Glad you are still her Tim! My 2cts.Do not exercise while diving on a trip opens you up some for DCS. I drink way to much booze on a dive trip and leave myself open on that end. I do hit the water big time in the morning. I prefer to stay at 80ft or less and prefer 40 to 60 ft for photos. I am old. And dive the most O2 level of nitrox you can get for the depth that is planed. And I know in Coz the DM controls the safety stop time, I like longer and believe in a deep stop as well. I am out of shape and old and drink like a fish and smoke a pack aday and I see folks get bent diving in my group with me. And they are young in shape with flat bellies doe's not make sense. Makes no sense. I have spent my time in chambers working in the gulf but I was getting paid. Doing a chamber ride in Coz would make me mad. YES on dive insurance would not leave home without it all divers should have it if you do not you are insane or super rich! Folks Nitrox is going to replace air for diving at some point in the future,think about it. But as Tim said and others drink water as much as your body can handle your wetsuit can become a hot water suit without the surface supplied pump and heater. Dive safe and these computers are not GOD.
Bent in Cozumel
- Thread starter Tim Ingersoll
- Start date
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Natasha
Contributor
Tim Ingersoll:
Tim:
This is exactly why I asked you who your buddies were. If they dove the same profile and didn't get bent, it was all you buddy. The drinking, the excitement, the lack of proper hydration.
You have helped several people now. I hope #1 everyone goes out and buys DAN insurance..and
#2 Start drinking water now..and especially several weeks before a trip.
When I hit the island the 1st thing I do is get a couple gallons of bottled water across from PLG and keep it in the fridge. I bring my water bottle from home and keep filling it up all day.
I do this on every island. Get in the habit of buying bottled water and keeping it in the room. No excuse for anyone to be dehydrated.
Not that it still couldn't happen to anyone..but you have more of a fighting chance..
dnhill
Contributor
Tim,
First, I'm glad things are as good as they are.
Second, I had to admit to myself as I was reading your story, that I would have been in denial about the symptoms until the shoulder pain as well. I would have determined the flu type symptoms were just from breathing the air on the plane getting to CZM. I will have to watch my "denial" traits on the next trips. I too like to use the 120 cf tanks for prolonged bottom time. This makes me sure to use nitrox when it is available and indicated for the depth of the dive.
dnhill
First, I'm glad things are as good as they are.
Second, I had to admit to myself as I was reading your story, that I would have been in denial about the symptoms until the shoulder pain as well. I would have determined the flu type symptoms were just from breathing the air on the plane getting to CZM. I will have to watch my "denial" traits on the next trips. I too like to use the 120 cf tanks for prolonged bottom time. This makes me sure to use nitrox when it is available and indicated for the depth of the dive.
dnhill
metaldector
Contributor
Some of you are probably thinking how can these guys get the bends after so many hours out of the water. Doesnt the body out-gas from the moment you stop breathing compressed air? And why if your computer has cleared the no fly time and you are free of nitrogen do you still get the bends? After all, if you havent been diving in 24 hours how can you get DCS. Well, it has to do with nitrogen bubbles?
When the bubbles form they try to escape the body. Much is respirated through the lungs and out, but some is trapped in your fatty tissues, muscle tissues and organs, and this seeks a soft way out, usually through a joint, hence elbows, knees, wrists and shoulders. And yes, after 24 hours the nitrogen level in your body is normal, so why the bends after 24 hours?
The short answer is oxygen starvation. The tissues that were full of nitrogen left no room for the oxygen. We metabolize oxygen, nitrogen is a inert gas of no value to our tissues. When an organ or nerve is deprived of oxygen it starts to die. Given enough time without oxygen it ceases to function. Thus, when the first symptoms of DCS are felt most pass it off as a muscle strain, tiredness, flu, etc. Without proper treatment, the cells now deprived of oxygen start to shut down. Nerve endings die, other organs cease to function and death can result.
Placed back in compression (as in a chamber) the size of the bubbles are recompressed to a smaller size. At the same time, 100% oxygen is placed on the patient to saturate the body tissues with a good gas, and cause a stimulation of cells deprived of oxygen by nitrogen. By slowly uncompressing the patient over many hours and alternating oxygen and normal air, the compressed bubbles are slowly removed through respiration or in the case of decompression after 24 hours out of the water, those cells which are dying are rejuvenated with a flood of oxygen. But once a cell is dead its too late. A dead cell cant be rejuvenated. A new cell my grow in its place but the old one is gone forever.
So the longer one waits to seek help the more cells die, the more nerve endings die, the more potential for permanent damage. If you dont think it can happen to you, youre likely to suffer a long recovery.
