More Tech ‘04

Curtis Nelson always gives us an amusing photo and this year is no exception.

Back from the dive. Curtis and yours truly.

Sorry Dave, we have had a fatal exception error in your set point controller and you will just have to reboot. Other than minor problems everyone’s dive gear worked great. Except for a certain drysuit, more on that later.

John McDougal defeats the purpose of the rebreather.

Kent Cedola strikes a pose. See the carnage of his Inspiration RB taken apart elsewhere on this site.

Greg Grant, who couldn’t decide whether to dive his KISS or Meg, comes up the aft ladder. None of us felt the least bit sorry for him.

Kevin Rottner straps on Peter Readey’s Incredible Steam Machine. Aka PRISM.

Alan Studley prepares to fall off the boat.

Rich Christensen with his marvelous Megaladon.

All in all it was another great tech trip, the only shadow that fell was Bill Matsons almost accident, see the last paragraph below.

This is the result of a scenario that none of us cold water tech divers ever wants to confront. You do a dive and rack up some serious decompression obligation. Then your drysuit floods, with 20 remaining minutes of deco, in 43 degree water, Bill Mattson made the possibly life saving decision to come to the surface while he could still move. Suffering from hypothermia and shivering mightily, he makes it back to the boat and is immediately helped out of his dry (yeah right) suit and completely soaked undergarments, wrapped in towels and blankets and fed liquids and 100% oxygen from a KISS RB. He did a deep dive using trimix as a diluent with his inspiration and was seriously at risk for a case of DCS. Prompt medical attention from Dr. Greg Grant, a hyperbaric physician and Intensivist (Canada’s version of an ICU Dr.) and Alan Studley, RN, a veteran trauma nurse, turned the tide from what could have been a serious med evac. We are all relived that Bill is OK and very happy that our own little team is composed of such talented individuals. Thanks guys, your skills are much appreciated.

Ron Micjan 17MAR04 Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Dive Safe.