Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
---------------- Begin Forwarded Message ---------------- Date: 5/11/99 1:38 PM Received: 5/11/99 4:43 PM From: Kenneth Clayton, kclayton@ba*.co* To: 'cobber@ci*.co*', cobber@ci*.co* CC: 'captjt@mi*.co*', captjt@mi*.co* A Belgium communicant of mine informed me of the latest round of Internet rumor, innuendo, and general misinformation and e-mailed me some the messages running rampant. Normally I consider this type of hyperbole trash not to spend time on. But since I know you to be professional and seriously interested in the facts and data that lessons can be learned from, this once I will intervene and pass along the true chronicle of events. The unreliability of trying to get to the truth from second hand sources on the Net is vividly illustrated here where even the small bit of data I gave Dave Widen has been distorted or is plain incorrect as it apparently has appeared on the Net!! First of all Diver1 was released Sat. and is back in Va. Beach. He wants nothing to do with the Net, so don't expect to contact him. I want nothing to do with drawn out debates about his misfortune except those of you whom I know can contact me. The dive trip was the result of a chance meeting in Mexico that Jeff Hewlett (now in Saudi Arabia) and Diver1 had with Diver2 and his wife during a cave diving trip. Diver2 lives in N.C. and owns a small pontoon boat used to dive the lake. He invited Jeff and Diver1 to come over and dive with him and his friend Diver3. When Jeff had to bow out because of TDY overseas, he connected me with Diver2 and I was invited. I had no organizing, divemastering, supervising, or any other kind of responsibilities period. This was an informal get together for some fun dives. Diver1 had some unused mixes from a wayward Key West trip the end of March where not a single dive was made. He wanted to dive mix to avoid blowing off his gas mixtures. My understanding was that Diver3 would dive mix also. Diver2 and I would only be loose partners since I intended to dive deeper than he probably wanted to go on air. However, the day of the dive, Diver3 planned to dive on air also leaving Diver1 to dive solo or go shallower than he had originally planned. He decided to go alone. Diver1's bottom mix was 12/42 Heliair with a max depth planned of 325. Deco mixes were N32, N50, and N80 carried in steel side tanks. His dry suit was inflated by a six cu ft air bottle, his wings from his bottom mix. Main tanks were Pressed Steel 120s at, I believe, 2700 psi or maybe 2900. Before I left MD, I asked him if he wanted to borrow my O2 rig. He said no; he was covered by what he had plus Diver2 would have O2 also. Now for the dive setting. The lake is a dammed valley with steep sides. There is a subsurface, buoyed line about 50 yards from shore that ends at 55 ft on the bow of a Chinese Junk (that's right) with the bottom at this point at about 65 ft. You must swim to the Junk's stern to pick up a second, very thick permanent line that extends out about 15 ft and drops almost straight down a slope then ends at 170 ft. Here has been attached a comparatively thin cave diving line whose condition was uncertain plus the bottom is 350 or so. Therefore, Diver1 and the rest of us carried individual cave diving reels. Surface temp was 59 and bottom 48. The water is clear, but at depth it is dark with a viz of only 10 ft or so. Now for the operation. Diver1 was to enter first. Since the boat is small, only two or so can suit up and enter together. In any case I was NOT diving with Diver2 and Diver3 as a permanent team member. Only they were planning a 190 ft dive. (more on the Rangers misinformation later) I was to enter next and wait on the Junk's bow for a while. If they took too long, I would go ahead with my plan which was to go as deep as I felt comfortable with. I carried my own O2. Internet distortion no 2. I did not need three gauges. Do you remember the two gauges I took on the Panam dive?! After that dive I miraculously was given by a friend a brand new original Beauchat bottom timer/depth gauge that had been stored nine years unused. I wanted to compare the readings of the three of them together. However, in consolidating gear to save space on the small boat I put two of them in an unusual place and couldn't find them quickly while suiting up, so I left them. They WEREN'T required gear as implied in somebody's message. Last but not least, this was not a practice dive for any of my super deep trips-another Internet piece of garbage!! After waiting for 8 (eight) minutes at 50 ft using up my air, I went on alone. I never saw Diver1, but passed his reel line at 170 ft. I turned around (as I told Dave) at 277, again, 277 ft not 297 or 298 as I've seen in some of these messages. I passed the other two on the way up, but was unaware of any problem until hearing the boat start up. On surfacing, we three found that Diver2's wife had taken Diver1 to shore for help. Thus, we swam the short distance to shore and awaited another boat that she sent to pick us up. Now Diver1's story. Diver1 descended to 170 ft and clipped on his own line. But at 250 ft he became untangled. This was probably abortion time. However, he got untangled and kept on. He got entangled again at 308 ft. This time seriously. He had to cut himself lose and found himself out of sight of the slope. He made an ascent to first DECO stop at 120 and did 110 ,100, and then found himself in trouble. He was unable to deflate his dry suit after doing the 90 ft stop. He was practically out of bottom mix for his wings and his little 6 cu footer was empty. He was afraid if he pulled his neck seal he would therefore sink to 350. Why didn't he consider using his N32 to inflate the wings if he dropped?!? I don't know. It's easy to criticize at the dock. So he blew stops 80-10. And was paralyzed on hitting the surface. He was lucky to have survived. There is lots of room for discussion here, which I won't do now because of time. One final scene. On getting to shore the three of us were, of course, interviewed by many people. Including RoB Kinder whom Diver2 had to rescue from a face down in the water position a few years ago. Mr Kinder started an argument with me about Diver1 having violated SOP. I wanted to know what SOP, Whose SOP, and where did they get their authority. He even wanted to say that N50 had a PO2 over 1.6 at 70 (seventy) feet. Finally, he kept quiet and seemed more interested in giving a story to some reporters than consolidating the interviews from the three of us and verifying everything. Some quick conclusions. Remember hindsight is easy!! Diver1 was over task loaded for his experience level. Going to his deepest ever dive, carrying three extra tanks, laying line in a head down position in a cold, limited viz setting. You may criticize his judgement, but there is many a self appointed Rhadamanthus who is guilty of the same. I've seen more outrageous plans succeed. They let someone dive the DORIA a few years ago who only had 50 dives. I'm told a not- to- be-named organizer let a woman dive the Monitor a few years back right out of her open water class!!! I've got to get back to work. Best of success to all of you. K Clayton ----------------- End Forwarded Message ----------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn About Trimix at http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]