch of hoses running from top of cylinder over shoulders etc. Therefore tank will not fall out - not good, but not terrible. Not as terrible as not knowing what depth I am at! Get Chris to put tank back in band. It's such a niusance not being able to talk underwater - slate - like I need something else diificult to do underwater! "Chris, put my cylinder back onto my bc." "What do you mean you can't understand my strangulated shouting at you underwater?" "If I point, will that help? Yes, you've got the idea, that's better, thanks".
:eek: i know i shouldnt, but that really made me laugh out loud - an errant cylinder, shouting and a buddy going eh? what? u want me to do what?? :D
quick i need to know how this all ends... :D
Airmonster
25-03-08, 14:08
The going will be a bit slower, as I am at work, ........
Cimon Get your priorities right man! :D
Cimon Get your priorities right man! :D
I know.
Next thing he'll be saying he has been eating lunch instead of getting this finished.
Slacker !
:D:D;)
Talking of the going being slower - "How far are these bloody rocks? Does it matter if we ever see them again? Does it really matter if we ever see land again? Oh, well the answer to the last question is probably yes - what about the other 2? Oh forget it, I am too bloody tired to swim any further!" "You too Chris? Great, back to floating with all the directional control of a carrier bag!"
Now I am floating I can see that what started as a dive at around 8m, has progressed and is simply getting deeper and deeper, the further away we get swept. Not a huge depth I know, but only dive 13 and we are now at 15m, in the dark and still going. How long have we been here and is there any air left. Certainly maintaining the bouyancy of a rock has avoided me losing the sea bed as well!
Signal to Chris (or from Chris, it was ages ago and I forget) "Time to go up?" "Yes!" and up we go. As I am typing at work I do not have my computer log in front of me, but I doubt we achieved a real safety stop, but we got to the surface and didn't die!
Dive Time (TBC tonight) - around 30-40 minutes
Max Depth - 18m
Average Depth 13m
Viz - <1m
Current Speed - no idea, probably a just a couple of knots, but in any case way faster than we had any ability to swim against! The only current I've been in faster was at Burra Sound in the entry to Scapa Flow
SLM - 31.3 surface litres per minute
We got back to the RIB without any real incident. It was a cracking dive - like the one where you jumped into the water with the great white and it didn't eat you - terrifying at the time, but great to retell later.
What did we learn and what went wrong?
Don't trust ?????????? when he tells you it'll be fine - he's a f*?king eejit - although it was fine, but not by design!
We shouldn't have been on that dive with only 13 dives, although frankly I'm not sure how we were supposed to know at the time.
Should we have canned the dive earlier? - frankly everything went wrong, not disasterously, but continuously - never felt panicked to the point I couldn't think, but must've been close, always telling myslef to do this or that and not simply float around like a frightened rabbit. My heart was thumping the whole way through and my air consumption was 150% of what it normally is.
In the end, you need to make your own decisions. As Chris said, we learned a ton of stuff on that dive, that we are still in a position to use in the future. The dive maybe wasn't terribly dangerous, expected to be around 10ish metres in the firth of forth, no overheads, and the weather was okay. But it was cold, poor viz, getting dark, new location, first dive after break, got down to 18m, etc.
I wasn't very good at securing the tank at that point, but rushing didn't help. Dive trips are often pressuring you to move on for either, in this case, the light or the tide, or another trip. It's fine to hurry, but don't let yourself be rushed. I drowned a camera once that way, wouldn't want to drown anything more important! Now that I can kit up faster and do it all in the dark, without thinking I am more confident to tell anyone that wants me to rush to sod off - bit late really!
We ended up feeling quite good once aboard the boat, as the other buddy pair that went down, were considerably more experienced, but got separated about 5 minutes into the dive and surfaced about 250 yards and ten minutes apart some 30 minutes later! As newbies with "buddy pair, 1 minute search and surface" ringing in our ears we were pretty horrified. I think both these guys might have done solos dives, but they certainly didn't discuss it on the Rib before the dive and they were simply paired up at the harbour.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger - but I am not keen to test that phrase to breaking point!
Excellent , very entertaining read Peter.
You won't mind if I admit to having a bit of a laugh at some of it.
I'm sure it wasn't hilarious to you at the time , but hopefully you can allow yourself a wry smile now.
I haven't anything as good as that to tell I'm afraid ( and hope it stays that way ).
