Bottom Breathers Dive Club meeting 4-Dec-2015

1. Bottom Breathers Dive Club
Meeting: 4-Dec-2015
Today's topics: Currents,
Life Lessons reviews

2. Upcoming Events
• Next meeting – February 5, 2016 (No Jan mtg)
• Annual Club Party – Jan 30, 2016

3. *2016* Events
• Annual Club Party – Jan 30
• Our World Underwater – Feb 26-28
• Bonne Terre Mine Trip – Mar 11-13
• Pizza Party – Apr 23
• Florida Keys Wreck Trek Trip (?) – June 13-15
• Our "usual" Florida Keys Trip – June 16-20
• Turks & Caicos Liveaboard – July 23-30

4. *2016* Events
• Monthly Club meeting – Aug 12 (not first
Friday)
• Club BBQ – Aug 13
• Mermet Springs Trip – Sep 9-11
• Underwater Pumpkin Carving – Oct 8
• Pizza Party – Nov 12

5. Currents
• Rip currents are strong, narrow currents found
near beaches
• Downwelling currents run from top to bottom
toward deeper water
• Upwelling currents run up from deep to
shallow water
• Surface currents are mainly wind-driven
• Deep currents are mainly density (temp)
driven

6. Diving in Currents
• Rip currents
– swim across to escape
• Downwelling
– Inflate BCD to counter descent, swim horizontal
– Be ready to dump BCD after current dissipates
• Upwelling
– Deflate BCD, kick down, fan out

7. Diving in Currents
• Surface currents
– Are you diving?  If no, maybe start diving? 
– Grab rope or tag line, abort if uncomfortable
– Keep regulator in!
• Deep (or "deep") water currents
– Seek shelter (i.e. if on a wreck, stay leeward)
– Check navigation - where is the boat/ascent line?
– Safety stop still possible while drifting

8. Diving in Currents
• General Tips
– Watch soft corals, fish, jellies, for clues on
currents, especially on descent/ascent
– Always start your dive in the correct direction…
• INTO the current! (why?)
– Consider artificial currents, like intake pipes
– Stay alert--currents can come any time, any place
and can be unpredictable

9. Currents
• References:
– Types of Currents -
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/dc/types-
currents/
– GLCID -
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/dcd/dcdsearc
h.php
– www.dangerouscurrents.org

10. Lessons for Life #1
• Diver: Wendy, good health, couple years
experience, fears sharks. Warm, clear water, good
conditions
• Dive: at about 40 feet, reef shark appeared 20
feet away and a few feet below
• Incident: Wendy panicked, bolted to surface,
about 30 feet from the boat, no mask, reg out,
flailing.
• Crew reached her as she was semi-conscious,
provided O2, she recovered fully after hyperbaric
treatments

11. Lessons for Life #1
• Lessons:
– Ascend slowly and never hold your breath
– Stop, think, breathe, act
– Learn about animals (sharks). Most pose little
threat to divers
– Ensure you discuss your fears with your buddy
BEFORE you start the dive
• Reference: http://www.scubadiving.com/lessons-life-nothing-fear-
fear-itself

12. Lessons for Life #2
• Divers: Ann & Bill - new divers, ~15 dives each, good
health. Local quarry dive (where they trained)
• Dive: Planned descent on a line to 60' platform, then
swim shallower back to shore
• Incident: After descent, Bill had problems with his
weight belt, Ann tried to help. Bill knocked her
regulator out, then when trying to recover it, dropped
his weight belt and ascended, couldn't descend.
• Ann was found 15 minutes later, unconscious and later
died.

13. Lessons for Life #2
• Analysis:
– "Equipment failure has never directly caused a
diver fatality. Instead, the diver's response to the
problem caused the pathology."
– Panic likely contributed to inability to recover the
regulator (a basic skill) and failure to make an
emergency ascent (a basic skill)
– Rented gear requires more familiarization, for
each buddy

14. Lessons for Life #2
• Lessons:
– Practice emergency skills regularly, especially
regulator recovery and mask removal and
replacement
– Be familiar with your equipment and your buddy's
equipment, especially when renting: BWRAF
– Stop, think, breathe, act. It could save your life.
• Reference: http://www.scubadiving.com/lessons-life-minor-issues-
major-consequences

15. Upcoming Events
• Next meeting – February 5, 2016 (No Jan mtg)
• Annual Club Party – Jan 30, 2016