Coroner's Concerns - Divers not dumping weight-belts

[Fiona]

Divers dying after failing to dump weightbelts

North West Wales coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones has highlighted the number of diver deaths from drowning where the divers involved failed to dump their weightbelts - a move which would have ensured they remained at the surface.
-->The coroner's comments came during the inquest into the death of 31-year-old Jason Dean, lost in Dorothea Quarry in March 2004.

Dean's diving buddy Matthew McNeil described how Dean had experienced buoyancy problems, and instead of ascending from a shallow depth, had struggled to maintain buoyancy, descending rapidly. McNeil was unable to reach him and had surfaced to raise the alarm.

Dean's body was later recovered from depth, with his weightbelt still in place.

"This has become a common characteristic in recent deaths and is causing some concern. Why are divers reluctant to dump their weight belts to allow them to surface when they get into difficulties?
"If Mr Dean had dumped his weight belt at the shallow depth when he got into difficulties he might have survived." Coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones commented during the inquest.

[wreckweasel]

Divers are tight. Tighter than tight things.

That and we seem to overemphasise the hazards of the bends in entry level diving. Students seem to be under the impression that a bend is always going to mean major pain, paralysis etc.

better bent than dead.

[torbaydiver]

Dumping my weight belt is not something I would even consider unless I was very near the surface, there's plenty of other options, inflating your BCD, oral if necessary or simply finning upwards !
Skyrocketing towards the surface doesn't appeal somehow !

[Helen F H]

My Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine book lists not dropping weight belts as a major cause of death.

True about us being tight, but all my stuff is insured even if i ditch or lose it.

[beanie]

If the s*** hits the fan I'm not going to worry about my 3k weightbelt

[Helen F H]

Originally Posted by beanie

If the s*** hits the fan I'm not going to worry about my 3k weightbelt

Well yeah, but some of us use a lot more, and you can see the warped logic.

[Steve S]

I seem to remember reading an article 6yrs ago on roedale scuba called "ditch or die" on that subject I have just started instructing a new BSAC ocean diver course and it is part of the syllabus that they are taught how to ditch their w/belts in shallow depths.

Safe diving,
Steve.

[Helen F H]

I had to ditch mine for my DL. Was in all of 1m of water though.

[Mark Davies]

I think what the Coroner is talking about is ditching your weight once at the surface or near the surface (not at depth) as he seems to be referring to cases where people have been seen to get near the surface and then sink again. It makes some sense if you know you've got problems to get rid of all your weight when you surface and so make sure you don't go down again. Let's face it - if you've got to the surface and are concious you're probably going to live, so the deaths he's talking about were probably avoidable.

But, as Zak says, perhaps we're all just a bit too tight to dump any kind of kit, even if it is just a few quids worth of lead. We practice all other kinds of drills, but who ever actually practices throwing their weight belt away? Of course we don't, so when the shit hits the fan it's not a trained relfex action. Perhaps it should be drilled into us when training that the first thing we do when surfacing in difficulty is ditch the weights - IN ALL CASES.

[Odin]

Originally Posted by torbaydiver

Dumping my weight belt is not something I would even consider unless I was very near the surface, there's plenty of other options, inflating your BCD, oral if necessary or simply finning upwards !
Skyrocketing towards the surface doesn't appeal somehow !

OK. You remove your DV (this a an adrenaline rush situation remember) and try to orally inflate your BC. You are already sinking down, and you try finning like mad to the surface = massive increase in air consumption.

If I am your buddy and you do not want to throw your weightbelt away. Give it to me.

And I'll throw it away for you!

I have a friend alive today, one of the reasons being that his buddy threw away his weightbelt for him.
It is still @ 40m off Dartmouth...

Next time you are at 30m, make yourself negatively buoyant and then try finning up. Remember this is an exercise and you will not be in the panic mode.
I think you may find it harder than you think!

Paul