DCS due to reading computer wrong (I think)

[Hintermann]

Another thing that surprises me, is that OP experienced such intense DCS symptoms but was recovered enough to fly within 24 hours to no further ill effect.

No it was closer to 40 hours. The SFM dive was at round 9am on Saturday and the flight was at 02:45am on Monday.

A few things about air though, relating to the comments that a few made. In defence of JJ and his crew, there was an unused full air tank at 10m along the line that I was ascending and Big Sam was hovering about 5m above me all the time. It did surprise me afterwards that Sam said nothing about my decon stop being not enough. Perhaps with so many of us around he lost track of my dive. Cannot blame him - I should have been the one to have been more careful.

 

[vincent54]

Glad you made it. I am wondering if you might have been worn out from the week of diving and this could have contributed to you being more sensitive to DCS. In retrospect, the dive could have been planned better, but I'm sure in the heat of the moment you just lost focus. Cheers

 

[AfterDark]

Sounds like you were a little narc'ed to me. That stuff creeps and you don't know it until you go to do something that requires a little more attention, like reading and understanding a PDC. I was lucky my 1st encounter didn't "cost" me anything. Glad you're ok. I'd take a little DCS to dive TRUK!

 

[DandyDon]

Sounds like you were a little narc'ed to me. That stuff creeps and you don't know it until you go to do something that requires a little more attention, like reading and understanding a PDC. I was lucky my 1st encounter didn't "cost" me anything. Glad you're ok. I'd take a little DCS to dive TRUK!

You're joking, right...?!

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Yow. I don't have much to add to what's already been said, but I do find it surprising that you weren't evacuated to a chamber for evaluation, especially considering that you were still symptomatic after receiving surface O2. I would definitely recommend following the constructive recommendations you've received here.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Hintermann]

In retrospect, the dive could have been planned better, but I'm sure in the heat of the moment you just lost focus. Cheers

You have hit the nail on the head. The Odyssey was my 14th liveaboard boat but my approach to the entire trip was very different from previous ones. I had read and looked-up a lot of information about the wrecks and was very excited about the prospect of diving them. Having wanted to dive the Truk wrecks even before I even became a diver, there was an element of "Am I really here?" to the whole trip. All the dives were well up to my expectations and in looking for what I wanted to see I let the logistics of the dive take a second place. It never happened before but I accept it as my fault and have learned a lesson.

 

[InTheDrink]

I think there's a fair few places that push the boundaries. In Cocos we switched our computers to 1.6 ppO2, were invariably in deco, on singles and with the currents were frequently flying solo. My buddy also went OOG once (I was there to assist) and close to several times. But the sharks took our minds off it .

All the more reason to become as self reliant as possible. My mindset is rather different these days.

Glad OP is alright. A deco class, an understanding of redundancy and gas management sounds about right. We all make mistakes.

 

[vladimir]

Having dove the Odyssea last year as I recall the theme of the week by JJ was "run your computer into Deco so you see how it operates and you will be ready for the San Fransisco Maru" it was your call on doing the dive, I planned it as a no decompression and dove that very short plan for several reasons. I did no deco dives all week because there is basically no chamber available so why push the envelope. I was diving an 80 and didn't have enough back gas for stops and any emergent situation that might occur. I asked "if someone in the first group grabs the bailout bottle at 90ft is it replaced" answer "No"
I also didn't do the dive following this one. JJ also stated that they see DCS often, I believe him.

What is the status of the chamber at Truk? They have one, so I guess the question is whether it is manned and operational.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/423276-am-i-reading-correctly-chuuk-lagoon.html

Alert Diver | Bent in Chuuk

 

[Doubler]

Vladimir,
I had read a thread before my trip about someone that took a hit and there was no one on the island capable of running the chamber. To me that's the same as no chamber.

 

[vladimir]

Yes, I think that is the second link in my post, though perhaps not. I am confused as to why, in that DAN article, the patient was evacuated to Guam. It sounds like he needed medical care (beyond just recompression) that could not be had in Truk, but it's not clear from the article.

Kevrumbo, a Scubaboard member, indicates that he did receive treatment in Truk (first link above), but that was in 2008, so the situation today is unclear to me.