Diving accident - call the dive before it is to late

[bcfundiver]

I had a bit of an accident yesterday. Sometimes I have little problems w/ equalizing. As I learned yesterday, the vertigo I have been experiencing regularly (sometimes very mild, sometimes moderate, but scary) is due to the pressure difference between my two ears. (one is equalized, the other one not really).
Yesterday after a few bad judgment calls (I was a tiny bit congested, I had just a bit much weight on, and I had a new gear configuration) we started descending in 100’ of water at a new location (my deepest dive so far was 80’ – so two more mistakes), with no reference-line, and poor visibility (maybe 5’ close to the surface) two more mistakes...
As I think about it right now, it was all wrong from the very start.
So result: at around 30-35’ I had vertigo, and after a few sec ascend and clearing it quickly turned into total chaos. I pushed my buddy away with a thought of going up to the surface fast, but instead I went down… I realized it, when I started seeing darkness as I was spinning downward. I tried to inflate my drysuit – I did feel a bit of a squeeze) and my bcd, but for a while nothing seemed to be working… I did slow down somehow, I didn’t feel bad, and I wanted to stay down, when I realized, that my ear hurt, and my buddy said, now we are GOING UP!!! I realized later, it was at 100’…
Up to about 35 feet we ascended normally (my buddy slowed me down, when I started shooting up to the surface… I forgot that I had air in my bcd… So I ended up popping out of the water very fast. By than I wasn’t panicking, but I did not breathe out all the way up… I did have a few breathes of air, but I did not hold my breath at all through all this…
On the surface my nose was beading, and my right ear was plugged up, and I have bad headache, and we realized later, that I am spitting up blood as well. That was the point when we decided to go to the hospital.
I spent there 5 hours; I was ok, (except the headache and the ear pain – both moderate). The diving doctor said I had hemorrhage on my eardrum, and reverse block, and I’ll be fine. I felt pretty good overall, I was just very tired.

I wrote this because I want all of you who thought nothing can go THAT wrong, to learn from it. I was diving with a dive-master candidate… great guy; he was in more shock at the end than I was… It was a very useful experience for me and for him as well. We learned a lot. I amhappy that I survived.

I am also writing this because I have a question. The local dive specialist in the hospital mentioned, that maybe I shouldn’t dive at all. Now that is not going to happen! I know why he said that and I understand that he is right. BUT… I will dive, but a lot smarter, than I did yesterday.
The instructors and fellow divers from my shop are great and supportive, and I thank them for their care!!! I guess I just need to hear from more of you who went through same challenges and still diving. I am just wondering if any of you have any advices…

I will be back in the water in 4 weeks!!!

 

[gfisher4792]

Glad you're still with us. I'll leave it up to the more knowledgable members to give you advice....

 

[H2Andy]

bcfundiver, you were combining two recipes for vertigo:

inner ear problems and lack of outside visual reference (low vis, no line).

i would confine my diving to clear water with a reference point (a line) and practice
clearing my ears until this is no longer an issue.

i wouldn't dive congested if i were you.

but you and your buddy dealt with the problem, and you came out ok. you did
a few things right (such as not closing your airway on the way up, or you would
have had an AGE).

so, while not the ideal way to learn these things, you have had a very valuable
learning experience.

 

[detroit diver]

Glad to hear that you're okay. Your buddy did you well.

Just a couple of comments/suggestions...

First, did you ever consider just using your BC for buoyancy? I know that certain agencies teach using the drysuit, but yours is a perfect example of one too many things to deal with when the problems begin to occur. Using your BC would eliminate one of those problems right away.

Second, maybe diving with vertigo-even mild vertigo- is not such a good idea. If you're experiencing it while your buddy has a problem, you can't be much help to him/her. And it certainly isn't good for your well-being either.

 

[Laser]

Couple of observations. You admit being over weighted, while diving a new rig. I would not be trying this out with out a shallow hard bottom. 100' of water is not the place to be working out issues with a new rig. It's important to get squared away with a new configuration and the corresponding weight in the shallows.
Also, I've experienced alternobaric vertigo, and focussing on something helps. I focussed on my depth gauge/timer so I could monitor my ascent even though I was spinning in my head.
Kudos to you buddy, for his good buddy skills.

 

[RiverRat]

Glad you're OK! It seems as I hear more stories like yours (thanks for sharing) I have come to the conclusion that the sometimes stupid little problems (some not so little) can cascade into life threatening situations. I had a pretty bad ear squeeze during my OW dives. After my Saturday dives I noticed a little stuffiness Sunday morning but thought it was "not that big of a deal" and only wanted to finish my cert. dives. Well it WAS a big deal and it took 3 weeks before I could dive again. I think as we progress in diving we must strive to eliminate as many potential problems as possible before we hit the water and also work on bailout scenarios etc. if problems arise. Again, glad you and your buddy are ok!

 

[MikeFerrara]

Glad you're OK! It seems as I hear more stories like yours (thanks for sharing) I have come to the conclusion that the sometimes stupid little problems (some not so little) can cascade into life threatening situations.

Yes. There are few "single" big problems that get you. It's almost always a little problem that leads to another and then another until it gets completely out of control.

This is why proficiency in the basics is so important. If one little issue doesn't cause you to lose control of something else you stopped the cascade and it ends right there.

