Anxiety Attacks at Depth

[Mouth Breather old]

Just got back from Hawaii today and my "Rescue Diver" training. Completed AOW about 4 weeks ago in Hawaii and went back right away to do Rescue.

I had my first "anxiety attack" while diving a wreck at 110'. I had done this wreck during the "Deep" portion of my AOW 4 weeks ago with no problems. On August 11 did a shipwreck at about 90-100' with no problems. But this time was different....

On both of my previous deep dives I was either just diving with a buddy or was a student. This time my instructor wanted me to help him and a Dive Master manage a group of 6 certified divers as they did their first deep dive.

When gearing up I noted that my AL 80 had about 2800 psi in it. I am a big guy that usually hits 1000 before anyone else and it bothered me a bit that everyone else had a "hot fill" that gave them over 3000 psi. The instructor wanted me to start using my new training to identify divers that might have minor problems and help them to overcome it as part of my rescue training.

So he had me jump in first with a bouyed line that he wanted me to pull about 100 feet away from the boat. The plan was to have the divers follow the line out to me...then I direct them down a descent line to the Dive Master who was at a mooring bouy about 20 feet below. Since the swell was pretty bad I had to keep my regulator in my mouth the whole time while they swam out to me. By the time it was my turn to head down the descent line I was already about 2500 psi. The group took a long time to head down as one of the divers had trouble equalizing her ears.

Finally we got everyone moving though. But they were SLOWWW. As I looked around I noticed that the instructor was descending without the descent line about 10 feet away and I figured that since I was supposed to be "monitoring" the 6 "customers" and I could only see the one immediately below me, I let go of the line so I could free descend about in the middle of the group. Well the current caught me off guard and I had to fight to stay anywhere near the group and descent line until we reached the bottom.

By the time I hit bottom with "only" 1800 psi, I was winded and breathing HARD. I could feel my heart pounding. Then the sense of "impending doom" started....I felt like "This is too deep...I shouldn't be here...I don't have enough air to complete the dive...I have to abort...I can't abort I'm supposed to be helping the instructor and divemaster...I don't want to be the first to run low on air...I can't do this...Why am I breathing to fast? I've done this dive before? "Why is my heart pounding?" This is too deep, the boat is to high up. I might run out of air.etc. etc.

I basically stayed in one place and watched the other divers. The wreck was a sucken Corsair fighter plane so the dive area was small. I started to calm down a little but was still VERY anxious (boderline panic?) I was now at 900 psi and even though the instructor said we surface when the first person hits 1000 I didn't want to show that I had hit it so soon. Much to my relief we soon got the thumbs up and started back to the ascent line. I saw that the 16 year old kid that was diving with us (his first deep dive) started swimming away from the ascent line (which was at the nose of the plane) towards the tail. I swam into the current to chase him down...thinking he might be narced. I caught him and signaled to come back to the ascent line. When I turned my back he started swimming back to the tail again! I chased him down again. Anyway as we finally made it back to the surface I kept an eye out for the octopus on the diver right above me. We did a safety stop for 3 minutes that seemed to take an eternity and I finally surfaced with only about 230 psi! That bothered me, I don't like having less than 500psi when I hit the surface.

The only other time I felt the same sensation was my first ever cold water dive into 3 ft visibility. I couldn't see and was very anxious....

On both dives I found myself closing my eyes and trying to slow my breathing and trying to calm myself by meditating/praying. It seemed to help I never aborted the dives but felt like Iwas on the edge of doing so. I dove about 10 more tanks later in the week to finish rescue training with no problems.

Can you more experienced divers tell me whether or not you still get these anxiety attacks from time to time...especially after a physical stress (fighting current, monitoring other divers etc)? I am very concerned because I had done a grand total of 2 other deep dives with no problems at all. 100 deep dives from now will a panic attack just hit me for no apparent reason?

 

[Uncle Pug]

...from overexertion... and it can cause and anxious SOB feeling. You will get more relaxed in time but try not to exert yourself so much... and speak up ahead of time... if you get a short fill and they expect you to do extra work then call the dive early.

BTW... as you get more comfortable in the water you won't need to suck on your reg while in surface chop... you will just take your breaths when your head is above water briefly.

and let me ask why?

I finally surfaced with only about 230 psi! That bothered me, I don't like having less than 500psi when I hit the surface.

Why do you want 500psi in your tank when you surface? I'm glad you at least used it for the right thing and did your safety stop!

 

[Walter]

Grasshopper,

Don't try to impress anyone - ever!

I see a few points that send up a red flag.

"it bothered me a bit that everyone else had a "hot fill" that gave them over 3000 psi."

