IRAP Administrator
08-03-2007, 10:53 PM
I made a mistake. It was a small mistake, but I think its worth sharing. I was diving in Mexico in a cave that has a sharp 90 degree turn in the line. We turned the dive on thirds and I lead the dive out; following about 3-5 meter beside the line. When I came to what I thought was the 90 degree turn in the line, I started to follow it. My dive buddy flashed me and signed me to come back. When I didn’t I realized that I was following the wrong line. What happened was the “wrong” line came with in inches of the right line at a point which I couldn’t see because I was 3-5 meters beside the line and there was a stalagmite obscuring my view of where the lines almost intersect. I think my real mistake was complacency – I should always visually identify every inch of the line. What would have happened if my buddy had “simply gone along for the ride” instead of double-checking me??