Real diving mishaps please

[MNDiver]

ArcFlash,

Great thread.  It is refreshing to see an actual dive discussion on the dive board.    Your original post asked for real life experience running out of air and experiences when giving the OOA sign, so here goes.   :

A few years back I was diving in the Gulf of Mexico on a live aboard.  I was traveling alone and as luck would have it I was paired up another instructor. Before our first dive we took a few minutes to go over dive procedures, signals, each other’s gear and discussed each others pet peeves.  The diving was around 70’ to 110’ depending on our location with 100+ vis.  There were many currents at different depths and the water was cold by TX standards.  After the first dive we both decided to dive dry.   

On the second dive of the second day, as planned, we ascended from a 90’ dive with my buddy ahead of me on the mooring line.  With a bit over 1000 psi remaining, at about 30 feet or so, I heard a loud pop from behind me.  I had no idea what it was but after my next breath the hoses on my reg had noticeably less tension and I could not get a breath.  My safe second was just as dead.  I swam to my buddy who was about 30’ ahead of me moving towards a safety stop/camera drop line.   As I approached I gave the OOA sign.  My buddy kind of looked at me in disbelief with a bit of “are you messing with me” in his eyes.   I guessed that I must not have looked panicked enough so I spit out my reg, assumed a bug eyed look and gave the OOA sign again.  Quickly he covered the distance between us and using the procedures we discussed earlier, donated his safe second.  We went to the regulators hanging 20’ below the boat, finished our stop, and then he and I again shared air to the surface.   All in all it was no big deal.  The divers both in front of us and behind us on the line said they thought we were practicing because it looked so smooth.  I think it went smoothly because he and I had just rehearsed together and both of us had regularly taught the skill as active instructors.   

So to SmithDiving’s point, practice does pay off, it is necessary, and it is really easy to overlook.  My buddy and I later joked that if we had not taught for different agencies we may not have been so diligent in discussing and rehearsing the OOA procedures.  When diving with a new buddy, I insist that we discuss and rehearse on land the OOA procedure, and discuss communication and gear configuration.   

And for those that will ask.  There is nothing I am aware of I could have done with or to the reg to prevent this failure.  As noted in another post, the reg was basically possessed.  Most modern regs are designed to “fail open.” This one failed closed.  The reg was in good shape, regularly serviced, and the mfg could not replicate the incident even with a print out of the previous several dive profiles.  They ended up giving me a new reg for my own piece of mind. 

[LKunze]

I agree, practicing OOA drills is often overlooked and really should be rehearsed.  Particularly for divers that have not buddied up on dives before or who have their gear configured different from one another.  I have noticed at numerous dive outings and dive shop events that many of the divers are pretty new to the sport.  We've all been there.  Many also do not dive real often or may not have regular dive buddies to dive with that they are familiar with.  Practicing an air share at the start of the dive after dropping down to 15 feet or so would be very beneficial.  Most of my dives are done with a handful of divers that I have done dives with several times before so we are prepared for doing air shares.  On occasion I dive with someone new to me.  In those situations I always go over the air share plan up front to make sure we are on the same page before starting the dive.