A long day drifting in a rough sea!

cedricverdier · 3rd September 2006, 23:40

Hi all,

Just to share an unpleasant experience that happened to me a couple of weeks ago:

It was supposed to be a dive with no problem. One the Trimix dives you really enjoy doing. At least it was what I thought. A few hours later, I knew I was wrong.

Thailand, August 2006. Everything is prepared for a Trimix dive near Pattaya. The weather is not perfect but nothing bad, and the two Open Circuit Trimix divers I dive with don’t find anything to worry about during their dive planning. I just trained them as Instructor Trainers and they both come from Hong Kong where the conditions could be similar. A little bit of wind, small waves at the surface and some clouds in the sky. That’s it.

The small boat that brings us is handled by a very experienced Thai captain and his sailor. They daily deal with technical divers and know the procedures and the area since many years.
And as a matter of fact, the dive runs smoothly as we explore the bottom. There is a mild current on the bottom, mainly due to the tide, but the captain is aware of that and he knows that if we can’t come back to the boat, he will have to follow us during our drift deco.

After 20 minutes on the bottom, we decide to ascend, everything being exactly according to the plan. Both my OC divers send their SMB very soon during the ascent and I stay close to them. Unfortunately one of them gets his reel jammed but we manage to pull the SMB back down. We’ll have time later to un-jam it. Time to sort out the all thing and we’re now almost 35 minutes into the dive. I have the feeling that we drift quite fast and I decide to also send my SMB to make sure that the boat follows us.
75 minutes Run-Time and it’s time to surface now. We slowly ascend the last few metres to discover that the sea is quite rough now. We also understand that we drifted quite far from the island we dived on. And we can’t see anything that looks like a boat...

Sorry but it looks like this story is too long for a thread, so read the complete article in the library

http://www.rebreatherworld.com/gener...html#post65264

Cheers

***ScubaDadMiami*** · 3rd September 2006, 23:57

What a story! Glad you made it.

It is a tough call to decide whether to swim for it or to stay with the group. I guess it depends on what you think the chances are for a boat to come by.

At the very least, I would include some rescue water in your kit. I carry 16 ounces with me.

LukeN · 4th September 2006, 00:26

Pains Wessex makea little double ended flare that comes with a optional waterproof container rated to 150m. I have had the flare(comes oring sealed at the ends) without the container down to 90+ a number of times and it still looks like it will work

Mixaddict · 4th September 2006, 01:08

Wow, what an amazing experience! Cedric, glad you and your crew made it back alright! It must have been a very difficult decision to leave the rest of your group. Glad you were in good enough shape to be able to swim that distance.

Drmike · 4th September 2006, 02:21

Quote:

standing with my diving equipment like an alien. I smell fish, look exhausted, cannot walk properly

No change there then

Jeez Cedric - not a good day out. I can only assume you paid the boat captain in advance

They tend to do a better job of keeping an eye on the divers that still owe them money

Glad you made it - your a good man to have around when the sh1t hits the fan. Solid diver.

kiwidiver · 4th September 2006, 04:59

we had a guy here this year do 75 hours in 15 degrees celsius water in a wetsuit eating raw crayfish and kina(spiny sea urchin type thing that taste disgusting) before he was found alive.

silent running · 4th September 2006, 04:59

Wow cedric, that must have sucked, glad it turned out OK. Thanks for the post. I do most of my diving in remote areas and I worry a lot about situations like this. Fortunately, I dive mostly with the same crews and they are very vigilant and familiar with my habits. I've never been lost for more than 45 minutes, which was long enough.

It seems like the only easy, good solution right now is a watertight flare kit, been thinking about getting one. But it would be great if somebody could come up with a beacon that could transmit GPS coordinates to a receiver on the boat... probably be way expensive.

rogeringebo · 4th September 2006, 06:58

Wow....what a story...sound more like something that would happen to Dr Mike

...Glad to hear that you are allright......had simular problems with Thai captains but not this bad of course......
I think that OMS sells great emergency-kits with flares,mirrors,dye (ink) and even some food package..
I will surely use at least 2 really long surfacemarkers in the future...

Take care..
/Rodge

Dutchy · 4th September 2006, 07:29

Quote: (Originally Posted by silent running)

But it would be great if somebody could come up with a beacon that could transmit GPS coordinates to a receiver on the boat... probably be way expensive.