Most of my little incidents have been during training and so not for public consumption.
All the best , JB.
Anything to add from the buddy?
Well I had similar feelings to Peter before the dive, if not a bit more aprehensive. The Dive guide (shop manager) and his divemaster I never really liked or clicked with. The Rib driver and owner, great guy and probably wouldnt have let us dive but it wasnt his call. For the dive leader and divemasters benefit of doubt, conditions topside were actually OK, with the dive plan being a gentle drift round the south side of Craigleith, but as peter said when we hit the water and started going down (with each other, not on) viz was like your grannies pea soup and I immediately felt like I was flying in a direction I had no control over. I had the same feelings of "oh sh!t wheres peter, bump... there he is". Holding hands seemed a bit gay for us tough divers, so one of us (can't remember who's bright idea) decided to swap torches whilst "umbilically" attached to us, which meant we stayed together as long as a clip or strap didnt break. I dont remember the rocks, but I do remember floating slightly above the sand.
When we surfaced the skipper praised us for staying together in such horrible conditions, I think he picked us up just of the Norway coast line (it was probably only about 10 metres from Craigleith...no idea really but felt like we drifted for a while). Once on the boat and there was an odd number, the odd one (and I mean that with all descriptions of the word) responded that he had lost his buddy 5 minutes into the dive (he was wearing twin 12's of Nitrox 32 for a dive to 12m and had 3 computers!!) and just continued. The question going through my mind was:
We were not experienced, it was pretty crap, it was pretty scary but it was a dive to notch up and we were staying for at leat half an hour. This guy was "obviously?" experienced and conditions were probably poor in comparison to what he was used to, he had no buddy but stayed under for 20-30 mins. His buddy of similar experience levels did the same. Given that in the forth if you are not on a wreck and not beside some rocks/coral etc all you see is sand, what did they get out of that dive? The skipper was 5 minutes away from calling the coastguard when the "missing" buddy surfaced, but only becuase he knew them both did he give them that time.
The swapping torches thing is the lesson that Peter and I still use in poor visibility!! Drift diving has never been that powerful since, but both of us love to drift dive now and learned never to try and swim against it, just enjoy the flight. Both of us have experienced many a drift dive down in St Abbs when others have came up panicking and tired, Peter and I are usually first in and last out on these types of dives now (due to air consumption).
Final lesson that was learned was to never dive with those two ever again, and we haven't!
:eek: i know i shouldnt, but that really made me laugh out loud - an errant cylinder, shouting and a buddy going eh? what? u want me to do what?? :D
You won't mind if I admit to having a bit of a laugh at some of it.
but hopefully you can allow yourself a wry smile now.
Mind?, we were p*?sing ourselves laughing most of the way back to shore and the drive home - albeit that was laughter of the slightly manic variety. The reason for posting was to give a bit of a laugh and, hopefully, to give some info to anyone less experienced than us (if there is any such person!:D)
Just checked my records and it was:
Date: 28/03/01 (nearly 7 years to the day!!)
Max Depth: 19.2m
Duration: 27mins
SAC: 28.9SLM
It was Dive number 14 for me and I remember I forgot my computer on the dive and was relying a watch I couldnt read and loaned depth gauge...Oh dearie me!
oh yeah and it was at night, our first night dive!!
Actually , when I think about this :
Quote :
Of my 12 dives completed over the prior 18 months, 5 were in the slightly less extreme conditions found in Malta in the summer, the other 7 were in the shelter of Loch Long.
That is bl**dy frightening !
I had done nearly 4 times that number of UK open water dives before I was let loose on the 'real' sea. And even then , with a qualified instructor as my buddy.
Which of course didn't help much when we got split up :O)
No wonder you didn't enjoy it very much , baptism of fire springs to mind.
Dont forget the shelter of Loch Long involved going in during a Training day at the A-Frames with a group of OW students, Drysuit Spec students then us doing AOW. Viz was pretty bad on some of the Loch Long Dives
Hey 5 stars - when did all this start? :)
Hey 5 stars - when did all this start? :)
The option has been there as long as I have. It's just not used much.
Handy tool as the site gets busier though.
Mind?, we were p*?sing ourselves laughing most of the way back to shore and the drive home - albeit that was laughter of the slightly manic variety.