When the bubbles form they try to escape the body. Much is respirated through the lungs and out, but some is trapped in your fatty tissues, muscle tissues and organs, and this seeks a soft way out, usually through a joint, hence elbows, knees, wrists and shoulders. And yes, after 24 hours the nitrogen level in your body is normal, so why the bends after 24 hours?
The short answer is oxygen starvation. The tissues that were full of nitrogen left no room for the oxygen. We metabolize oxygen, nitrogen is a inert gas of no value to our tissues. When an organ or nerve is deprived of oxygen it starts to die. Given enough time without oxygen it ceases to function. Thus, when the first symptoms of DCS are felt most pass it off as a muscle strain, tiredness, flu, etc. Without proper treatment, the cells now deprived of oxygen start to shut down. Nerve endings die, other organs cease to function and death can result.
Placed back in compression (as in a chamber) the size of the bubbles are recompressed to a smaller size. At the same time, 100% oxygen is placed on the patient to saturate the body tissues with a good gas, and cause a stimulation of cells deprived of oxygen by nitrogen. By slowly uncompressing the patient over many hours and alternating oxygen and normal air, the compressed bubbles are slowly removed through respiration or in the case of decompression after 24 hours out of the water, those cells which are dying are rejuvenated with a flood of oxygen. But once a cell is dead its too late. A dead cell cant be rejuvenated. A new cell my grow in its place but the old one is gone forever.
So the longer one waits to seek help the more cells die, the more nerve endings die, the more potential for permanent damage. If you dont think it can happen to you, youre likely to suffer a long recovery.
What are you talking about? The guy said, "Upon returning to the boat my left shoulder immediately started to hurt".
The symptoms of being bent started almost immediately after the second dive on day two. In fact DAN statistics indicate that most cases of DCS I show symptoms within an hour or two of surfacing. DCS II symptoms start within minutes.
What is seen is that people with delayed DCS symptoms invariably get them on the airplane due to the low pressure.
The symptoms of being bent started almost immediately after the second dive on day two. In fact DAN statistics indicate that most cases of DCS I show symptoms within an hour or two of surfacing. DCS II symptoms start within minutes.
What is seen is that people with delayed DCS symptoms invariably get them on the airplane due to the low pressure.
gj62
Contributor
So newbies that read this know, it could also be that his personal physiology simply makes him more susceptible - this *can* happen even if you do everything right...Natasha:
NDH
Guest
So we have a question? When should new divers get cert. for nitrox? All this information is very important to new divers because its the first time that we have heard stories in detail on this subject. I know my wife and I didn't get into this wonderful sport to have it end by our own mistakes, so thank all of you for the
information.
information.
NDH:
Your going to get a few different opinions on that in here but IMO nitrox is a course to take immediately after your very comfortable with your depth control skills. Nitrox adds the possibility of oxygen toxicity in the recreational depth zone so depth control skills become even more important.
For most people that is right after OW class if they want. Some divers need more time to work on perfecting their skills.
I think its time for a comment on DCS in general here. This is not meant minimize the potential seriousness of DCS or to minimize any of your DCS experiences but to speak to the reality of the odds of DCS occuring if you follow the basic rules.
DCS is very rare in recreational diving if the basic rules are followed. That is a fact. Those rules are:
1- Stay well within NDL's or your computers limits, don't dive anywhere near the limits of tables, or your computer
2- Slow ascents, the slower the better, 30 FPM maximum
3- Never dive when tired or fatigued
4- Always stay well hydrated, there is no such thing as being too hydrated
5- Avoid vigorous exercise before, during or after your dive
6- Don't dive if your cold, cut your dive short if you start to shiver, etc
7- Conditions like illness, certain injuries, obesity, older age, etc can contribute to the onset of DCS. More caution should be exercised if they exist.
Obviously, the more of these rules you break at once, the better your chances are of getting DCS. The top six are 100% controllable by the diver and should not be a reason one gets DCS.
I know most of you know all this and i'm not trying to preach but IMO this thread might have started to unneccessarily scare some newer divers.
The fact remains, if the basic rules are followed, you can safely do multi day, multi dive, diving. Its done hundreds if not thousands of times a week with little occurance of DCS.
Follow the rules & you will be safer than you are in your car going to work.
The catch is you have to follow the rules!
Hey Tim, glad you're OK! Thanks for posting. This thread is an eye opener and will surely be of help to us all.
parrotheaddiver
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Thanks to you Tim my husband and I are now DAN members. It's probably the best $184.00 I have spent in a while.
I use to belong to DAN back in the 80's but dropped it I guess I thought I was bulletproof. A lot older and hopefully wiser I look forward to more years of diving.
I use to belong to DAN back in the 80's but dropped it I guess I thought I was bulletproof. A lot older and hopefully wiser I look forward to more years of diving.
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