YilanDiver
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(Suspected) Contaminated Air: A Personal Experience
I have an Advanced Open Water and Nitrox Certification with just over 50 dives. I recently had a bout with contaminated air. I feel that it is in the best interest of the dive community to share my experience. In order to diagnose my experience I searched for this kind of account online but was not able to find one. I am therefore posting this with the hope that more divers can more easily identify symptoms in themselves and others.
(Times are my best estimates, depths are fairly accurate as I paid close attention due to my discomfort)
5~10 minutes 4~6 meters tightness around mask, headache around temples
10~15 minutes 6~9 meters increasing headache around the back of my head
15~20 minutes 9~12 meters soreness in the neck and strong headache (I began massaging my neck and forehead) This is where I should have ended the dive at the very latest.At this point I ascended to 6~9 meters.
20~25 minutes 6 meters felt nauseous and almost threw up in my regulator.
25~30 minutes ascended to 3 meters, I wanted to make sure I made a safety stop, (I was beginning to feel disoriented, tunnel vision may have been a factor here as I was so focused on not ascending too quickly that my safety stop was probably 5-10 minutes)
30~35 minutes surface swim and exit, motor skills deficient, I had difficulty with my fins and needed to rest before continuing back to the shop.
Upon arrival at the shop, I immediately removed my gear and hit the bathroom. After returning from the bathroom, I tried to disassemble my gear but I was disoriented and had to sit down. I tried again but this time I again felt nauseous and threw up in the bathroom. I was extremely disoriented and probably not communicating clearly but I did tell one of the people I was diving with, he offered aspirin and showed concern for my state. Another clerk in the shop asked if I was okay and said I looked tired, to which I responded I had just thrown up. Once again I don’t think my communication skills were up to par and I was not understood. After finally getting my gear in order (tunnel vision), sitting down and resting every 2-3 minutes, I paid for my dives. I was asked for my e-mail and I even had trouble writing it down. I was extremely disoriented and feeling very uncomfortable at that time and I went to my van to lie down. I told a fellow diver that I had hoped to do a third dive with that I was sick and would not do another dive that day. Although I never implied that it was contaminated air his response was that I should rest on the couches at the shop and it was impossible that it was bad air. I should have heeded his advice as what I needed was fresh air, not air conditioning. I also should have found the shop owner or dive master to inform him of my condition but it is not reasonable to expect someone in an irrational state to act rationally. In the future should I encounter someone with these symptoms I will take it upon myself to inform everyone around me. After resting for 30 minutes I wanted to get home so I started on my way back home around 3:30 pm. I had driven less than 500 meters when I pulled over and threw up on the side of the road. A one hour trip home took 3 hours as I had to pull over and rest every 15 minutes. In retrospect I shouldn’t have been driving. When I arrived home I went to bed and by 9:00 pm I was feeling much better, tired but much better.
I spent thenext day recollecting what happened and possible causes.
Decompression Sickness: Probably not as we weren’t deep enough and I carefully managed my ascent.
Seasickness: Probably not as I am not prone to it and it was a fairly calm day.
Food Poisoning: Ate beef noodle soup, but so did others and food poisoning usually takes 6-8 hours, and symptoms don’t match.
Bad Air: This is the most likely as symptoms are accurate. My symptoms reminded me of Carbon Monoxide poisoning; I had a severe case as a 12 year old.
Oxygen Toxicity: Wasn’t using Nitrox so unlikely.
I believe that this experience has made me better/safer diver for myself and for those with whom I dive. Although contaminated air is rare it can happen and I am thankful that I can share this experience others.
(Suspected) Contaminated Air: A Personal Experience
I have an Advanced Open Water and Nitrox Certification with just over 50 dives. I recently had a bout with contaminated air. I feel that it is in the best interest of the dive community to share my experience. In order to diagnose my experience I searched for this kind of account online but was not able to find one. I am therefore posting this with the hope that more divers can more easily identify symptoms in themselves and others.
(Times are my best estimates, depths are fairly accurate as I paid close attention due to my discomfort)
5~10 minutes 4~6 meters tightness around mask, headache around temples
10~15 minutes 6~9 meters increasing headache around the back of my head
15~20 minutes 9~12 meters soreness in the neck and strong headache (I began massaging my neck and forehead) This is where I should have ended the dive at the very latest.At this point I ascended to 6~9 meters.
20~25 minutes 6 meters felt nauseous and almost threw up in my regulator.
25~30 minutes ascended to 3 meters, I wanted to make sure I made a safety stop, (I was beginning to feel disoriented, tunnel vision may have been a factor here as I was so focused on not ascending too quickly that my safety stop was probably 5-10 minutes)
30~35 minutes surface swim and exit, motor skills deficient, I had difficulty with my fins and needed to rest before continuing back to the shop.
Upon arrival at the shop, I immediately removed my gear and hit the bathroom. After returning from the bathroom, I tried to disassemble my gear but I was disoriented and had to sit down. I tried again but this time I again felt nauseous and threw up in the bathroom. I was extremely disoriented and probably not communicating clearly but I did tell one of the people I was diving with, he offered aspirin and showed concern for my state. Another clerk in the shop asked if I was okay and said I looked tired, to which I responded I had just thrown up. Once again I don’t think my communication skills were up to par and I was not understood. After finally getting my gear in order (tunnel vision), sitting down and resting every 2-3 minutes, I paid for my dives. I was asked for my e-mail and I even had trouble writing it down. I was extremely disoriented and feeling very uncomfortable at that time and I went to my van to lie down. I told a fellow diver that I had hoped to do a third dive with that I was sick and would not do another dive that day. Although I never implied that it was contaminated air his response was that I should rest on the couches at the shop and it was impossible that it was bad air. I should have heeded his advice as what I needed was fresh air, not air conditioning. I also should have found the shop owner or dive master to inform him of my condition but it is not reasonable to expect someone in an irrational state to act rationally. In the future should I encounter someone with these symptoms I will take it upon myself to inform everyone around me. After resting for 30 minutes I wanted to get home so I started on my way back home around 3:30 pm. I had driven less than 500 meters when I pulled over and threw up on the side of the road. A one hour trip home took 3 hours as I had to pull over and rest every 15 minutes. In retrospect I shouldn’t have been driving. When I arrived home I went to bed and by 9:00 pm I was feeling much better, tired but much better.
I spent thenext day recollecting what happened and possible causes.
Decompression Sickness: Probably not as we weren’t deep enough and I carefully managed my ascent.
Seasickness: Probably not as I am not prone to it and it was a fairly calm day.
Food Poisoning: Ate beef noodle soup, but so did others and food poisoning usually takes 6-8 hours, and symptoms don’t match.
Bad Air: This is the most likely as symptoms are accurate. My symptoms reminded me of Carbon Monoxide poisoning; I had a severe case as a 12 year old.
Oxygen Toxicity: Wasn’t using Nitrox so unlikely.
I believe that this experience has made me better/safer diver for myself and for those with whom I dive. Although contaminated air is rare it can happen and I am thankful that I can share this experience others.
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