Ascents and descents are probably the most likely times to have a problem.

 

[pipedope]

Can contribute to vertigo.

Working on bouyancy and new gear calls for more care than a simple dive. You want either good vis or a very good visual reference and a hard bottom for practice.

My point is that just the visual soup can be disorienting even without any other problems. Stack the deck in your own favor by only expanding one skill at a time.

Glad you are OK.

 

[IndigoBlue]

I had a bit of an accident yesterday. Sometimes I have little problems w/ equalizing. As I learned yesterday, the vertigo I have been experiencing regularly (sometimes very mild, sometimes moderate, but scary) is due to the pressure difference between my two ears. (one is equalized, the other one not really).
Yesterday after a few bad judgment calls (I was a tiny bit congested, I had just a bit much weight on, and I had a new gear configuration) we started descending in 100’ of water at a new location (my deepest dive so far was 80’ – so two more mistakes), with no reference-line, and poor visibility (maybe 5’ close to the surface) two more mistakes...
As I think about it right now, it was all wrong from the very start.
So result: at around 30-35’ I had vertigo, and after a few sec ascend and clearing it quickly turned into total chaos. I pushed my buddy away with a thought of going up to the surface fast, but instead I went down… I realized it, when I started seeing darkness as I was spinning downward. I tried to inflate my drysuit – I did feel a bit of a squeeze) and my bcd, but for a while nothing seemed to be working… I did slow down somehow, I didn’t feel bad, and I wanted to stay down, when I realized, that my ear hurt, and my buddy said, now we are GOING UP!!! I realized later, it was at 100’…
Up to about 35 feet we ascended normally (my buddy slowed me down, when I started shooting up to the surface… I forgot that I had air in my bcd… So I ended up popping out of the water very fast. By than I wasn’t panicking, but I did not breathe out all the way up… I did have a few breathes of air, but I did not hold my breath at all through all this…
On the surface my nose was beading, and my right ear was plugged up, and I have bad headache, and we realized later, that I am spitting up blood as well. That was the point when we decided to go to the hospital.
I spent there 5 hours; I was ok, (except the headache and the ear pain – both moderate). The diving doctor said I had hemorrhage on my eardrum, and reverse block, and I’ll be fine. I felt pretty good overall, I was just very tired.

I wrote this because I want all of you who thought nothing can go THAT wrong, to learn from it. I was diving with a dive-master candidate… great guy; he was in more shock at the end than I was… It was a very useful experience for me and for him as well. We learned a lot. I amhappy that I survived.

I am also writing this because I have a question. The local dive specialist in the hospital mentioned, that maybe I shouldn’t dive at all. Now that is not going to happen! I know why he said that and I understand that he is right. BUT… I will dive, but a lot smarter, than I did yesterday.
The instructors and fellow divers from my shop are great and supportive, and I thank them for their care!!! I guess I just need to hear from more of you who went through same challenges and still diving. I am just wondering if any of you have any advices…

I will be back in the water in 4 weeks!!!

Welcome to Scubaboard! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

As I read your story, I also focused on the things you did right.

1) You had a good buddy with you. Without a good buddy, or without a buddy at all, you might not be here today.

2) You stayed calm and thought though all the problems.

3) You have learned from some of your past decisions.

Those are all good things.

I always start to clear my ears several days before my dive day. In fact, whenever I first think about going diving, before I even call my buddy, I see if my ears will clear. Usually they will, but sometimes they won't. If they won't, that tells me something is wrong, and that I cannot plan to go diving until they will clear. Summer colds are usually the reason my ears sometimes won't clear.

I also clear them on the way to the dive site, and on the shore, and in the water at the surface before I begin my descent. There is a rule for all this: Clear your ears early and often.

As you descend, you should descend slowly enought to clear your ears as you go down. Some divers can do this really fast, automatically. Others cannot.

Of course, if your ears continue to be a problem with clearing, yes, then, it is true that you probably should not be scuba diving. You will have to decide after awhile, for yourself, whether this pertains to you. Good luck.

Nice job on all the things you did right!

 

[RiverRat]

Welcome to Scubaboard! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

I always start to clear my ears several days before my dive day. In fact, whenever I first think about going diving, before I even call my buddy, I see if my ears will clear. Usually they will, but sometimes they won't. If they won't, that tells me something is wrong, and that I cannot plan to go diving until they will clear. Summer colds are usually the reason my ears sometimes won't clear.

Good advise. I just wanted to add that I'm one of these folks that is stuffy quite often due to allergies. I also pre-equalize and pay very close attention to my ears. I also use more technique (tilting my head to stretch the eustacian tubes etc.) now on the way down and I'm VERY carefull during the first 30 feet where the most dramatic pressure changes occur.
I'm not a doctor and I'm not about to give any medical advise but there are some very good PRESCRIPTION nasal sprays (Nasonex) that don't affect the body physically (like the over the counter addictive stuff, BAD) and help to open up the nose etc. I would call DAN and ask about what is recommended and also seek advise from an ENT specialist. And as always if you do decide to use something for your sinuses, ears, you should evaluate how you react to it (any symptoms?) BEFORE you dive. Again I'm not a doctor, call DAN and seek medical opinion.