Bent over a BC

[Grajan]

He did not get symptoms until the NEXT DAY. This was not a DCS this was a rapid ascent.

Resubmergence made perfect sense. The only limit I would put on that is to make sure I picked up my buddy - just in case.

 

[cornfed]

Grajan once bubbled...
He did not get symptoms until the NEXT DAY. This was not a DCS this was a rapid ascent.

Resubmergence made perfect sense.

I doubt I would take a new diver -- especially one that just had an equipment problem -- back down as a precaution. I wasn't taught to resubmerge simply because of a rapid ascent. Are people being taught this in OW?

The only limit I would put on that [resubmergence?] is to make sure I picked up my buddy - just in case.

Pick your buddy up where? They should be surfacing shortly after you do, right?

Cornfed

 

[Grajan]

I am thinking about what I would do - not a novice diver.

If my buddy is doing their job right they are directly below me doing a controlled ascent. Perfect place to find them on my way back down (I tend to dive in reasonable vis - I do this for fun....).

When I was doing my Deuxieme Echelon training (CMAS) we practiced a number of rapid ascents in a variety of circumstances and the procedure was always to redescent to depth as soon as possible.

 

[ElectricZombie]

Lack of equiptment familiarity is the real problem, not the gear.

It's always better to have your own gear to practice with prior to diving.

If often wonder how many of these "BC Failures/Problems" are simply user error.

 

[Braunbehrens]

In this case it was probably better not to do IWR, because it was quite possible that there would be no symptoms, and the person was unfamiliar with the gear, which could have caused more problems.

In other situations I think IWR makes a lot of sense, and often it should be done but isn't, due to fear of going back down.

The real problem with IWR is that if you develop a problem at depth you may drown.

So you have to weigh the risks. How likely is it that you will develop a problem? How likely is it that you will develop a serious problem if you go back down? How competent is your buddy? Is there a chamber nearby?

Some IWR methods call for a FFM. I'm not so sure I like this idea, because an OOA would most likely be fatal.

If I had a rapid ascent I would go to half my depth, do 5 mn, then 1 mn stops and then hang out at 20 ft until I was close to ooa, then a really slow ascent to the surface. I would ONLY do this if my buddy was competent and agreed to accompany me and watch me.

This, of course, is what I would do. It's not a recommendation.

 

[M.A.H.]

The biggest buoyancy problem for new or infrequent divers is not making SMALL adjustments and being impatient. Add a little air and wait for the effect.

 

[devilfish]

Marcos once bubbled...
Resubmerging is the worse thing you can do, that would have made his DCS more severe. The best thing to do is lay on your left side with feet raised (so any air bubble will go to your feet and not your brain) and administer pure oxygen if available. Didn't you learn to never resubmerge in your certification class?????

This is such a funny common misconception, but it's totally wrong. If that was so that bubbles would go to the toes, there would not be a need for recompression chambers. All would need to be done is cut the divers toe, bubbles would vent out and the diver could go home cured with just a bandage on the toe. Funny but totally wrong. Bubbles do not move to the toes. That was not the purpose of the trendelenburg position then. Today it's not advised at all.

 

[gkwaldee]

and while Im not the "expert" some truely are here on this board. I have to agree with IWR, especially in a rapid ascent situation. The way I understand it is this.....its about the differential pressures around the bubble skin, equalize the pressure...........and the bubble shrinks or reaches equalibrium.

The depths of the stops and how those depths effect the fast and slow tissues (N2 loading) is why its "taught" as a bad idea. IWR is not a good idea because very few rec. divers understand that there are reasons why deeper isnt better (M-values for one, gas management is another). They just think............I gotta get down to somewhere, for some time so I dont get bent.

Come on UP, let me know if Im wacked

tiny bubbles (the "good" kind, not the ones made of N2)

 

[cornfed]

gkwaldee,

If you read the article you now that in most, if not all, of the IWR cases he looked the treatment was made up on the spot. They weren't following any protocols they just figured, "I gotta get down to somewhere, for some time so I dont get bent."

The reason it isn't taught has nothing to do with understanding of m-values or decompression theory. PADI, NAUI, etc wanted to teach you IWR in OW they could easily cover all the background deco theory. The reality is that is has to do with liability.

If you try IWR and something goes wrong you die. If you recompress in a chamber and something goes wrong you're in a quasi-controlled environment and there are people there to assist you.

Cornfed

 

[clootie]

Interesting articles.

I can see the point of at least considering IWR, particularly where the depth was quite shallow to start, and where the diver is calm enough to be willing & able to do it - not necessarily the case.

(On my quick skim read of it this weekend (doing the course in a few weeks) the PADI rescue course says IWR is generally only of benefit with O2, only to do it with 02, not air, with support teams etc, and only as a last resort if far away from a chamber)

Another option would have been to put your brother on 100% O2 ASAP on the surface (demand mask type, preferably holding it to get as good a seal as possible), as the high O2 concentration also changes the partial pressures and shrinks the bubbles forming. (Much the way Gkwaldee says, but without the risk of drowning, or added stress to a probably already freaked :scared: diver). That might have prevented the trip to the chamber.

I'm glad he's ok , and it had a good ending. Hope he can get back in the water soon. Me, I'm really looking forward to doing both the Rescue course, and the DAN O2 provider courses in the coming weeks (been reading over that one too, as you may guess).