This isn't a contest. You know (you've done it before) 1000 PSI is enough if you end your dive at that point. You have the same 1000 PSI if you start with 3200 PSI, 2800 PSI or 1200 PSI. Plan with what you have, not what you'd like to have.

"Since the swell was pretty bad I had to keep my regulator in my mouth the whole time while they swam out to me."

Were they swells or was it choppy? If you had slow moving swells, you could have used your snorkel. If it was choppy, a regulator is the better choice for inexperienced divers.

"As I looked around I noticed that the instructor was descending without the descent line about 10 feet away and I figured that since I was supposed to be "monitoring" the 6 "customers" and I could only see the one immediately below me, I let go of the line so I could free descend about in the middle of the group."

Currents which are considered moderate by those with experience in currents are considered strong or very strong by divers with little experience in currents. Your instructor also made a mistake by not telling you to stay on the line and that he might dwim down. I usually stay on the line when I'm with students even when the current is not that strong because they tend to imitate their instructor.

"I had to fight to stay anywhere near the group and descent line until we reached the bottom."

Did you get back on the line?

"Then the sense of "impending doom" started....I felt like "This is too deep...I shouldn't be here...I don't have enough air to complete the dive...I have to abort...I can't abort I'm supposed to be helping the instructor and divemaster...I don't want to be the first to run low on air...I can't do this...Why am I breathing to fast? I've done this dive before? "Why is my heart pounding?" This is too deep, the boat is to high up. I might run out of air.etc. etc."

It happens to everyone at one time or another. The correct course of action in this situation is to:

1. Control your breathing - slow deep breaths.

2. Signal to the group leader and to your buddy. (You did have 1 person assigned as a buddy? You should have.)

3. Abort the dive making a slow ascent and making your safety stops.

"I was now at 900 psi and even though the instructor said we surface when the first person hits 1000 I didn't want to show that I had hit it so soon."

This isn't a contest. If the plan calls for the group to ascend when the 1st person hits 1000 PSI you have an obligation to the group to let them know you've reached 1000 PSI. You place the group in danger when you alter the dive plan at 100 ft. You are narced and are incapable of thinking as clearly at 100 ft as you are at the surface and even if you were, you have no right to change the plan agreed upon by the group.

"will a panic attack just hit me for no apparent reason?"

IMHO, there was plenty of reason. Slow down and don't try to impress anyone.

 

[Mouth Breather old]

I am pleased to get responses from divers that I admire as much as Uncle Pug and Walter.

Let me respond to some of your comments.

I don't think I viewed dive as a contest...I was concerned about running low on air and having to surface before my "job" of watching and helping monitor the new divers was done. Didn't want to let my instructor or dive master down.

I'm usually am pretty good about using the regulator sparingly on the surface, but had to keep my head in the water to watch the new divers swim out to me...it was hard to see them on the surface. Also kept looking at the Dive Master below for the descend signal.

Walter you make a good point of asking about my dive buddy or signaling to the instructor that something was wrong. I only started to calm down when I saw that the dive master was lying on the sand just about 10 feet away from me and the instructor was hanging on to the descent line about 10 feet above me. The feeling of impending doom occured moments before when I felt that I was alone on the line and my back-ups were in another ocean.

Uncle Pug, you wanted to know why it bothered me to end up with only 230 psi on the surface...isn't that cutting close? What do you consider the minimum psi I would want to have beginning a 3 minute stop at 15'?

 

[Walter]

Your "job" when assisting with a class is to set a good example. That doesn't mean having good air consumption, it means dealing with the air consumption you have in a responsible manner. You felt pressure to stay down longer than was safe. You should not allow yourself to be placed in a position where you feel such pressure. Your instructor probably feels he'd rather you signal him at 1000 PSI and begin the asecent than to push it. If he doesn't, you don't need to dive with him.

"I don't think I viewed dive as a contest"

That's both good and bad. Good that you have the right attitude, bad in that you didn't recognize you felt you had to compete with others' air consumption. You felt you couldn't be the first to signal 1000 PSI. That is a competition.

Back on the boat with 500 - 700 PSI is an excellent goal. There's no need to bring air back (other than 50 - 100 PSI to keep moisture out of the tank) on the boat. That 500 - 700 PSI goal is so you'll have air to deal with emergencies. You had an emergency and you used 270 PSI of what you reserved for that purpose. I believe Pug is telling you the air was used for its intended purpose. The emergency could have been avoided.

BTW, good job in dealing with the kid. Male divers from that age group are the ones who consistently scare me the most. I just certified a 19 year old who is a natural in the water. His judgement needs work. He's pretty sharp, but doesn't pay attention to safety issues as much as he should.

 

[The Iceni]

I had my first "anxiety attack" while diving a wreck at 110'. I had done this wreck during the "Deep" portion of my AOW 4 weeks ago with no problems. On August 11 did a shipwreck at about 90-100' with no problems. But this time was different....

