Worst. Dive. Ever.

Okay, it wasn't the worst dive, but certainly my worst exit ever. So with apologies to Comic Book Guy...

The reason for my problem was a flooded scooter. It started leaking last fall, and did so for about a dozen consecutive dives. But I found that by cleaning the o-ring glands with a cloth, wetting the o-rings to remove all grit, and spraying the shroud with water/baby shampoo, I could prevent leaking. I had about twenty consecutive flood-free dives.

But with Jackson Blue open for swimmers, all of the pavilions were full of picnickers, and I wasn't able to properly prepare the scooter for the second dive. I was almost anticipating a leak. When we got in the water, after checks, instead of being a few ounces positive it was a few ounces negative. I told Josh to prepare to make a swim dive. Once in the cavern it was about a pound negative, and at p300' it was several pounds negative. I left it in the middle of the tunnel and we made a swim dive.

When we returned, I tried to pick it up by the drive handles and it wouldn't budge. I picked it up by the front handle and it was about thirty pounds negative. (I have a mesh bag with thirty pounds of lead and that's how heavy it felt. Tell me again why we don't carry lift bags into caves.) So I held the handle close to me and inflated my wing, and proceded to make my exit.

When I got to the rock at the bottom of the chimney the scooter suddenly felt neutral. I thought Josh was helping me carry it, but I looked down and he was ten feet behind me. The scooter was running! I reached down and both triggers were still pinned, so I wedged it against the ceiling to check all the linkages. They were all free. I looked down and the propwash was quickly turning vis to nothing. So I decided I would have to do something I have been looking forward to NEVER having to do: reach into a shroud with a bare, ungloved hand, and grab a spinning prop.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm a MAN!

But my problems weren't over. I was still 300' feet in a cave with a 30-pound-negative scooter that I had to hold the prop with one hand and bear-hug with the other, and negotiate a vertical restriction in ZERO visibility. Needless to say, it was my first dive in years that I didn't make a three-minute Pyle stop.

Fun day.

That stinks Russell!

Did you think about trying to drive it out, or was it too heavy? It was already flooded with pretty pure water so there wouldn't have been any more damage.

Any video? This sounds like it might have been kind of interesting to watch!

Hate to hear about your misfortune. Glad you made it out ok.

Russell is now known as "Stubs"

Wondering if you could have palmed the prop pitch adjustment knob while the scooter was running to turn the pitch down to a 1 or less?

Bummer. Maybe there's something going around. That guy on TDS posted about being Lost at Sea. My last dive in FL after the workshop was my worst dive ever.

Then, yesterday a schnauzer walked up to me me right as I was passing by on my bike. I wiped out but good (always wear a helmet), and now I can't walk. Fortunately I was lent some crutches from a friend, even if the crutches are too short. Without them I'd be truly sunk.

Now that is a story of a real manly cave diver!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jay

Did you think about trying to drive it out, or was it too heavy?

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One or two pounds negative would be difficult. As heavy as this was, impossible.

But even had the scooter been neutral with a stuck-on motor, the chimney goes from 95' to 50' deep, almost straight up, with a minor restriction at the top.

And I had zero visibility.

Russell,

Why don't you just get the scooter fixed now? I am sorry you had to stick your hand in the prop...almost sounds like a rite of passage...

Maybe now you'll fix it so you don't have to worry about it...

Glad everything's ok....

Any pictures? ;-)

Dive safe,

Celia

I got the motor rebuilt by the best guy on the planet last summer, and it starting flooding on the very next dive!

I'm not too far from a new N-19. If I can just sell another reg or BC it's mine.

First off thanks Russell for letting the cave guy try cave on a scooter.

Second all I remember about the incident was looking down at the floor thinking what a great time Russell was going to have getting that scooter up the chimney with his BC fully inflated when I heard the scooter start up. "What luck" I thought and prepared to engage my trigger, when I looked up for a path all I saw was silt coming my way and Russell being shot to the ceiling pretty much getting center punched by his runaway scooter. I made for the gold line and had it "OK'd" when I heard a sound similar to a grinder when you don't hold the object your grinding firmly enough and it gets shot off the grinder. The flow quickly subsided and I realized Russell must be on his way out as he was no longer stuck to the ceiling where I last saw him so I met up with him on the way out. I got to see some cool parts of the cave on the swimming portion anyway so I still say it wasn't the worst. dive. ever.

Russell if I remember right the scooter was not the only thing you flooded that day. I was parked next to you and you had a drysuit that became a wet suit.

Safe Diving
Fred

No, just the left forearm. :smt102

I disassembled the Mako today and the motor doesn't appear to have been flooded. After putting it back together the motor started up by itself a couple of times so I disassembled both handles and cleaned the grit out. I'm feeling lucky...

But we got you to post!

Welcome to the flooded scooter club. I had a "deep modified" TEKNA implode in Eagles Nest back 25 or so years ago. You know, when the Nest was Lost Sink and you had to drive through a garbage dump to get to it. I left it there for 2 weeks, went in and attached a US Divers horsecollar to it and got it out. It was just never the same after that.

