From: <Wrolf.Courtney@donovandata.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 10:03:33 -0400
Subject: Freediver brings gas (Was Re: isolation valve == hogarthian ??
andrew@cet.co.jp wrote: >So, my question remains. Does diving an isolation manifold over independent doubles _actually_ increase my chances >off survival? If the answer is yes, then the isolation manifold would be hogarthian. If the answer is no, then >despite all its advantages, a manifold would not be hogarthian. > >NOTE: I am not disputing whether or not an isolation manifold should be used. The answer to that is clear. My >question/dispute is whether it is hogarthian.
OK Andrew, I'll bite. And Tony gets his story too...
So there we were on a Saturday off diving on the John Jack. The day had been designated a crew day, but Zero let me come along. For these days the idea is generally to find new wrecks, so the procedure is to throw in a lead weight with a buoy right on the target. One guy checks it out - if it is worth diving, then he ties in, and we can all get in.
First dive was great - an apparently unknown or at least very little known site. Great dive, 140', good vis, everything goes well, although for me my computer (a Suunto Solution) refuses to get out of LOG mode. Yes I have a table dive plan, and I wind up completing it. The Suunto turns out to have been working the whole time, just refusing to display...
Currently I am diving with:
Zero also has O2 to throw over the side, but we really do not have any way to transfer from the buoy to hang under the boat, so it is moot.
Environment is typical North East wreck diving, running out of Staten Island, off the New Jersey coast.
A loooooong time later, I get my second dive. It was 6:15pm when we threw the lead in, and I go in. 180', destination adventure!
Down at the bottom, it is so silty I wonder whether Zero got the lead inside a hold. It is *very* dark, and really no vis. I clip the penetration reel to the chain, try to make my way around a bit.
I meet Mr. Lobster. I get my hand on him, and then I think to myself - gee, remember when Gary Gentile said not to take lobsters inside wrecks? I would need both hands to get him in the bag - do I want to drop my reel? So I put him down... whereupon he wants to fight!
Which of course kicks up silt.
I go around him, swim a little further, and decide maybe it is time to cross back to the anchor line. No wreck so far.
Back at the anchor line, I realize that I have used up my air much faster than usual (what a surprise!). My first tank is nearly dry. I kneel on the bottom, with the up line right in front of me, and switch regs. My light is tied to me, I have the reel in my left hand, spit out the Mares, start putting in the Oceanic, when I start coughing.
I drop the reel.
I can't see the line in the silt. Vis is literally zero.
I reach for the line - no dice.
I scrabble around - bring up some wood chips. I can only see it when I press it against my mask. Well, at least I know there is a wreck.
I have nothing to tie onto, no upline, can't even see my gauges, have half my air gone and lost redundancy, and I am out of time. I am appropriately concerned, but that is a good thing.
I have to decide between free ascent, and blowing the bag with nothing to tie onto. I go for the latter - after all, maybe it will catch on something, maybe I will run into the upline, even if not, they will figure out that I am under the bag and stay with me.
On the way up, I see the line, and grab onto it. On my first stop (1 min at 50') I tie them together. My Suunto shows time to surface of 72 minutes. No way do I have enough air to do this - hey, maybe I could in ideal circumstances, but of course my breathing rate is somewhat accelerated.
But that's OK, because John always free dives down to the guy hanging to see if he is OK.
After a while at the 30', down comes John. I flash him 6 - 2, he gets the idea. He comes back later with some 60/40, though he does breathe off it while I am securing it as a stage tank.
We get home very late that night.
Safe Diving,
Wrolf