A not so smooth return to cave diving
As some of you may be aware, I was recently out of cave diving for an extended period of time due to a rather significant shoulder repair. This was significantly more involved than a typical rotator cuff fix, to the point where my left arm was in a fixed position, most commonly associated with signaling a left turn, for every second of six weeks after the repair. Only after that could the rehab begin.
After close to seven months, I began to think about a return to cave diving. Range of motion was pretty good, strength still has a way to go, but I really believed I was ready to give it a try.
Prior to my surgery, I had just completed the most flawless weekend of diving in my life. My “re-harnessed” SMS100 was working like a dream. Reviewing video of the dive appeared to show excellent trim.
During my time away, I acquired a Gavin scooter, which I took the time to re-power and go over in a rather thorough manner. The new batteries were the same size, but weighed a bit more (higher density). Well after careful photo documentation and careful measurements of the old configuration, I reconstructed the battery pack and was confident this scooter would perform on par with others I have driven.
I returned to Ginnie last weekend ready and expecting to pick up right where I left off…
Was I ever full of myself, and very quickly became aware of just how far off base I was. I figured, “just a little dive with the scooter”. I’ll bring a stage and breath that down to see how things go and not go very far in, maybe not even cross the lips on the first dive. Conservative, that’s how I would play it. Everything would be great. I was going to work my way up to bigger and better things. Yeah, that’s the way to do it.
Got the tanks analyzed and the regs hooked up. Got my gear all laid out. Got the tanks and the scooter down to the water. And then the wheels started to come off the wagon.
It was immediately apparent all my careful estimates on trimming the scooter were incorrect. The scooter was floating quite nose high. I geared up and felt a slight coolness at my neck as I ducked in and affixed my stage and O2 bottles. Starting down the run, I noticed it was a LOT of work to keep the scooter’s nose down. I drove around a bit and thought, OK, I can deal with it. Let’s keep going.
We entered the Eye, got down to about 35 feet and prepared to head down to the Gallery and then the next calamity happened. My SM regs tooks turns free flowing. This had never happened to me when scootering before, “What the heck was going on?”
I kept working at detuning the regs to stop the free flow and finally made it down to the sign on the mainline where I could drop the O2 bottle. By now, I am reasonably certain the coolness I had noticed before, was a full on leak. I am getting soaked. This dive just keeps getting better.
Now, my arm is getting tired from pushing the nose of the scooter over to correct for the bad trim. What I did not realize, compensating for the bad trim on the Gavin with the tow rope at 12 and 6, caused me to not only push the scooter further forward, but it was running closer to my body contributing to the free flow issues.
As we approached the Lips, I decided enough of the foolishness, and tied off the scooter and would continue with a short swim dive.
During the swim, as a direct result of intentional hydration, I soon found it necessary to void my bladder. It was then I found, I had neglected to properly position my plumbing and found the flow greatly restricted. This required very careful management in order to prevent another UTI. We completed the brief dive with me shaking my head repeatedly at my compounded foolishness.
There is a lot that goes into executing a successful cave dive. Much of that becomes second nature if this is done frequently. In my case, a lot of the little things fell a bit out of focus. Some of the new things took unexpected turns. This was a character-building dive in many aspects.
Some may be saying I should have turned the dive. Personally, I never felt the need. Tons of gas and minutes from an exit.
With all this newfound appreciation, how did I approach my dive the following day? No scooter, no stage, a carefully planned and well executed dive to re-familiarize myself with the subtleties. Most enjoyable. This was the dive I should have done on the first day. This was the dive I should have done on the first day. This was the dive I should have done on the first day. (Get the point?)
I should have recognized that time away might result in a degradation of not only in-water skills, but pre-dive skills as well. There is a lesson for me here.
I should have made the first dive a simple one. There is a lesson for me here.
I should have made the first dive without a new to me scooter. There is a lesson for me here.
Trimming a scooter without the benefit of an experienced eye may not have been the wisest choice. There is a lesson for me here. By the way, I did work for about an hour the next day using a tank tub and some help to properly trim the scooter making it very enjoyable. There is a lesson for me here.
Leaky dry suit? Sometimes $#!+ just happens, failure to close zipper completely or a crease in the neck seal, not certain, but perfectly dry the next day ☺
My dive partner during this fiasco still dove with me the following day. A perfectly executed dive. Confidence restored.
Scootered the following day, went like a charm.
So happy to be back, even if it was a rough start.
Sometimes we do not realize what has been forgotten. I want to remember all of this "adventure". Hopefully my sharing can be helpful in some small way to someone else. Sometimes passing on what NOT to do has value too. :)
