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S
ometimes a story isn’t one grand adventure
but rather a series of smaller experiences along
the journey. I don’t have any harrowing tales
of how DAN
®
saved my life, but I have several
stories about how my training and a constant review
of the safe-diving techniques presented in Alert Diver
have contributed to many good decisions. It’s made the
difference on a number of dives.
IdentIfyIng a need
I have always had a general awareness of the importance of
making good decisions, but the first time I really considered
the ramifications while diving was one morning at Lake
Pleasant in Arizona. The reservoir is good for training because
the water is cold below 30 feet, and visibility is seldom better
than about 20 feet. That morning my regular dive buddy, Curt,
and I were joined by a third diver neither of us had met before.
This guy had all the best gear, including a full face mask with
an integrated regulator. I figured he must be a pretty high-end
tech diver. I donned my $50, former-rental-fleet wetsuit, feeling
a little envious of all that great gear.
The plan was to follow the old road down to 85 feet,
check out the submerged statue, and then leave the road to
descend to a maximum depth of 100 feet. We planned to
turn back at 1,250 psi and ascend slowly along the road to a
safety stop at the dive buoy.
Everything went well until we hit 100 feet. At that point I
began to feel uncomfortable but didn’t know why. I signaled to
Curt, who gave me the OK sign, and then I looked at the other
guy; he appeared to be pretty anxious. I immediately signaled
for everyone to ascend to 65 feet and hold there.
At 70 feet the third diver showed me he was low on air and
then panicked and started kicking hard toward the shoreline.
In that instant I had a decision to make: wait for Curt, who was
slowly ascending, or try to help the other guy. The question
that flashed into my mind was: “Who might die without a
buddy?” I took off after the other guy and grabbed his BCD
with my right hand while holding onto my gauges with my left.
I knew I needed to help him without endangering myself.
The rough idea was to slow him down, maintain a good
compass heading and control our ascent. It was clear the diver
needed encouragement to slow his ascent, and I wanted to be
available in case he needed air. He finally relaxed when he saw
sunlight through the water at about 25 feet, and we surfaced
safely at the buoy a few minutes later. Curt broke the surface
shortly thereafter, wondering where we had gone but not
panicked as we had standing separation protocols. It was not a
pretty dive, but no one got hurt.
In retrospect, we made good decisions when the emergency
presented itself. Now, though, I make sure I get a thorough
understanding of the skills of any new diver when we make our
dive plan. Don’t make assumptions on skill or comfort levels
based on gear you see; have the discussion.
Dive Decisions
How training and
skills can prevent
emergencies
48
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SPRING 2012
RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
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S K I L L S I N A C T I O N
Have you put your skills into
action? Tell us about it! Email
your story to letters@dan.org.
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StORy
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