Bent in Cozumel

[goofygirl]

I really like all the posts saying we just joined DAN. Makes me feel good about posting the thread.

My husband and I are DAN members (and insured) as of yesterday AND we're leaving for Coz in a few short hours!


As new divers we really appreciated reading about your experience, and learned a lot from it, and all the other posts thereafter. Thank you so much for sharing your experience, and we're so glad to hear that you're feeling better!

 

[armyscuba]

Thanks Tim, Good story..and thanks Christi for the input. Glad Your both in good health. Remember Tim..Beer is 98% water..So Stay Hydrated

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Symptoms update. The flu like symptoms have 90% abated but I am still weak as a kitten. I tried to take the dog for his normal one mile walk yesterday and had to turn back about one-quarter of the way (the dog was not happy). Was roundly lectured by my dive buddy for "pushing the envelope" in life. He is a very conservative and some would say nervous diver. Maybe there is something to that. He is very happy about diving nitrox and sticking to the shallows. I have done my share of deep diving and will miss it but will trade it to keep diving.
In discussing the incident with him I acknowledged that the only thing I did differently on this dive trip that I hadn't done in the past was the workout the day before my first dive. I hit the weights pretty hard that morning. I especially ripped up on the curls and lat pull-downs. I'll give the nod to hydration being a factor but I am coming to believe that the workout may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. I am left handed and therefore favor my left arm. It naturally gets worked out a little harder and thats the side that got hit. I emphasize again that it was the only difference between my normal diving habits and what occurred this time. I would also note that these were dives 127-130 for me. My diving habits may not have been the best in the world but they were definitely not constantly "pushing the limits" or I would assume I would have been bent sooner.
As to my no pay no treatment warning a friend in Mexico pointed out that you won't be treated at a private American clinic if you can't pay. He acknowledges that the Mexican public health system is not the best in the world but notes that there is a safety net for those that cannot pay. Note that the two hyperbarics on Cozumel are private clinics and have a no pay, no treatment policy.
Lastly I would note that you may not be able to see or predict what may be your causative factor. The "undeserved hit" is simply one that cannot be directly attributed. That was the point of this thread from my perspective. Don't try and figure out what happened if the your only reason in doing so is to dismiss the incident in a vein of "I don't do that so it won't happen to me". Learn what you can and be prepared for the worst.

 

[5615mike]

Isn't there a fee usually added to dives in Coz that supports the chamber? I am guessing just because you pay it, doesn't mean you get free use?

Have you ever heard of a free ride? Pardon the pun. Absolutely not. Nothings free. Why would you assume that use of the chamber is free?

 

[Christi]

Isn't there a fee usually added to dives in Coz that supports the chamber? I am guessing just because you pay it, doesn't mean you get free use?

I started a new thread for this. Thanks for bringing it up and dive safe!

 

[MikeFerrara]

Lastly I would note that you may not be able to see or predict what may be your causative factor. The "undeserved hit" is simply one that cannot be directly attributed. That was the point of this thread from my perspective. Don't try and figure out what happened if the your only reason in doing so is to dismiss the incident in a vein of "I don't do that so it won't happen to me". Learn what you can and be prepared for the worst.

Decompression isn't that exact of a science. We often have to carry lots of gear up and down mountains (really big hills)to get to and from the dive site. We don't have a choice about workouts before or after those dives. The last time I had 7 trips just to get my own gear to the water. The heat the terain and other aspects of the logistics often introduce complicating factors that just can't always be controlled.

We make adjustments to the dive. That's not to say that we won't ever get bent doing it but the point is that we dive more conservatively as we feel the need.

 

[pipedope]

How can you do everything right and still get bent? Isn't that kind of an oxymoron kind of thing. I don't believe it. Define right? I don't believe in "the undeserved" hit.

I think we will always disagree on this one.

DCI is like O2 tox, it is just not completely predictable and there may be (read that probably are) factors involved that we don't even know about yet.

Why are the PPO2 limits so low now?
As a safety margin because of the extream variability of O2 tox. All commercial diving schools and the US Navy have discontinued doing O2 tox testing on prospective divers? It was just not possible to make any accurate predictions.

Some of the cases of DCI have been on dives that were SOOOOO conservative that it is amazing that there could have been any chance of a problem.
How much is enough?
How do you know how much extra care to take when you probably don't know all of the factors to consider?
The only way to be completely sure you will not get injured diving is to not dive.

I prefer to reduce the risks to a low but acceptable (to me) level and be prepared to deal with any injuries that may happen.

In commercial diving, we are required to have a chamber on site for ALL deco diving and most deep diving. There is also a requirement to monitor a diver after the deep or deco dive for signs of DCI. Does this mean that commercial divers like to take chances and push the limits?
Not most of us. We do not want a DCI incident, if nothing else it will take us off the diving roster for a long time. Divers want to dive, not choke hose or push paper.
We have to get the job done but we also have nearly unlimited gas so we can extend deco as long as we want.

There is not much DCI in the commercial diving arena (USA at least) but it sure is nice to have that chamber there if you do need it.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Tim, I love you. Thanks for sharing ... Love, Your Wife

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Okay that was my wife signing on unauthorized. Now she's up to speed. First time on the board.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

Symptoms update. The flu like symptoms have 90% abated but I am still weak as a kitten. I tried to take the dog for his normal one mile walk yesterday and had to turn back about one-quarter of the way (the dog was not happy). Was roundly lectured by my dive buddy for "pushing the envelope" in life. He is a very conservative and some would say nervous diver. Maybe there is something to that. He is very happy about diving nitrox and sticking to the shallows. I have done my share of deep diving and will miss it but will trade it to keep diving.
In discussing the incident with him I acknowledged that the only thing I did differently on this dive trip that I hadn't done in the past was the workout the day before my first dive. I hit the weights pretty hard that morning. I especially ripped up on the curls and lat pull-downs. I'll give the nod to hydration being a factor but I am coming to believe that the workout may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. I am left handed and therefore favor my left arm. It naturally gets worked out a little harder and thats the side that got hit. I emphasize again that it was the only difference between my normal diving habits and what occurred this time. I would also note that these were dives 127-130 for me. My diving habits may not have been the best in the world but they were definitely not constantly "pushing the limits" or I would assume I would have been bent sooner.
As to my no pay no treatment warning a friend in Mexico pointed out that you won't be treated at a private American clinic if you can't pay. He acknowledges that the Mexican public health system is not the best in the world but notes that there is a safety net for those that cannot pay. Note that the two hyperbarics on Cozumel are private clinics and have a no pay, no treatment policy.
Lastly I would note that you may not be able to see or predict what may be your causative factor. The "undeserved hit" is simply one that cannot be directly attributed. That was the point of this thread from my perspective. Don't try and figure out what happened if the your only reason in doing so is to dismiss the incident in a vein of "I don't do that so it won't happen to me". Learn what you can and be prepared for the worst.

Tim how are you doing havn't seen you on the board.??