Monastary Beach SCUBA accident

http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_13176340

I was just reading this. 250ft? Dang. So that must have been a mixed gas dive?
I never had any urge to go beyond 80ft or so, and was nervous about that even. Most dives I liked to see where the sun was coming from.
In this story the other divers lost contact at 190ft during the ascending decompression stop. Nitrogen narcosis maybe?

man, that is terribly sad. I had no idea it dropped off that quickly at monastery.  But then again, i never really graphed it b/c of the reserve, just paddled straight on through.  Thx for sharing doug. so sad.

I saw this story on the local news last night, I just drove by this beach yesterday on the way to Big Sur and was commenting to my friend how it's a dangerous beach The Carmel Canyon runs right up through that area. Though it doesn't apply in this case, I've spoken with divers who said the steepness/grade of the beach is tough/dangerous to climb with all the gear weighing you down. I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned but I remember last year or the year before a church group with kids came from the central valley and a girl was having trouble in the water. Two men who were with them went out to save her and succeeded but one lost his own life. I don't recall all of the details though I know that beach can be dangerous. Tragic.

22...


I believe mooch got beat up pretty good there and the boys called it quits before even getting in the water.  It sure ain't a playground. 

Read it early this morning, terribly sad and tragic. They were all experienced, cautious divers.

I typically don't go any deeper that 75-80 feet. Don't like the lack of light and color..

I believe mooch got beat up pretty good there and the boys called it quits before even getting in the water.  It sure ain't a playground. 

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,12020.15.html

the prior post is more about rough surf and launching conditions.  Still good to take caution.  so sad.  stay safe out there peoples

Hi Divers:

     I really easy to get into trouble with, less bottom time and NO support!
I took a Adv. Scuba Class and, ran out of Air at 160 Ft. diving on on sunken
Tuna Boats off on Can 1 Pt. Loma, San Diego.
     I have mixed feelings about the story because,sounds like it was a Pipe
dream without much Peer Review prior to the Dive. I feel sorry for  the Family and hope it doesn't cause the Family to hate the Pacific Ocean.
                                                                              Ernie
                                                                            
    
    
    

Thats some pretty strong speculation ernie. Alot can happen out there, kinda tough to armchair qb it after the fact.

I had no idea it dropped off that quickly at monastery

I was always amazed at how deep that canyon is and how abruptly it drops off--kind of like at Moss Landing.  As you traverse the canyon, not that far off from shore, the depth suddenly drops off and the bottom on your FF just disappears.  After a fairly short distance, the bottom reappears and the shallower water resumes.

Hi Art;

     Most Proper De-com Dives requires a support crew and, extra Tanks tied off at the normal De-Com Stop. A Owner/ Dive Master should have knowned this!
     I'm  Cert. for Night, Deep and Salvage but, because I dive alone I only
Free Dive for Abs. I know I'll Die in the Water but, It's O.K. with Me.
     Sometime we get to close too the Edge and Fall Off. It's my Spin, don't get your Shorts tuck to tight!
                                                                            60 and still Crazy
                                                                                 Ernie
    

That is tragic. 22...

Things go bad quickly when you dive deep. I'm trimix and nitrox certified, and have done 200ft.+ dives before, but it does require a lot of planning and support as Ernie mentioned.

I was diving a deep wreck on the East coast with an experienced wreck diver a number of years back, doing multi-deck penetrations looking for the "dish room". There was a ripping current and the dive boat was tied off to the bow of the turtled wreck. Depth was 160 to the top of the wreck and 190 to the sand.

This guy dove alone a lot, and had redundant everything - it was his thing. He tied his deco bottle off at the bow line on the bottom and entered the ship. Coming out a crack amidshid, he somehow got turned around and headed to the stern instead of the bow. By the time he got there and realized it wasn't the pointy end, he was running low on air, and had no deco gas or ascent line waiting for him. He realized that there was no time or air to get back to the bow and made a free ascent to the surface, blowing off about 28 min of deco.

He was in a world of hurt and we were 26 miles off shore. We called the CG, and they sent a chopper, lowered a basket, and airlifted him to a chamber where they pressed and cleaned him 3 times. By the time the chopper had arrived, his skin was crackly, he lost his hearing and part of his vision, and then he passed out. But he was lucky and lived. Still dives today.

It was easy to see the mistakes that were made afterwards (besides the diving alone bit, which at the time was an ongoing debate in the tech diving community), but the real point we saw was that any number of those mistakes could have been made if the extreme depth wasn't part of the equation.

Deep kills.

                                                                            60 and still Crazy
                                      

and proving it daily!   


Just saying ernie, we were not there, and exact details of the dive were not mentioned so its tough to assume anything till all the facts are laid out there.   

Hi Art:

   It's risky Business jumping in the Ocean anyway you look at it.
                                                                    Play Safe
                                                                    E


 

The shop is just around the corner from my house. I've been in there many times. Everyone there seems really great. Sad...I am sure the rest of the shop is in shock.