Non-Functioning BCD and Too Much Weight Sinks Diver

Over-weighted diver sinks rapidly and could not stabilize because of disconnected hose on BCD.

Reported Story

This was several years ago, and I’d just been certified as a nitrox diver. My BC was last used a few months prior. I geared up for our first dive and probably was over weighted, but when I hit the water I rocketed down to the bottom and thank God that there was a ledge at 124′. On nitrox, the max depth is 124′.

My mistake? I did not ditch my weight belt when my BCD would not inflate. I struggled through the dive. While there were other divers in the water, I could not find my buddy. None the other divers could see that I was struggling. I have to say that I feel totally responsible because I did not test my BCD before entering the water. I was to meet my buddy on the anchor line, but since I did a giant stride off the back of the boat, it was straight down from there. Once I did find my buddy, he took some of the weight off my belt, but I still struggled. Once on the boat, I sat out the next dive. My BCD was repaired where the hose was disconnected and I was able to dive the next day without incident.

Comment

The diver is an experienced diver who travels and dives multiple times a year. The two mistakes she learned from this incident was that: one, she did not do a proper pre-dive check of her equipment thus overlooked the BC hose that became disconnected from the previous trip; and second, she did not drop her weights when she started sinking.

Edited by Jeanette Moore