Today i dived a shallow 40m wreck off the coast of ireland with a group that i am not used to diving with,there was me (mod1) diver 2 (mod3) with lots of experience and diver3 set to do his mod 3 in a couple of weeks.the first thing that struck me was when diver 2+3 arrived at the harbour thismorning i was just finishing all my units checks pos/neg etc... the two divers just took their units out of their cars and put them into the boat with no checks whatsoever,anyway fastforwarding to the dive site i fired up my unit while stiil on the floor of the boat ran through the setup and then put the unit on my back,i then couldnt help notice that diver 2+3 put their units on without turning them on,then they proceded to kit up stages etc.. at this time diver 2 had turned his unit on and had started prebreathing as i was also prebreathing,all the time i had noticed that diver3 still hadnt turned his unit on,so eventualy with all his gear on even his mask he decides to turn his unit on only to be met with a cell warning (no dive) then he realised his dill cylinder was also totally empty.I have to say i was a bit uneasy about the way they went through the whole process,as i was taught to do a proper check before i put my gear on the boat,if a long ride to the dive site do another check,and never ever put a unit on your back if its turned off and never turn the unit off untill its off your back.just wondering if i am overreacting to all this???
kitting up!!!
- Thread starter markb
- Start date
matt
Well-Known Member
Not an over-reaction, I'd say. Sadly this is all too common. Personally I check my unit when I assemble - pos/neg/cells/cal etc. You may not see me do this as I may do it at home.
But if I travel I do it again - either at the car or better on the boat. Quicker set of tests - pos/neg and a cal.
I put mine on turned off - and turn on and follow the prompts. I turn off when seated. I'd never skip my pre-dive checks, no matter how hard you push me.
Matt.
But if I travel I do it again - either at the car or better on the boat. Quicker set of tests - pos/neg and a cal.
I put mine on turned off - and turn on and follow the prompts. I turn off when seated. I'd never skip my pre-dive checks, no matter how hard you push me.
Matt.
PeterN
Active Member
I am with Matt on this one.
My unit is quite different and I usually turn it on the night before. However I will not be rushed on my pre breathe. Also I have my list of things I check pre plunge and will start again if interupted.
Stick to your guns! Develop a good practice and enjoy your diving for a long time to come.
There is nothing cool about getting the chop diving.
Peter
My unit is quite different and I usually turn it on the night before. However I will not be rushed on my pre breathe. Also I have my list of things I check pre plunge and will start again if interupted.
Stick to your guns! Develop a good practice and enjoy your diving for a long time to come.
There is nothing cool about getting the chop diving.
Peter
Iain3
Big Member
I'll often rock upto a divesite, load gear on the boat, chatter, banter, stick the gear on and pre-breathe without doing checks. The reason is I prepare all my gear the night before, pos, neg etc. I'll usually calibrate it on the morning, but before I set off, or in the carpark before I load up on the boat.
Two reasons for this, there are a dozen problems I have tools and time to fix the night before but not on the boat, and I get pretty seasick if I have to concentrate on things on a rocking boat.
To see someone with a different routine to you is not a bad thing, and cell failures can happen to anyone at anytime. To see someone rock up with empty cylinders is an indication that they may have been an idiot, not filling it or leaving it open so it emptied itself. In this case too many things all going wrong indicates they probably were a bit of a f*uckwit.
Just to add, I do do other checks with my pre-breathe, that all manual adds and drysuit are plugged in for example, testing the BOV, etc, but nothing too physical like pos/neg, or programming gasses into computers. For me they are already checked and I'd rather minimise the risk of me vomiting through the loop.
Two reasons for this, there are a dozen problems I have tools and time to fix the night before but not on the boat, and I get pretty seasick if I have to concentrate on things on a rocking boat.
To see someone with a different routine to you is not a bad thing, and cell failures can happen to anyone at anytime. To see someone rock up with empty cylinders is an indication that they may have been an idiot, not filling it or leaving it open so it emptied itself. In this case too many things all going wrong indicates they probably were a bit of a f*uckwit.
Just to add, I do do other checks with my pre-breathe, that all manual adds and drysuit are plugged in for example, testing the BOV, etc, but nothing too physical like pos/neg, or programming gasses into computers. For me they are already checked and I'd rather minimise the risk of me vomiting through the loop.
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Clare
Retired - going diving
Erm - who said I can't?
Doing checks at home doesn't preclude you from fixing stuff which appears later you know. My point was if nothing appears later then it may appear that you are doing very few checks.
Really not sure what your point is. I rebuilt two regs and a Gavin back end at the side of the water before one dive last year. It's not a lack of skill or commitment to do stuff in your workshop where you can.
Doing checks at home doesn't preclude you from fixing stuff which appears later you know. My point was if nothing appears later then it may appear that you are doing very few checks.
