Bent in Belize--Blue Hole Incident

[r4e]

From post #111

Unfortunately, that isn't true. More than a few people have died after making it to the chamber, including a very well known figure just about a year ago.

I have to add that even the second ride in the chamber can be fatal as was experienced by a dive acquaintance of mine. He planned and performed a technical dive to 60 meters (180 ft). The first symptoms appeared relatively soon after surfacing. He was transferred urgently to a chamber. After the first ride, he was ordering pizza and phoning home not to worry. Unfortunately, he never survived the second ride. This was an "undeserved" hit. OP, you were lucky.

 

[Caxy Diver]

I don't know who he was, but there aren't ANY people here qualified to dive to those depths, except myself in San Pedro and a couple of people on Caye Caulker. And even then we have to be properly equipped.

Peter, Just for the record there are a few others in San Pedro who are qualified to deeper than recreational diving limits.

I agree with the poster the Blue hole is cowboy diving and unfortunately you do not know all the questions to ask before you go.

 

[Hank49]

Tried golf. I'm actually worse at golfing than diving.

Well, diving the Blue Hole with 4 dives under one's (not yours) belt and going to the stalactites, is a bit like playing golf in a lightning storm.

 

[beaverdivers]

I thought I was a golfer when I shot an 89.

But then I got to the 10th hole.

I think I'll stick to diving.

 

[peterbj7]

Peter, Just for the record there are a few others in San Pedro who are qualified to deeper than recreational diving limits

Steve - who? A PM will do.

 

[themagni]

Well, it's been a month since the dives and the chamber rides. For those who, for some reason, are still reading this thread, here's an update:

The doctors in Canada can't do much about any residual tingling I've got. It's still there, comes and goes, and it's worse at night. Some people have PMed me to say they have had the same thing and it will take a few months to pass. I can live with it either way. (Because I can LIVE with it!) I don't seem to have lost any strength or coordination, although yoga has been a little more challenging than I remember. I'm back to teaching spin regularly, biking to work, and my weight's coming back up again (I should break 160 soon...) My echocardiogram is on Monday.

Mentally I'm still with it, there hasn't been a change at work, and yesterday was hilariously productive.

Last night, I received the cheque from my travel insurance company, and they reimbursed the entire amount of the chamber rides, less a small fraction for the difference in calculating the exchange rates. I'm out just over $255, which is a pretty small price to pay for what I learned.

I'm still going to counseling for the separation, and we've also been talking about the little brush with death. I do feel better now than I have in years.

So, all is well. Thank you for both the smacks* and the caring, it's been nice to know that I've made some kind of impression.

_{*Some of you will be happy to know that meatspace friends have, in fact, hit me with feeling.}

 

[nait hadya]

spent several hours reading every post,some of them i read twice as they contained some rather profound info. hope your recovery continues and you return to diving.

 

[eelnoraa]

Maybe this has been answer before, but I didn't read throught the whole thread, so let me ask again, specifically to OP,

WHY would you even go those dives?? 152ft, AL80, unplanned/no plan deco, broke computer ..... The combinaiton is not even "oh let me push the limit a bit" kind of dive, it is totally off the chart kind of recreation dive. If I were you, I can only imagine got through the first dive, if I will never ignore my computer going into deco mode. No way I will go back in knowing what kind of dives these people are doing. Still, I am not trying to give you hard time here. I genuenly want to know what went throught you mind.

Also, this dive op should be named if not already.

 

[themagni]

Maybe this has been answer before, but I didn't read throught the whole thread, so let me ask again, specifically to OP,

WHY would you even go those dives?? ... I genuenly want to know what went throught you mind.

Well, short answer: because it is there. The Blue Hole Trilogy is The Belize Dive. It's like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower; Rome and skipping out on the Colisseum; seeing Victoria Falls without a dip in The Devil's Pool. It's something that almost every diving tourist goes to see, to do, to experience.


So why did I keep diving after my computer broke? I've already talked about it being 14 years since I last had a a vacation, and that I probably wasn't thinking with perfect clarity after the separation.

I figured a couple of things:

1. I haven't planned a thing about these dives. I'm just following the DM.
2. It's taken years to get here. When, if ever, will I be back?
3. The hole itself was kind of crappy. Apparently the next two will be spectacular.
4. Hey, it's me. I'm not going to get hurt.

On the third dive, I thought the same sort of things:
1. I've already stretched the limits, what's another step too far?
2. What other choices do I have? Thumb the day and sit on the boat, that's it.
3. Today is the best diving day of my entire life.
4. Hey, it's me. I'm not going to get hurt.

So yes, I probably could have gone another day, spent another $300 (irony!) and six more hours (more irony!) going back to BH to do the second and third dives. That option didn't even cross my mind until one of my friends back home asked me that.

Also, this dive op should be named if not already.

Despite the excessive depth, I don't think they are responsible enough for what happened to be named. Enough people in San Pedro know who they are that they could be named fairly easily.

 

[Mike]

Well, it's been a month since the dives and the chamber rides. For those who, for some reason, are still reading this thread, here's an update:

The doctors in Canada can't do much about any residual tingling I've got. It's still there, comes and goes, and it's worse at night. Some people have PMed me to say they have had the same thing and it will take a few months to pass. I can live with it either way. (Because I can LIVE with it!) I don't seem to have lost any strength or coordination, although yoga has been a little more challenging than I remember. I'm back to teaching spin regularly, biking to work, and my weight's coming back up again (I should break 160 soon...) My echocardiogram is on Monday.

Mentally I'm still with it, there hasn't been a change at work, and yesterday was hilariously productive.

Last night, I received the cheque from my travel insurance company, and they reimbursed the entire amount of the chamber rides, less a small fraction for the difference in calculating the exchange rates. I'm out just over $255, which is a pretty small price to pay for what I learned.

I'm still going to counseling for the separation, and we've also been talking about the little brush with death. I do feel better now than I have in years.

So, all is well. Thank you for both the smacks* and the caring, it's been nice to know that I've made some kind of impression.

_{*Some of you will be happy to know that meatspace friends have, in fact, hit me with feeling.}

Any worries they might sue you for the money back if they found this thread?