Mouth Breather, I personally feel you were given far too much responsibility for someone with relatively little experience, but I am impressed with how you handled it. The outcome could so easily have been different.

I am puzzled by the dive plan, overlapping the time of entry and individuals swimming off by themselves, whether they are instructors or students, is never a good idea.

It seems to me you were task loaded and anxious even before you descended and feel this may have preciptated an episode of narcosis since the features you descibe are so similar to those of narcosis and it can occur at the depths you were at.

This dive confirms to me the importance of buddy pairs. One instructor, one relatively inexperienced rescue diver and six teenage students all diving in one big amorphous group to 100 feet to my mind is an accident waiting to happen and I suspect you were not terribly happy at the prospect yourself.

Like others before you, you are right ask for the opinions of others. How would it have looked if one of the other students had taken off as you were busy chasing the chap heading for the tail?

 

[Cave Diver]

Mouth Breather once bubbled...
I can't abort I'm supposed to be helping the instructor and divemaster...I don't want to be the first to run low on air...I can't do this...Why am I breathing to fast? I've done this dive before? "Why is my heart pounding?" This is too deep, the boat is to high up. I might run out of air.etc. etc.

Any diver can call the dive at anytime for any reason. If the people you dive with do not subscribe to this philosophy, find someone else to dive with. By calling the dive when you hit 1000 psi you would have been setting a good example for the students that you managed your gas and followed the rules.

Suppose the diver you chased down had not been watching his air supply as close as you? Suppose when you got down to him, he had run out of air? By letting your tank drop below the agreed upon limit, would you have been able to assist him? On the other hand, if you had called it at 1000 psi like you planned, and he had an OOA at depth, you would have been better equipped to deal with it.

Don't let the possibility of a bruised ego at being perceived as having the worst consumption rate cause you to make or continue a dive you aren't comfortable on. Call the dive, fix the problems and live to dive another day.

 

[jonnythan]

Mouth Breather once bubbled...
you wanted to know why it bothered me to end up with only 230 psi on the surface...isn't that cutting close? What do you consider the minimum psi I would want to have beginning a 3 minute stop at 15'?

I agree that if the dive plan was "ascend when first person reaches 1000," you should have indicated you had less than 1000 psi.

However, given some emergency, surfacing with 230 psi isn't much of an issue when you were ascending with the instructor and other quasi-buddies. That 500 psi (about 13cf) is there for emergencies. If you had an actual buddy, he should have been aware that you started the ascent with less gas than you would have liked, and he would have been prepared to share some of his back gas with you if you ran out. You didn't have a buddy per se in this one, but it doesn't sound like it would have been an issue to share air with one of the students or the instructor.

I know it's uncomfortable to end the dive with less than 500 psi, but it's far more comfortable to do so when you have a buddy who is aware of the situation. It seems you lacked this, but were surrounded by gas and could have alerted the nearest diver if you started getting dangerously low.

Personally I think everything was going fine in the dive til i heard:

"I didn't want to show that I had hit it so soon."

You have to dive the plan, you can't simply decide to ignore it at depth and not let anyone know. This led to something of an emergency situation (breathing down your reserve gas) which someone else on the dive should have known about (preferably an actual buddy).

Never be afraid or embarrassed to call a dive. These things happen, it's no big deal.

 

[padiscubapro]

Some of your symptoms are classic signs of high Co2. CO2 clouds judgement, raises respitory rate and greatly amplifies narcosis.. In fact CO2 is much more narcotic than nitrogen.

You should slow your breathing down and take deep slow breaths.. Most problems I see with CO2 are that the divers do not exhale enough, this is the key.. If you have a high co2 content already and you don't fully exhale, you are reinhaling it along with SOME fresh gas.. Did you get a headache during or after the dive?? this is another symptom of High Co2..

You didn't metion what regulator you were using, many times an inexpensive or mid price reg is fine for relaxed dives but cant supply the volumes needed for work...

It also sounds like you were task overloaded for your experience level..

 

[Uncle Pug]

Mouth Breather once bubbled...
Uncle Pug, you wanted to know why it bothered me to end up with only 230 psi on the surface...isn't that cutting close?

Walter already gave the answer. You have the 500psi there to use in an emergency... you used it for that... good.

But...

As several have pointed out you were supposed to have 1000psi to deal with emergencies and you blew that...

That 1000psi was there not only for you to use in an emergency but for you to share in an emergency! Every breath you used below 1000psi was stolen from the contingency plan.

Why feel bad about getting on board with only 230psi when you didn't feel bad sucking the team's reserve below the 1000psi turn around pressure?

But we still love you and you will be better for this.

~edited out overly grumpy portions... doing to get another latte~