The reason for posting was to give a bit of a laugh and, hopefully, to give some info to anyone less experienced than us (if there is any such person!:D)
Of course peter and i completely agree - its a valuable forum area as most divers will hav experienced incidents skirting around the pit... you tell it so very well indeed.
i honestly had this picture of tank at ankle level with reg almost being pulled out of mouth with lots of pointing and shouting and the ever clueless buddy looking n shrugging, getting impatient to carry on with the dive or photo the next anemone lol :D
the ever clueless buddy
You've met him then. ;)
Oh no, my threads star rating has been slated - who was it? :(
You've met him then. ;)
Oi! This and a number of other incidents did earn me the nickname tankboy for a while! Tighten your own tank strap next time....:p
I don't know anyone who hasn't had the tank strap incident. How do you get the star rating BTW?
dive granny
26-03-08, 23:52
There is a wee thing at the top of the post that says 'Rating' click on it and a list of stars comes up and you 'vote'.
I still want to know how to 'quote' just one sentence instead of the whole post:confused:
How do you get the star rating BTW?
Go on, give it 5 - you know you want to! :D
I still want to know how to 'quote' just one sentence instead of the whole post:confused:
You mean like this?
Oi! This and a number of other incidents did earn me the nickname tankboy for a while! Tighten your own tank strap next time....:p
Can you do multiple quotes?
For selective quotes, press the quote button, highlight the bit you don't want and hit delete - or position the cursor and use the backspace key to erase character by character.
Multiple quotes, press quote, select and copy the whole lot. Go back a page and press another quote and then paste the earlier one back in!
Oi! This and a number of other incidents did earn me the nickname tankboy for a while! Tighten your own tank strap next time....:p
Aaaawwwww, go on. You're also called tankboy for your fetching and carrying ability. Seriously I am too old..........no, make that lazy...... to do some of this myself. Come on tankboy, there's a Mars Bar in it for you ? ;)
there is an easier way to multi quote...
see the wee button on the bottom right that says 'multi off'.. yes that one..;)
click it, go to another post and click 'multi off' they turn to 'multi on' now, dont they?
next to it, click the 'quote' button (on any of the posts your quoting from), this will bring all the quotes which you selected 'multi on' to in to one reply message.
clear as mud?
copy & paste is sooooo last week!:D
I don't know anyone who hasn't had the tank strap incident. How do you get the star rating BTW?
There is a wee thing at the top of the post that says 'Rating' click on it and a list of stars comes up and you 'vote'.
I still want to know how to 'quote' just one sentence instead of the whole post:confused:
there is an easier way to multi quote...
see the wee button on the bottom right that says 'multi off'.. yes that one..;)
click it, go to another post and click 'multi off' they turn to 'multi on' now, dont they?
next to it, click the 'go' button (on any of the posts your quoting from), this will bring all the quotes which you selected 'multi on' to in to one reply message.
clear as mud?
copy & paste is sooooo last week!:D
oooooooooooooooooh
gave you a vote, don't know if it counted tho
For selective quotes, press the quote button, highlight the bit you don't want and hit delete - or position the cursor and use the backspace key to erase character by character.
Just make sure you leave the quote tags in place. It is the text in the square brackets (and don't delete the brackets either). Ends with [/QUOTE], begins with [QUOTE=whoeveryourquoting;postnumber]
gave you a vote, don't know if it counted tho
same here - definate 5 stars :D
Multi quote, thanks Stewart....I was old school on that one like Peter.
This is a vid of the worst dift dive I have ever seen. No wonder the sharks got excited :eek:
fpNo-RItQCc
This is a vid of the worst dift dive I have ever seen. No wonder the sharks got excited :eek:
Not really the worst "drift" - the drift looked fun (vid at around 50 secs). The problems was
1 - being in the surf zone
2 - with a depth of only 3 ft available
3 - with hard coral below
4 - in your speedos rather than wet suit
5 - getting cut
6 - with a persuing posse of sharks
I loved the clip with the gang of sharks chaising at speed in the drift (vid around 30 secs)! :D:D:D
Have to say I agree with peter, looked quite fun!
This is a vid of the worst dift dive I have ever seen.
This is the worst vid of a drift dive i have ever seen.
looks tame compared to the Falls of Lora :eek:
Just cant see how they got out of it alive. I bet the guy with the scooter was popular. :D
Now thats what I call a well executed dive plan ...........NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: