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Bill, Thanks for the slap in the face, I was getting a little sleepy after lunch. I wasn't aware of another Blue Hole presentation displaying divers buttmounting anything or wrapping hoses, but I can assure you that no Cambrian Foundation member on the trip used such practices. However, I am sure this was overlooked due to the extreme shock experienced by many of seeing Matt and his helmet. While I do not condone the use of helmets on most dives, I also cannot overlook the fact that Matt's skills and experience far exceed my own and his contributions to our efforts in Belize were substantial. As Terry's dive partner he did have a feature role in the video since he was collecting samples while Terry shot video. They constituted our A team and accomplished many of the goals set forth by the expedition scientists. I am afraid that due to my own fault that the video was rather poorly edited (lacked any narration, decent music, a conclusion that included the results of the scientists among other issues) and may not correctly convey the techniques or equipment that was the norm for the divers involved in this ongoing project. My ability to lift a set of doubles out of the fill tank one handed by the isolator valve is rather laughable and I am sure that you, George and many others who have seen me would be ROTFL at the mere image. With a video light I weigh exactly as much as my gear (104s setup). I cannot turn any of the isolators on any of the three sets of doubles I have easily, making the inadvertent closure of the isolator less remote than the event of a meteorite falling on my head or some drunk running into the dive boat I am on. And perhaps unlike some divers, I am a little more paranoid about my ability to prepare mixes and setup my equipment that I leave the isolator open during fills and check the O2 content from both valves. I've even been known to check the status of all pertinent valves on my equipment before a dive. A significant drop in pressure in a set of unused and filled tanks would cause me to call the dive before it began. I guess that may make me a weenie. Unlike others I have not been doing this since the pre-Cambrian age. As to the Cambrian Foundation, I think that their goal of enlightening the general public concerning environmental, historical and other issues through exploration of the aquatic realm is laudible and worthy of my time and effort. I am perhaps naive and I can certainly not claim to be an expert on technical or cave diving, environmental issues or even underwater videography, however, I do like to think I keep an open and inquiring mind on these issues. To this end I have had the priviledge of participating, albeit even in minor roles with organizations that have provided through experience and dedication a degree of personal enlightenment. I certainly, perhaps to your personal dismay, extend that credit it no small part to the WKPP and the excellent instruction in cave and mix diving that I received from JJ. I am sure that I was not his most accomplished student. I continue to learn from Terry and other members of both the WKPP and Cambrian Foundation. Recognizing my limitations, I would not presume to dictate to any dedicated and performing organization standards as they apply to isolator valves and would thus conform to the established standards of the organization. I can, however, as a reasonably intelligent and educated individual objectively report on my observations and perhaps much to the chagrin of others continue to think issues through to logical conclusions. Isolator closed is a very bad idea, isolator 2 turns or completely open in the manner that I conduct my fills or predive checks is a non issue IMHO. Respectfully, John >John Chluski wrote: >> >> Some ocean divers open the isolator only 1/2 to 2 turns to facilitate the >> shutdown. I have started using this method when diving as other Cambrian >> Foundation team members use this method. The downside to this method that I > > >John, thank you for warning us, diplomatically, about the Cambrian >Foundation. It seems that their organization is appropriately named. >After hearing this sorry tale the name should be changed to >Pre-Cambrian. The fact that these folks even consider something as >idiotic as this practice is beyond the pale. As JJ CORRECTLY taught you >the isolator valve is ALWAYS FULLY OPEN. > >It is very disconcerting to learn that such criminal stupidity still >exists as a formal institutional practice. When I saw the video of the >Belize Blue Hole exploration at the NACD workshop I overlooked the >displays of hose stuffing, helmet wearing, butt mounting personal >personal preference out of respect for Terry Tysall. We are aware >that such retrograde practices still exist on the periphery of socalled >"technical" diving, but there becomes a point where you have to "Just >Say No". > >I might add that George Irvine's response, when learning of this >nonsense, was unprintable. As you are well aware, valve closure >during a dive is a very dangerous event which can lead to or seriously >compound an ongoing CF. Unwitting closure of the isolator manifold >valve can lead to subsequent fatal errors. If this weren't bad enough, >leaving the valve in a near closed state can cause the valve to become >easily turned off when the tanks are lifted in and/or out of a fill >bath. Just imagine what horrifying scenarios this can cause while gas >mixing. Let me suggest one to you. > >You fill your doubles with 1800 psi of helium for a 50% mix. While >lifting the tanks you inadvertently shut off the isolator. You then add >the oxygen to your left post (the post which supplies your backup) and >fill, analyze and do the squeaky voice test off of your backup from the >left post. Your spg shows the correct pressure and you are confident >that the gas mix is ok. Since you are breathing your long hose, which >is powered off the right post, what happens when you go to breath your >bottom gas? > >Best Regards (or bon voyage), > >Bill Mee > > -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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