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On Sun, 3 Dec 1995, Ken Sallot wrote: > Subject: Re: Lines in Yucatan > > Andy Schmidt writes: > > > Dear Harve: > > > > In my opinion too many divers are going beyond their ability to navigate safely. > > Whether it is inside a wreck or inside a cave - who are these people to think > > that the cave/wreck has to be totally "managed" to the point that you just > > follow "street signs" from inside all the way to the parking lot. > > > > If they're diving a new cave system then it is their responsibility to explore > > the cave for THEMSELVES so that they can navigate around and out of it. It > > doesn't matter how many OTHER people have gone how many 10,000 feet deeper. Get > > to know the immeditate vicinity. Get to know the various exit cenotes and line > > configuration. Why does everybody think that they have to take a scooter and go > > for 1,000 feet penetration on their first day - of COURSE they are NOT prepared > > for any emergency. > > > > Something is wrong with training if cave divers think they have a "right" to > > someone else laying a line FOR THEM in case they should need it for > > contingencies. If a diver does NOT know how to find the shortest way out then > > WHAT was he doing that far in anyway. It'll come as far that NACD and NSS/CDS > > will have to join the "Be a responsible diver" campaign. > > > > Best Regards > > Andy > > Andy, realize I've never been to Akumal. I plan on going someday when the > time and $$ become a reality. > > However, think about this. > > You're diving in the most beautiful cenotes in the world. You're looking > at everything around you with your jaw hanging dropping almost so much > you're loosing your regulator. > > You're following the line in. Some a**hole has a blind T that you miss. According to the accident report, "Unless you look directly at the T, you could, at a glance, miss it, even though the E-line and B-line had the appropriate arrows at the junctions" Well, aren't you _supposed_ to look at T's? I guess that someone in a cave for the first time probably should do more than "glance", huh? > When you get back to the T, there are two sets of lines with arrows > pointing away from you (i.e. "This way is out"). According to the accident report, "... even though The E-line and B-line had the appropriate arrows at the junction." According also to the recovery team, the junction was properly marked, with a single set of arrows pointing back the way the divers came in. > Remember, these systems have more then one entrance. The arrows on the > lines change directions all the time to point to the closest exit. True. The system is extensive and connects several cenotes. > Now you come to the end of that line. Let's get it right. When they got to "the end of that line" which was __B-line__, they did a *visual 10' jump* from B-line to A-line and followed the arrows pointing out. >Your reel isn't there (because, surprise, you got on another line). By ignoring (not seeing?) line arrows, by not referencing the cave (the way they went _in_ was large roomy tunnel. The way they went out is _much_ smaller tunnel with several minor restrictionss) and by visually jumping from B-line to A-line (they did not make a visual jump on the way in - that alone should have told them they were not on the same line they came in on!) >The arrow points at the end of the line, but no daylight to be found. Correct. And, since they, for whatever reason, didn't know the general orientation of the cave, they apparently turned around and went the other way harve Harve Thorn TThorn@co*.ua*.ed*
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