Worst. Dive. Ever.

[sea2summit]

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.

[runawaylobster]

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.

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

[chimie007]

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

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