Great idea and i must say it allready exists just in another form. HAM-radio amatears have a system called ACARS (WACARS being the Civil Aviation variant)
For them it's used to plot a map with all mobile ham-radio amateurs. For us plotting coordinates (whether just coordinated or a map) of all SURFACED divers could be done. Theoretically the same radio could be used to speak to each other but what use would that be if you don't see each other?
The remaining problem wouldn't even be miniturising it. (Some made stuff smaller than a pack of cigurettes. The problem would be making things 100+ meter proof.
In it's simplest form 1 or more divers would have a transmitter and the captain would have a receiver + laptop. A better set would consist of exactly 1 transmitter and 1 receiver tied to electronics DIRECTLY feeding a handheld GPS with coordinates (so no datum mismatch

) and making it point to the diver. (Using the arrow and distace mode)...
This would typically work until the horizon. If you tie a tranmitter (or just antenna) to an SMB and the boat has it on a pole then some 20km on open sea should easily be bridged. It would be no epirb replacement for sure but could be a good supplement.
I could set up a non watertight demo in the Netherlandsto demonstrate but there's prolly a ham radio club in your vicinity if you're interested. Anyone interested in exploring yet another small niche in the life saving market?

Oh and uh good job getting back the three of you. Yet anoter good story to tell your grandchildren once you're to old and weak to dive....

silent running · 4th September 2006, 07:47

Oh, and another thing, my 2 favorite Captains require that one of the crew have OC gear and jump in the water for a minute to figure out which way, if any, the current is running. Not fool proof, but this way they'll have more info about the conditions than if they just watched the waves and wind. I don't think it's too much to ask and it also helps with the descent/dive plan as it's always good to know about any strong current which will require everybody to get in as much as a group/together as possible and do a fast descent to avoid anybody being blown off the site...

3rd September 2006, 23:40	#1 (permalink)
cedricverdier S21 M.I.B. Current Rebreather/s: Evolution Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Inspiration Classic Inspiration Vision Sport Kiss Classic Kiss Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Worldwide! Posts: 497	A long day drifting in a rough sea! Hi all, Just to share an unpleasant experience that happened to me a couple of weeks ago: It was supposed to be a dive with no problem. One the Trimix dives you really enjoy doing. At least it was what I thought. A few hours later, I knew I was wrong. Thailand, August 2006. Everything is prepared for a Trimix dive near Pattaya. The weather is not perfect but nothing bad, and the two Open Circuit Trimix divers I dive with don’t find anything to worry about during their dive planning. I just trained them as Instructor Trainers and they both come from Hong Kong where the conditions could be similar. A little bit of wind, small waves at the surface and some clouds in the sky. That’s it. The small boat that brings us is handled by a very experienced Thai captain and his sailor. They daily deal with technical divers and know the procedures and the area since many years. And as a matter of fact, the dive runs smoothly as we explore the bottom. There is a mild current on the bottom, mainly due to the tide, but the captain is aware of that and he knows that if we can’t come back to the boat, he will have to follow us during our drift deco. After 20 minutes on the bottom, we decide to ascend, everything being exactly according to the plan. Both my OC divers send their SMB very soon during the ascent and I stay close to them. Unfortunately one of them gets his reel jammed but we manage to pull the SMB back down. We’ll have time later to un-jam it. Time to sort out the all thing and we’re now almost 35 minutes into the dive. I have the feeling that we drift quite fast and I decide to also send my SMB to make sure that the boat follows us. 75 minutes Run-Time and it’s time to surface now. We slowly ascend the last few metres to discover that the sea is quite rough now. We also understand that we drifted quite far from the island we dived on. And we can’t see anything that looks like a boat... Sorry but it looks like this story is too long for a thread, so read the complete article in the library http://www.rebreatherworld.com/gener...html#post65264 Cheers __________________ Cedric Verdier PADI Course Director, ANDI-IANTD-PSAI-TDI-DSAT-DAN-NAUI-CMAS Instructor Trainer Trimix (CCR and OC) and Cave Diving Instructor Trainer www.CedricVerdier.com DIRrebreather member
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3rd September 2006, 23:57	#2 (permalink)
*ScubaDadMiami* Moderator Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 2,138	Re: A long drifting day What a story! Glad you made it. It is a tough call to decide whether to swim for it or to stay with the group. I guess it depends on what you think the chances are for a boat to come by. At the very least, I would include some rescue water in your kit. I carry 16 ounces with me. __________________ Howard Packer IANTD CCR Instructor Miami Beach, Florida CCRDiveTraining.com
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4th September 2006, 00:26	#3 (permalink)
LukeN New Member Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Prism Topaz Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Australia,West Aus Posts: 84	Re: A long drifting day Pains Wessex makea little double ended flare that comes with a optional waterproof container rated to 150m. I have had the flare(comes oring sealed at the ends) without the container down to 90+ a number of times and it still looks like it will work __________________ Luke Nelson www.imagedive.com.au
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4th September 2006, 01:08	#4 (permalink)
Mixaddict Always Learning! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Evolution Other CCR Dolphin Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Dolphin Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Draper, Utah USA Posts: 474	Re: A long drifting day Wow, what an amazing experience! Cedric, glad you and your crew made it back alright! It must have been a very difficult decision to leave the rest of your group. Glad you were in good enough shape to be able to swim that distance. __________________ Randy Thornton (MixAddict) Inspiration, Evolution,Hammerhead & Sentinel CCR Instructor
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4th September 2006, 02:21	#5 (permalink)
Drmike Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Ouroboros Other CCR Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Home Build Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,301	Re: A long drifting day Quote: standing with my diving equipment like an alien. I smell fish, look exhausted, cannot walk properly No change there then Jeez Cedric - not a good day out. I can only assume you paid the boat captain in advance They tend to do a better job of keeping an eye on the divers that still owe them money Glad you made it - your a good man to have around when the sh1t hits the fan. Solid diver. __________________ Cave diving is a sport Wreck diving is a sport Diving in general is a sport 'Rebreather diving' is not a sport its the delusional obsession with a highly dangerous and often inappropriate piece of equipment
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4th September 2006, 04:59	#6 (permalink)
kiwidiver Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Inspiration Vision Azimuth Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Azimuth Home Build Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: new zealand Posts: 136	Re: A long drifting day we had a guy here this year do 75 hours in 15 degrees celsius water in a wetsuit eating raw crayfish and kina(spiny sea urchin type thing that taste disgusting) before he was found alive.
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4th September 2006, 04:59	#7 (permalink)
silent running Mature mouth breather Current Rebreather/s: Prism Topaz Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: U.S.A. Brooklyn, New York Posts: 1,836	Re: A long drifting day Wow cedric, that must have sucked, glad it turned out OK. Thanks for the post. I do most of my diving in remote areas and I worry a lot about situations like this. Fortunately, I dive mostly with the same crews and they are very vigilant and familiar with my habits. I've never been lost for more than 45 minutes, which was long enough. It seems like the only easy, good solution right now is a watertight flare kit, been thinking about getting one. But it would be great if somebody could come up with a beacon that could transmit GPS coordinates to a receiver on the boat... probably be way expensive.
(Offline)

