Posted by jeff Shaw on February 08, 2005 at 22:28:10:
Mr. Carlock,
I do appreciate your interest in making Scuba Diving a safer sport. Divers have discussed the incident to the point of exhaustion. We have speculated and investigated, imagined and what iff'd till we are numb. As you may have noticed, all have been vilified endlessly. We have seen action on the part of many of the professionals involved. Now we need to have a critique from the individual at the very center.
This scuba forum has on many occasion discussed (usually politely) many dive accidents. The goal is to determine the problems that lead to an accident in order to avoid repeating it. Many participants have giver thorough and self inspecting report chronicling the actions and thoughts that earned visits to a hyperbaric chamber. These reports are very helpful, even if they are not easy to write.
Mr. Carlock, we of the dive community would benefit greatly from a first hand account of the thoughts and decision making that generated the event.
Hind sight being 20/20...
What would you do differently regarding your own actions?
Would you have chosen different equipment?
Would you communicate differently with the charter management?
I assume that your approach with your assigned buddy(s) would be different,
how would you change the rapport with these other divers?
Would you be willing to help develop a SOP that cal help the dive community avoid similar events?
JS