Really not sure what your point is. I rebuilt two regs and a Gavin back end at the side of the water before one dive last year. It's not a lack of skill or commitment to do stuff in your workshop where you can.
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Iain3
Big Member
I'm guessing a post got deleted from this space...I didn't know we could delete our posts.
I also do all my checks the night before or when I put together my unit. I'll typically put my unit together the day after I've last dived when it's all dry. If it's a few days before I dive I'll do tests the night before, but pre dive Ill check voltages, calibrate and pre-breath.
But turning up with an empty cylinder...well that just smells of not checking things!
But turning up with an empty cylinder...well that just smells of not checking things!
matt
Well-Known Member
Who indeed....
Iain3
Big Member
I have seen someone check a cylinder by opening the valve to check the pressure, chuck it in the boot without closing it again, and the cylinder purged itself dry as the reg was leaning against something.
erikradstrom
Deep Pursuit 001
I have managed to do that. Didn´t close the valve all the way and it was empty when I came out on the wreck.
But I don´t see why you should abort a dive because of that. I hope the person has bailout tanks with appropriate gases so he/she can use manual injection during the dive
Clare
Retired - going diving
Sorry guys. Yes one of our members posted and then deleted the post. It 's damn annoying as it makes subsequent discussion hard to follow.
The fact that someone calls you on a post doesn't mean you have to pretend it didn't happen.
I could reinstate it - but that is abuse of mod powers.
The fact that someone calls you on a post doesn't mean you have to pretend it didn't happen.
I could reinstate it - but that is abuse of mod powers.
Another who checks everything the night before, I will do a quick +- test in the boot of the car before loading on the boat but I am normally at the car park at least half hour before load time. Mind you people still look dubious when i start banging the revo dream to turn it on !!!:banana1:
Mr fish
Active Member
I just do the same as i did when i was diving oc , ( all in good time )
check everything the night before, . then set it up on the boat ,, turn off ,
when its dive time turn it on , pre breath as im putting fins and gloves on
give the buttons a push ,, , watch the numbers and hay ho ,,
check everything the night before, . then set it up on the boat ,, turn off ,
when its dive time turn it on , pre breath as im putting fins and gloves on
give the buttons a push ,, , watch the numbers and hay ho ,,
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matt
Well-Known Member
Sorry guys. Yes one of our members posted and then deleted the post. It 's damn annoying as it makes subsequent discussion hard to follow.
The fact that someone calls you on a post doesn't mean you have to pretend it didn't happen.
I could reinstate it - but that is abuse of mod powers.
Quote it next time
Janos
"Two sheds"
I check at home the night before when assembling my kit. Quick neg before I chuck it in the car. Another quick check when it goes on the boat, and another check before I dive.
And I will often check that my O2 is off (MCCR) as I worry about forgetting that one.
Paranoid? Well, you'd be paranoid too if your rebreather was trying to kill you!
Janos
And I will often check that my O2 is off (MCCR) as I worry about forgetting that one.
Paranoid? Well, you'd be paranoid too if your rebreather was trying to kill you!
Janos
DSix36
Well-Known Member
I have seen several different levels of prep once on board the boat. some divers will do a complete check of there RB, others will do a much less thorough check, and some will do the bare minimum.
Pre-dive checks seem to be the same way. Many different methods are used with different amounts of checks.
I am probably in the crowd that does the least checks. I assemble and get everything calibrated, checked, and sorted in my garage. After I transport and put on the boat, I will pull a negative just to verify that nothing happened in the moving of my unit. Once I put my RB on, I use a checklist on the side of my computer for my pre-dive checks.
My primary concern when getting geared up is to not let myself get rushed or feel like I am being rushed. I WILL NOT jump in unless I am 100% confident in my unit and myself.
Pre-dive checks seem to be the same way. Many different methods are used with different amounts of checks.
I am probably in the crowd that does the least checks. I assemble and get everything calibrated, checked, and sorted in my garage. After I transport and put on the boat, I will pull a negative just to verify that nothing happened in the moving of my unit. Once I put my RB on, I use a checklist on the side of my computer for my pre-dive checks.
My primary concern when getting geared up is to not let myself get rushed or feel like I am being rushed. I WILL NOT jump in unless I am 100% confident in my unit and myself.
Iain3
Big Member
I agree, take your time and do your usual prep at your comfortable pace. I always suck through the ADV before I go, after jumping in with the ADV shut shortly after MOD1 and getting into a bit of a flap.
Once I sucked and sucked and couldn't set-it off, turns out I had opened the head to change batteries and the end of a cable tie got in the gap when closing and stopped it sealing. I saved myself a full loop flood and was in the water 10 minutes later. A Neg after I closed the loop would have picked that up so I learned a valuable lesson from that too. If you compromise a passed test, re-test.