4th September 2006, 06:58	#8 (permalink)
rogeringebo Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: Pelagian Other Rebreather/s: Megalodon Classic Kiss Pelagian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Stockholm Sweden Posts: 700	Re: A long drifting day Wow....what a story...sound more like something that would happen to Dr Mike ...Glad to hear that you are allright......had simular problems with Thai captains but not this bad of course...... I think that OMS sells great emergency-kits with flares,mirrors,dye (ink) and even some food package.. I will surely use at least 2 really long surfacemarkers in the future... Take care.. /Rodge
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4th September 2006, 07:29	#9 (permalink)
Dutchy Rene Warries Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Nieuwegein (The Netherlands) Posts: 763	Re: A long drifting day Quote: (Originally Posted by silent running) But it would be great if somebody could come up with a beacon that could transmit GPS coordinates to a receiver on the boat... probably be way expensive. Great idea and i must say it allready exists just in another form. HAM-radio amatears have a system called ACARS (WACARS being the Civil Aviation variant) For them it's used to plot a map with all mobile ham-radio amateurs. For us plotting coordinates (whether just coordinated or a map) of all SURFACED divers could be done. Theoretically the same radio could be used to speak to each other but what use would that be if you don't see each other? The remaining problem wouldn't even be miniturising it. (Some made stuff smaller than a pack of cigurettes. The problem would be making things 100+ meter proof. In it's simplest form 1 or more divers would have a transmitter and the captain would have a receiver + laptop. A better set would consist of exactly 1 transmitter and 1 receiver tied to electronics DIRECTLY feeding a handheld GPS with coordinates (so no datum mismatch ) and making it point to the diver. (Using the arrow and distace mode)... This would typically work until the horizon. If you tie a tranmitter (or just antenna) to an SMB and the boat has it on a pole then some 20km on open sea should easily be bridged. It would be no epirb replacement for sure but could be a good supplement. I could set up a non watertight demo in the Netherlandsto demonstrate but there's prolly a ham radio club in your vicinity if you're interested. Anyone interested in exploring yet another small niche in the life saving market? Oh and uh good job getting back the three of you. Yet anoter good story to tell your grandchildren once you're to old and weak to dive.... __________________ = This post is environmentally friendly. It is composed of 100% recycled electrons only. = Last edited by Dutchy : 4th September 2006 at 08:56. Reason: Forgot the most important part.....concratulations on writing yet another exciting story :))
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4th September 2006, 07:47	#10 (permalink)
silent running Mature mouth breather Current Rebreather/s: Prism Topaz Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: U.S.A. Brooklyn, New York Posts: 1,836	Re: A long day drifting in a rough sea! Oh, and another thing, my 2 favorite Captains require that one of the crew have OC gear and jump in the water for a minute to figure out which way, if any, the current is running. Not fool proof, but this way they'll have more info about the conditions than if they just watched the waves and wind. I don't think it's too much to ask and it also helps with the descent/dive plan as it's always good to know about any strong current which will require everybody to get in as much as a group/together as possible and do a fast descent to avoid anybody being blown off the site...
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