A message from the
Safety Director:
2007 has come to a close and we welcome the 2008 cave
diving season. I am pleased to report
very few cave diving accidents this year, however it seemed to be plagued by a
number of fatalities from unknown causes.
Unfortunately, I had to take part in the recovery of one of these
individuals. While we do not know the
causes of these deaths, it seems appropriate to stop and take a look at our
diving practices and think about what can be done to minimize the risk of death
while cave diving. Of course we all know
the rules of accident analysis, but what else can we do to stack the odds in
our favor?
- Watch your CNS
exposures. Keep in mind, oxygen toxicity
can occur even while diving within “safe limits.” Always be conservative. Remember, diving a 1.4 PO2 is not always
safe. Divers need to consider the
exposure times as well as the dose.
- Stay Fit. Many divers, especially those in cold climates,
spend their winters indoors, and may have desk jobs that do not require physical
fitness. Many of these divers take their
annual cave diving trip and want to get the most bottom time they can possibly
squeeze in. I see many divers doing up
to four dives in a day. This is hard on
anyone’s body, and especially hard on those who are not acclimated to being in
the water. Remember, cave diving should
be fun. Relax and enjoy yourself while
on vacation and hit the gym in the winter if you are forced indoors all winter
by the cold white stuff.
- Pay attention to your
body. Remember, if something feels
wrong, it is wrong. There is nothing in
a cave worth dying for.
A couple of safety
concerns have been brought to my attention during the fourth quarter of 2007
which need mentioning.
- The water levels in
- Chuck Stevens
reports: Of importance is the recent
rash of armed robberies occurring in the remote dive site of Angelita. The site
is far away from regular police patrols and does not have a land owner living
on the property to control what goes on. Cars have been stolen there and in
another incident people were robbed at gunpoint and then tied up to trees and
left there. Fortunately no one has been injured in these incidents. As well
Maya blue attracts a lot of thieves as well due to the site being well off the
main highway and cars are regularly broken into.
I would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable 2008.
Richard Dreher –
International Safety Director
If you would like to
volunteer to help in your area, or have interest in becoming a regional safety
officer, please contact us at safety@safecavediving.com.