Dizziness & panic!

[diver_girl]

Hi,
I'm a OWD with 10 logged dives. Within the last year I have had two incidents whilst diving in Britain. Both have occured during descent in cold murky waters. When I reach about 5-18m I suddenly seem to lose all orientation. The first dive I suddenly decided to bolt to the surface - very lucky that the dm grabbed my fin and stopped me! The 2nd time was very different. i felt like I was spinning really fast, I don't know quite what happened, but it ended up with me on the bottom. My problem is tht between these two incidents I have dived several times in warm, clear water with absolutely no problems. I would be really grateful if anyone could give me some sort of reason/advice!

 

[TSandM]

diver girl, I don't have any advice, but a lot of empathy.

I've have fought and still fight a battle with what I call midwater disorientation. Take away all my visual references, and I just don't know where I am or what's going on with me. When I first started diving, I'd tumble on descent during that time between loss of sight of the surface and catching sight of the bottom. I often landed on my back. Ascents were just as bad, and I absolutely hated (and am still not fond of) that feeling.

Like you, I have no problem in clear water.

What has helped me was 1) getting my trim sorted out so that I am stable in a horizontal position without finning. Once I got that, I could trust that, during descent or ascent, I really WAS in that position even if it didn't feel like it. 2) Realizing that it doesn't matter what orientation I'm in as long as I'm at the right depth. I've spent many a safety stop looking at my depth gauge and valiantly ignoring the sensation that I'm falling over. 3) Learning to stay in position with my teammate(s) on descent and ascent. Then I can use them as visual references, which helps a lot. 4) Doing descents, when possible, down a buoy line or anchor line -- again, a visual reference.

It's gotten better with time, but it's still an issue. I don't think people who don't experience this have much understanding of it at all.

 

[El Orans]

I cannot say I've ever tumbled to the bottom but I prefer some visual confirmation to feel relaxed.

No worries, you'll get better at it.

BTW, welcome (Scub)aBoard! :happywave

 

[mikerault]

I was part of a three-person dive group, we were just at about 10m in really murky water (the downlake side of a large swim area) and visibility was about 3 feet. two of us were following the lead diver, a divemaster. Both of us who were following swore we were going around in circles to the right. The DM says we weren't (he was following his compass) sometimes it can get really confusing. Pilots have this same issue when flying in clouds or other low visibility conditions. When this happens, get a fix on something that will orient you, in this case your compass, or somthing that is fixed such as a guide line or, your buddy, it will help over ride the signal telling you that you are spinning.

Mike

 

[dlent]

I've never had this problem, but is it possible that you have a hole in your eardrum? If you do you will feel disoriented when water is inside your ear.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I always like to hold something in front of me when making a descent in bad visibility. A simple pole spear or tickle stick can act as a plumb bob on the descent if you let it hang down and it also helps you estimate what the visibility.

It serves as a blind man's cane when the vis is really bad and keeps me from crashing into the bottom.

Without something to look at you can get very disoriented and it is difficult for me to make a vertical descent unless I swim down fast.

 

[HilaryRN71]

I have suffered with dizziness and vertigo on a dives. It seemed to happen to me at depth just after descent. I was so worried one day I called DAN, and they suggested that I should follow up with an ENT, but that it was likely alternobaric vertigo. I researched it and the tips I found helped. Not sure if this is your problem, since it seems to happen in murky water. I wondered if it was CO2 buildup...since it usually happened at deeper dives. Now looking back, I wondered if I was task loading in cold water, drysuit, etc, and not clearing my ears well. At any rate, I hope you figure out what your particular problem might be. Once I figured mine out, and was able to have a name and know it wasn't pulmonary related...then I relaxed, cleared my ears more...and if it happens, can get rid of it. But initially...I wanted to panic also...so I know the feeling...it is very scary! good luck!!!!

 

[Scottri]

Sounds like an inner ear problem. I would suggest getting checked out by an ENT just to be safe.

 

[Desert Pig]

I hesitate to say you will get used to it - Stay calm, give it about 5 seconds. The advice to hold on to something/someone is GREAT!- It should clear. I agree with the advice to see a doctor about it too.
Let me guess... You have to clear your ears coming down the elevator of a tall building? Clear them from just a slight drop driving down a hill? Clear them a lot? Me too. As you gain more diving experience, you will learn that we have to clear our ears A LOT more often than the other folks. It is not a race to the bottom. Go slow, ascend if you need to a few feet, then head back down. Good luck!

 

[TSandM]

Scottri, with respect, if this is as described, it's probably not an ear problem, because it only occurs when the diver is deprived of a visual reference. That was my take from the OP's description, and that is my problem. I have never even for a moment had any disorientation or vertigo if I can see. If there is any odd signal from my inner ear, it's so minor that any visual reference will overcome it. It is only in the situation of very murky water, and without sight of the surface or bottom OR a vertical visual reference that I get squirrelly.

Diver girl, as I was doing an ascent today, I was reminded of another way to get oriented. SBs own Uncle Pug, who rarely posts here any more, wrote a very nice piece about using the suspended stuff in the water to orient yourself. Many floating things stay at the same depth, and you can watch if you are going up or down with respect to them. The only problem with this technique is that it's very easy to get fixated and lose track of your teammates using it. But it does help.