Yesterday we had a beginning class out at breakwater in Monterey..this is a beginners short dive site..We went in on an incomming tide conditions were good but the vis was very bad..less than a foot with some sort of algae bloom..we did a skills dive and decieded to cancel the second dive...
The conditions had changed to comming in to waist and shoulder high surf...there is a narrow sand channel to exit with rocks on each side ....we had the student remove their fins and walk out...the instructor and dive master went in first got their gear off and I (DM) sent the students in one at a time...they all made it fine...
I was the last one to come in with the dive float..when I started my exit a diver came in behind me , passed me and blocked me to remove his fins and walk out...I got my fins off but had to hold the float and was now not in the best position but the instructor had come out to me and got the float..
A large close set came it ...just bad timing...I was walking in with my reg in my mouth when the first wave hit lifting off my feet ...when it set me back done my left foot must not have just set bad...I was on flat sand but literally, if possible felt I "heard" the bones break and the leg would not support me...I fell to my hands and knees...but because I had a good grasp on the reg in my mouth I went right into the "monastary crawl"....I was then hit by two more waves...but was able to ride them in and keep crawling when I made contact with sand again...once the instructor pulled me to my feet telling me to "walk" out....I know he thought he was helping but I didnt want to remove the reg to tell him I couldnt...because I knew I was going to fall into the water again...and did when the foot wouldnt support me and the pain was very intense...once down I kept crawling to dry sand where I removed my reg ...and said something like "unless your Christ, I am not going to walk,,,the foot is broken"..
Fortunatly my pain tolerance is high...they removed my gear and cared it up...then with my arms around the shoulders of the instr. and dm I could hop up to were our group site gathered...I had warm water but a group of divers next to us gave me a small bag of ice...all the other divers around were very helpful in offering me any thing I needed...they were great and I would like to say "thank you"...the dm and instr. got me out of my gear and into dry clothes...I rested while the class filled in their logs and were briefed ...and all was packed away...then we drove back to santa cruz to get our tanks refilled and drop off the DM ....
I then told the intr. (my hubby) we needed to go to the urgent care to get the foot xrayed I was sure it was broke...so off we went...I still don't think he belived me until he saw the x rays...#3 & 4 were broke clean thru...not a fracture but a clean break...the worst is that the bones are off set and may require surgery to reset...they put a temp cast to help protect and stabalize it...but I have to be very careful not to put any weight on it or the foot can be badly damage (I guess it can get worse) because of the holiday I can't get to the orthopedic till tuesday....either way I won't be diving for a while by the looks of things...
What I learned from this? there are other injuries that can happen other than bends...beach entry's and exits have risks...also enter and exit with you reg in your mouth and have enough air supply to allow you to do this....and if plan 1 doent work go to plan 2...even though it hurt you got to keep moving to safety then you can deal with the injury...
The conditions had changed to comming in to waist and shoulder high surf...there is a narrow sand channel to exit with rocks on each side ....we had the student remove their fins and walk out...the instructor and dive master went in first got their gear off and I (DM) sent the students in one at a time...they all made it fine...
I was the last one to come in with the dive float..when I started my exit a diver came in behind me , passed me and blocked me to remove his fins and walk out...I got my fins off but had to hold the float and was now not in the best position but the instructor had come out to me and got the float..
A large close set came it ...just bad timing...I was walking in with my reg in my mouth when the first wave hit lifting off my feet ...when it set me back done my left foot must not have just set bad...I was on flat sand but literally, if possible felt I "heard" the bones break and the leg would not support me...I fell to my hands and knees...but because I had a good grasp on the reg in my mouth I went right into the "monastary crawl"....I was then hit by two more waves...but was able to ride them in and keep crawling when I made contact with sand again...once the instructor pulled me to my feet telling me to "walk" out....I know he thought he was helping but I didnt want to remove the reg to tell him I couldnt...because I knew I was going to fall into the water again...and did when the foot wouldnt support me and the pain was very intense...once down I kept crawling to dry sand where I removed my reg ...and said something like "unless your Christ, I am not going to walk,,,the foot is broken"..
Fortunatly my pain tolerance is high...they removed my gear and cared it up...then with my arms around the shoulders of the instr. and dm I could hop up to were our group site gathered...I had warm water but a group of divers next to us gave me a small bag of ice...all the other divers around were very helpful in offering me any thing I needed...they were great and I would like to say "thank you"...the dm and instr. got me out of my gear and into dry clothes...I rested while the class filled in their logs and were briefed ...and all was packed away...then we drove back to santa cruz to get our tanks refilled and drop off the DM ....
I then told the intr. (my hubby) we needed to go to the urgent care to get the foot xrayed I was sure it was broke...so off we went...I still don't think he belived me until he saw the x rays...#3 & 4 were broke clean thru...not a fracture but a clean break...the worst is that the bones are off set and may require surgery to reset...they put a temp cast to help protect and stabalize it...but I have to be very careful not to put any weight on it or the foot can be badly damage (I guess it can get worse) because of the holiday I can't get to the orthopedic till tuesday....either way I won't be diving for a while by the looks of things...
What I learned from this? there are other injuries that can happen other than bends...beach entry's and exits have risks...also enter and exit with you reg in your mouth and have enough air supply to allow you to do this....and if plan 1 doent work go to plan 2...even though it hurt you got to keep moving to safety then you can deal with the injury...