Okay, John, explain this:

With the scooter disassembled (battery and battery section removed), I laid it on its side and plugged in the battery. Both triggers work perfectly. Assemble everything and as soon as I plug in the battery the motor starts. Disassemble everything, works right. Assemble everything, motor runs by itself.

I'm guessing the extra weight or rigidity is putting pressure on one of the cables. Any guesses?

(BTW, who got the Comic Book Guy reference?)

I don"t need to guess, it is probably a relay. They get full of water, and conduct right across the contacts. You may need to replace one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

Okay, John, explain this:

With the scooter disassembled (battery and battery section removed), I laid it on its side and plugged in the battery. Both triggers work perfectly. Assemble everything and as soon as I plug in the battery the motor starts. Disassemble everything, works right. Assemble everything, motor runs by itself.

I'm guessing the extra weight or rigidity is putting pressure on one of the cables. Any guesses?

(BTW, who got the Comic Book Guy reference?)

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Russel... I was diving JB yesterday and at the bottom of the chimney, noticed a perfect circle of limestone cleared of silt. I thought that was an odd occurance, but figured it was just an eddy cleaning out the area until I read this post... Seems I found your launch pad!

I caught the Simpson's comic book nerd refference.

totally got the reference. sorry about the scooter. glad you are now a man!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

Okay, John, explain this:

With the scooter disassembled (battery and battery section removed), I laid it on its side and plugged in the battery. Both triggers work perfectly. Assemble everything and as soon as I plug in the battery the motor starts. Disassemble everything, works right. Assemble everything, motor runs by itself.

I'm guessing the extra weight or rigidity is putting pressure on one of the cables. Any guesses?

(BTW, who got the Comic Book Guy reference?)

---

Don't listen to Forrest about the stupid relay idea. All diving problems can be blamed on the same thing. Bad JuJu. I am not sure what you have done recently to offend the diving god, but I would be wary for the next few dives. Anyone that dives with you could be exposed to the bad juju and have problems of their own.

As for the scooter, I suggest making a burned offering to the juju god ,say maybe the scooter? Burn the relay first, install a new one, and then see if that solves the problem. If so, then it was only the relay that had the bad juju. If not, then throw the scooter on the grill and dance around it naked with multi colored feathers and body paint. And please post pictures.

Cheers and voodoo ta ta!

Sludge and body paint should never appear in the same post.

Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!!

There was a lot of dancing going on when we got to the surface...something about slipery mud, broke scooter, worst. dive. ever...can't remember all the details.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

Okay, it wasn't the worst dive, but certainly my worst exit ever. So with apologies to Comic Book Guy...

The reason for my problem was a flooded scooter. It started leaking last fall, and did so for about a dozen consecutive dives. But I found that by cleaning the o-ring glands with a cloth, wetting the o-rings to remove all grit, and spraying the shroud with water/baby shampoo, I could prevent leaking. I had about twenty consecutive flood-free dives.

But with Jackson Blue open for swimmers, all of the pavilions were full of picnickers, and I wasn't able to properly prepare the scooter for the second dive. I was almost anticipating a leak. When we got in the water, after checks, instead of being a few ounces positive it was a few ounces negative. I told Josh to prepare to make a swim dive. Once in the cavern it was about a pound negative, and at p300' it was several pounds negative. I left it in the middle of the tunnel and we made a swim dive.

When we returned, I tried to pick it up by the drive handles and it wouldn't budge. I picked it up by the front handle and it was about thirty pounds negative. (I have a mesh bag with thirty pounds of lead and that's how heavy it felt. Tell me again why we don't carry lift bags into caves.) So I held the handle close to me and inflated my wing, and proceded to make my exit.

When I got to the rock at the bottom of the chimney the scooter suddenly felt neutral. I thought Josh was helping me carry it, but I looked down and he was ten feet behind me. The scooter was running! I reached down and both triggers were still pinned, so I wedged it against the ceiling to check all the linkages. They were all free. I looked down and the propwash was quickly turning vis to nothing. So I decided I would have to do something I have been looking forward to NEVER having to do: reach into a shroud with a bare, ungloved hand, and grab a spinning prop.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm a MAN!

But my problems weren't over. I was still 300' feet in a cave with a 30-pound-negative scooter that I had to hold the prop with one hand and bear-hug with the other, and negotiate a vertical restriction in ZERO visibility. Needless to say, it was my first dive in years that I didn't make a three-minute Pyle stop.

Fun day.

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Mine kicked in once when it flooded because the connectors accross the battery
were connected by the water (it was about 1/2 full)... but that was in salt water.

I keep a lift bag attached to my scooter specially for it, since then but that's only for ocean stuff.

hate to tell you but it's not only men that do that prop thing!!, aren't you glad you have plastic
blades...;)

:)

LL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by runawaylobster

....when it flooded because.......

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because...because... Rumor has it that you were missing an o-ring :rollguy