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j, I know what I'll say here will cause controversy, but here goes. First off, I don't use a power inflator, I consider them dangerous and virtually useless. I have often seen inflators stick open and divers wedge themselves into the wreck to fix it, or go rocketing to the surface, sometimes to the tune of a Coast Guard helicopter ride. As for OOA, if someone out of air gets that crazed I'm sure I will think of something. Someone who is going to panic close in will probably panic 10 feet away as well. As long as they are attached to you, you ARE a potential victim. I have buddy breathed and had someone on my second reg in emergency situations more than once when I taught. Exciting while they were happening but not a problem to get under control if you know what you're doing. Everyone here does have some idea of what they're doing underwater, don't they? And you can say, what if someone a lot bigger than you tried to kill you to get your air? I would at that point do whatever necessary to A. save my own ass; & B. see if I might still be able to assist that individual. In that order. When I trained to be a lifeguard panics were the most feared scenario, and rightly so because that's how lifeguards died. There are many ways to subdue someone especially when they are as single-minded as a paniced diver. Last of all, I will bet that nearly every fatality to a non-out-of-air diver (the assisting diver) was in a situation where the assisting or both divers were inexperienced and someone was probably going to die anyhow. I know my views are not popular and I don't care. I have been diving for 16 years, a lot less than some of the guys & gals here and a lot more than most. I stick with what works FOR ME and watch all the new comings and goings and use what I think will work - FOR ME. I refuse to accept something blindly because it is the concensus of the general public on this list or anywhere. I am a thinking, reasoning being and I can make up my own mind. I am confident of my abilities, yes I make mistakes but so far I have been good enough, lucky enough and obstinent enough to survive. No one on this list has been able to convince me that a long hose is a MANDATORY piece of equipment. As it is most divers out there can't even assist an entangled diver let alone someone on the verge of death. My unpopular opinion, but it's all mine: Mark Welzel j wrote: > > I must strongly disagree with you on this point. I dive a variety of > equipment configurations and in a variety of environments from Florida Caves > and East Coast wrecks to Northeastern Sumps. I tailor my configuration for > the type of diving I am doing. Sump diving is the only time I do not dive > with a long hose. It is the only time that I can be sure that I may not run > into an out of air diver. Even on a solo ocean or cave dive you never know > when you may run into an out of air diver who may be desperate or in a panic. > The long hose not only may save another divers life but may save yours as > well. > > Case in point....... You run into a panicked diver who has a complete air > failure and pass him a regulator on a short hose. He does not calm down but > continues to panic. Because you have a short hose you are now face to face > and can't get away. He is not rational and wants out so he grabs your BC > inflator and holds it down for all that it is worth and locked in his powerful > andrenalin fueled embrace you rocket to the surface from 130ft. > > If you had a long hose the extra length might have allowed you to get > behind him and with any luck grab his manifold and take control over the > situation. At the very least it would have saved you from joining him on his > rocket ride. > > The story is true and happen last year on a wreck dive, by some incredible > stroke of luck neither diver suffered any immediate injuries. They were both > incredibly lucky. > > In another case two years ago a sport diver became trapped on a quarry dive, > her trailing "safe second " was snagged by debris and she panicked. The buddy > donated her short hose and then did not have enough length to reach the tangle > problem. She too panicked and dropped her weight belt believing her positive > buoyancy would allow her to pull her buddy free. It didn't and she rocketed > to the surface and her buddy drowned. Fortunately due to the extremely cold > temps she was able to dive back down, free the buddy and successfully revive > the other diver with no permanent injuries. > > Another real life example where a long hose might have made a difference... > > I hope this information may prove useful....safe diving > > JOSEPH KAFFL > SUMPDIVER@MS*.CO* > -- > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > Send subscription/archive requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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