Want rapid accident analysis and want the IUCRR to determine a mechanism

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

JohnAd - I agree with everything you're saying. The Kalimba incident... What can we learn from the report... Both divers were sidemount with single stages. Divers while on their stages were both using their cameras to shoot pictures/video. Clipped off stages at 2/3rd remaining but not as far into the cave as would normally expected. Did a number of jumps while continuing to use cameras. Some question in the report if they got lost for a portion of the dive. They began exiting back towards their stages and at some point know their stages are ahead of them - decide to exit in the opposite direction and try to make to a different exit. Wow. Yes they were swimming into flow when the made the decision to exit in the opposite direction. The report also suggests - based on how far they exited in the opposite direction - that they would have had sufficient gas remaining to make it to their stages. Again wow. What can a diver learn from all of that - Only 1 diver can be using a camera - other diver must be in charge of navigation - when you reach 2/3rd gas remaining on your stage - should I clip it off exactly there or carry it a few minutes further into the cave so I can have access to that gas sooner? - Do I have an accurate - drawn to scale map - in my wetnotes? So that I understand where the exits REALLY are. It would be a terrifying moment to be headed back to your stage then then decide to turn and go the opposite way. Problems... Two divers both using cameras at the same time and not doing what is most important - paying attention to navigation and gas remaining. We could add a new posting on - how do you stage in a cave? Off stages with 2/3rd remaining and clip off at that exact location? Or off at 2/3rd remaining and carry it further into the cave so the stage is assessable sooner? And If you carry further into the cave - then what determines the new drop location?

My point to all of this... Dive reports make a difference. I personally don't need names - Just facts. Doesn't mean I don't care about who has lost their life because I certainly do. Sometimes the mistakes made are obvious and sometimes they need thinking and reflecting and sometimes they need wisdom from other peoples postings.

[Bobby]

how do you stage in a cave? Off stages with 2/3rd remaining and clip off at that exact location? Or off at 2/3rd remaining and carry it further into the cave so the stage is assessable sooner? And If you carry further into the cave - then what determines the new drop location?

This is something we explain to anyone that is stage diving with us for the first time. When stage diving whether single, double, or multiple stages we do the same thing. We track the time to breath 1/3 of the stage down, lets call it 20 minutes. Then we get off the stage at that time and swim it another 20 minutes before we drop it. Do the same for all additional stages. This puts the stage as far into the system as possible while still having enough "theoretical" gas to get out. The extra drag of swimming the stage further in makes it safer as well. If there were an issue we would get on the stage, breath it until empty, then discard and go back to whatever back gas we have. As in all diving 1/3's is the minimum and we often reserve an extra 100-300 psi depending on the complexity of the dive.

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

I like it.
For your example the first 20 minutes - do you take into consideration the average depth - and monitor it for the second 20 minutes?