Anxious at Nine Feet

[Rick Inman]

Here's today's dive:

Fresh Water
Water Temp = 46F
Surface interval = 3 day 0 hr 0 min.
Elevation = 2,200ft (s)
Conservatism = + 2

Dec to 140ft (2) Triox 28/16 50ft/min descent.
Level 140ft 21:09 (24) Triox 28/16 1.44 ppO2, 89ft ead, 112ft end
Asc to 70ft (26) Triox 28/16 -30ft/min ascent.
Asc to 60ft (26) Nitrox 50 -30ft/min ascent.
Stop at 60ft 0:20 (27) Nitrox 50 1.38 ppO2, 26ft ead
Stop at 50ft 1:00 (28) Nitrox 50 1.24 ppO2, 19ft ead
Stop at 40ft 1:00 (29) Nitrox 50 1.09 ppO2, 13ft ead
Stop at 30ft 2:00 (31) Nitrox 50 0.94 ppO2, 7ft ead
Stop at 20ft 3:00 (34) Nitrox 50 0.79 ppO2, 0ft ead
Stop at 10ft 9:00 (43) Nitrox 50 0.65 ppO2, 0ft ead
Surface (43) Nitrox 50 -30ft/min ascent.

Off gassing starts at 86.5ft

OTU's this dive: 52
CNS Total: 20.9%

101.4 cu ft Triox 28/16
16.9 cu ft Nitrox 50
118.3 cu ft TOTAL

This was a training dive (IANTD). Executed the plan flawlessly. Did some minor skills at depth, made the gas switch on ascent, blew a bag at 30'. I was relaxed and feeling great the entire time. In fact, I was more comfortable with the doubles than I had been yet, and my instructor commented after the dive that I looked great.

Then, after we finished all the stops, just cruising slowly toward shore with spools in hand at a whopping NINE FEET, I started getting anxious. I felt like I couldn't get a good breath, even though I could tell I was. I was breathing easily, not over-breathing the reg, not under-breathing, still on 50%, but the anxiety wouldn't leave and was making me feel that "get me outta' here" feeling. I was getting a little dizzy, which was making it worse. I knew that I could have pressed myself through it, but we were already 10 mins extra shallow beyond the final stop, so I thumbed the dive.

We did a short surface swim to shore, and by the time we arrived I felt fine.

My instructor and I were breathing the same fills, and he was fine. He suggests that, possibly, I was more stressed doing the dive at depth than I thought, that I was focused on the tasks during the deep part of the dive, and when I finally got shallow and relaxed, the stress effected me.

BTW, yes, I had analyzed the gasses myself.

Any thoughts as to the cause of my shallow-water anxiety?

Oh, and overall, it was an awesome dive!

 

[TSandM]

When you say "dizzy", was it lightheaded, like you might faint, or was it a whirling feeling? If the latter, you could have had a bit of a block or even some bubbles in the inner ear related to the helium (although I would have thought that would have occurred earlier).

 

[Hoosier]

Rick,

It sounds like, your tension melted away the moment you reached to shallow. I don't think it is a depth matter.

 

[Rick Inman]

When you say "dizzy", was it lightheaded, like you might faint, or was it a whirling feeling? If the latter, you could have had a bit of a block or even some bubbles in the inner ear related to the helium (although I would have thought that would have occurred earlier).

No, more the former.

 

[Willie]

Here's today's dive: This was a training dive (IANTD). Executed the plan flawlessly. ... and overall, it was an awesome dive!

Congratulations! Sounds like a lot of fun. I will look forward to following the analysis of the symptoms.

I had a dive in Cozumel once where I started feeling anxiety almost immediately upon arriving at the bottom on sand in about 40 fsw. I almost thumbed the dive, but as I headed toward the wall, I saw something that got my attention and started taking photos and didnt even remember the anxiety until I was back on the boat headed back to shore. Obviously not the same circumstances, but might support the instructors theory that being focused just kept you from noticing the anxiety.

Willie

 

[747pilot]

Rick,

Ever had a panic attack? I have, about 20 years ago. Just driving down the freeway. From what I've heard, they almost never happen at the time of the actual stress, usually later. FWIW

 

[Rick Inman]

Rick,

Ever had a panic attack? I have, about 20 years ago. Just driving down the freeway. From what I've heard, they almost never happen at the time of the actual stress, usually later. FWIW

Not that I know of. BTW, if you deside to have another one and I'm on your 747, please let me know before takeoff.

 

[TSandM]

Thinking about physical causes for anxiety, they're almost always things that result in significant adrenaline releases: Hypercarbia is a big one, because the body is pretty intolerant of higher CO2 levels than normal. Hypoglycemia is another, because the body's mechanism to acutely raise the glucose level is adrenaline release. Cardiac ischemia is another one that produces anxiety, rapid breathing, and usually sweating (you wouldn't notice that in your lake!) Reduced cardiac output (common example is any tachyarrhythmia like atrial fib or Wolf Parkinson White syndrome) causes anxiety, shortness of breath, and again sweating. All adrenaline rushes.

I wonder if you had a big adrenaline rush from completing this dive, and this was what I call an "adrenaline hangover"? I know when I've been through something really scary, I'll have the shakes and feel weak and even nauseated afterward. All I can come up with, unless this was just primarily psychological.

 

[Rick Inman]

Thinking about physical causes for anxiety, they're almost always things that result in significant adrenaline releases: Hypercarbia is a big one, because the body is pretty intolerant of higher CO2 levels than normal. Hypoglycemia is another, because the body's mechanism to acutely raise the glucose level is adrenaline release. Cardiac ischemia is another one that produces anxiety, rapid breathing, and usually sweating (you wouldn't notice that in your lake!) Reduced cardiac output (common example is any tachyarrhythmia like atrial fib or Wolf Parkinson White syndrome) causes anxiety, shortness of breath, and again sweating. All adrenaline rushes.

I wonder if you had a big adrenaline rush from completing this dive, and this was what I call an "adrenaline hangover"? I know when I've been through something really scary, I'll have the shakes and feel weak and even nauseated afterward. All I can come up with, unless this was just primarily psychological.

Very good info to think about, thanks (some of it I even understood eyebrow ). Sounds like maybe I was having too much fun. I'll try to curb that a bit. We'll see if it happens again.

 

[PerroneFord]

Rick, no idea on your anxiety, but I do want to ask a couple of questions about your dive.

1. Why didn't you do the switch to EAN50 at 70ft?
2. Why the 10ft final stop? I see you didn't use oxygen, but I'm wonderig if you might have had a shorter TAT with an extended stop on EAN50 at 70ft.
3. Why no Oxygen?
4. 28/16???

Thanks,

-P