Posted by Max Bottomtime on January 20, 2003 at 20:17:37:
In Reply to: Why is Farnsworth so Dangerous? posted by Captain Tim on January 20, 2003 at 18:42:52:
In the times I've dived there, I only had a problem once. I couldn't find my anchor and forgot to bring a liftbag. I ended up hanging upside down and kicking because I was under weighted and had five minutes of deco. My buddy laughed at me the entire trip back. Forunately I surfaced upcurrent from my boat. It is tempting to go deep there, but I don't think that is the main reason for the accidents. The death last year was an inexperienced diver visiting California. From the reports I read, he was having major buoyancy problems. After being taken up to shallow water by a buddy, he sank again. Two years ago, my buddy died diving one of the deeper pinnacles on air. I believe all the accidents there have been operator error, not having anything to do with the site or it's conditions. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I'd be willing to bet that there have been as many, if not more deaths at Laguna Beach. Panic, equipment problems, not paying attention and just plain stupidity can happen anywhere. My first two dives at Farnsworth were a little intimidating because I had heard all the horror stories and I was a little nervous. By the end of the trip, I was asking myself," What's the big deal?" It's like any other dive. My ex wife didn't like it because you had a long swim to shore if you messed up, although she loves Ship Rock because it breaks the surface. Maybe Farnsworth Bank doesn't provide a security blanket for some divers.