Dive on Spiegel Grove wreck off Key Largo turns deadly for 3

[MichaelB]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/lo...lydive,0,52143.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Just a reminder to all to pleae be careful.

MichaelB

 

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[Skimmer]

A horrible tragedy. Please y'all, be so careful. Remember always, we're guests in the underwater realm, not locals. Don't get complacent, or so wrapped up in the minute to minute stuff going on around you that you forget WHERE YOU ARE!
God willing, we don't EVER want somthing like this getting posted about our community of divers.

 

[boone]

Any response on what went wrong? Three advanaced divers know the rule of 1/3rd in 2/3rd out! were these divers on tanks or lines?
I'll never forget my first cave dive. In late 1988, I took a dive trip with my local instructor to florida to do a week long cave dive and ocean dive vacation. Our first dive of the trip landed us at cow springs. As we suited up, another dive team was exiting the water. We were informed to keep an eye out for three divers that drown, a few days earlier. My first cave dive turned into an intense filled excursion. Every nook and cranny of the cave was now filled with fear, instead of exploration and enjoyment. Safety first, was driven home hard.

 

[mad4wrecks]

it appears they made numerous mistakes in judgement.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s070318.html

 

[boone]

I understand now. The three divers that passed on my first cave dive did not use the correct lead lines. I always wondered why cave divers used grey tape strapped around their fin buckles. The deceased divers used a cheap cotton kite string as a lead rope, the last diver of the group mistakenly hooked the line with his fin buckle and snapped it. simple mistakes can lead to tragedy. Never comprimise on your gear and never over estimate your ability!

 

[Narked1]

Tragic story, this. I think we can all learn from this as well. Yes, we wreckdivers know all of the rules for safe diving, but this drives home the "why" of those safety procedures. This tragedy should serve as a reminder to all of us that penetration dives require a lot more planning and preparation. It should also remind us all that, as has been previously stated, don't over-estimate your abilities. I've done 5 penetration dives on WWII wrecks here in Egypt over the past three weeks. Thought I was doing everything right. After reading this story I've gone back to the books and found that I had done most things right, but could've done some things "righter" and safer.

I've also learned something from the other posters here. Not being a cave diver, I didn't know about the duct tape on the fin straps. Makes a heck-u-va lot of sense. Will now incorporate that into my dive preps for penetration dives.

Mike

 

[CobLover]

I'm no diver but it sounds like this was a case of overconfidence. They were so good at what they did that they thought they could violate the rules and get by with it.

Personally, I don't see why anyone would want to risk his life diving a rusty old Naval ship sunk only a few years ago. But again, I'm no diver and don't understand how you people think.

I guess I think mainly treasure. If there's the chance of real treasure, now I can see taking some risks.

Anyway, just my ramblings.

Cob

 

[CapnJuan]

Well I guess we have all heard "Plan your dive and dive your plan" so often that sometimes some of us forget that this is a simple way of saying that you need to do some very complicated things prior to making even a recreational dive.

Based on where they were in the ship it would appear that they were pushing their limits and this requires some very special preperations.

Part of plannning my dive is:

Determine if there are any fellow divers who are having any kinds of physical or mental issues prior to a dive. The guy who is just divorced and having panic attacks is not the guy you need to be diving with (I actually had this happen).

Verify all equipment is in proper working order. I don't depend on someone else telling me I am O.K.. If I don't have all the equipment required for the dive then I either get it or I don't go. I don't "Make due".

If someone else is supposed to be planning the dive and I have questions or don't feel comfortable with the plan then I discuss it with them until I either feel comfortable or I don't dive. The plan should always include the 1/3's rule and have plans for emergencies (that is the reason for the 1/3's rule). If it's beyond my ability I don't go.

Once the dive has started I watch for anything that might trash the dive plan and try to insure we stay within the plan. If the worse happens I remember that panicing never solved a problem and the answer should never be to "cork it to the top" unless you want your next trip to be in a hearse.

At the end of the dive I spend a little time looking at anything that happened that not necessarily got me out of the dive plan but could have and try to come up with a better way to do it.

I know that sounds like a lot of work but being at 80 feet and tangled in 120 pound test strength fishing line is no time to find you left you scissors and knife at home and you only have 60 punds of air left.

BTW: I recanted what I do off the top of my head, not using my dive plan guide so I am sure I missed a few important things. I would also like to hear how others plan their dives. We might all learn to be safer divers from each other.

 

[ScottyLee]

This was posted on a diver forum.

Latest news is 4 divers from NJ planned a penetration dive into the lower
bowels of the SG off a traditionally recreational charter boat (Scuba Do).
They utilized single AL80's as backgas and one (or more) additional bottles
staged (either inside, or close to their penetration point.)

They did not use a continuous guideline, rather one (or more) strobe lights.
They went below the main decks, and then ventured some 75-90' horizontal and
got disoriented by a silt/rust-out.
Most (All...?) divers had education/experience, one was a mix instructor.
(So this isn't really a case of someone not knowing better going someplace
they shouldn't)
One diver managed to get out by touch/feel.