Doc Wong Getting Bent in Monterey!

[DocWong]

Good points on the above. DCS symptoms can reoccur after they are gone. Even though I was released to go home, I still went to sleep breathing some oxygen and was instructed to go to St Mary's Hospital in San Francisco where they have a chamber. I also know of a private on in Mountain View. Both are a lot closer than Monterey.

 

[DocWong]

Here's a reply ArcticDiver sent to me off line and with his permission I'm posting it here as I think it gives a valid viewpoint.

Harry:

I'm happy to help. But your using the phrase "...pretty conservative.." presents a "teaching moment".

If one doesn't positively know the boundaries, how does one know if what they are doing is conservative or aggressive as compared to an alternative action? If Charlie takes longer ascending than William is he being more conservative, or just taking longer?

The answer is: We don't know. We know a lot about the basic science. But we don't know enough about the application of that science to human diving to be definitive. Experimentally we know that thousands of dives are done without incident using a broad spectrum of dive profiles. Whether one or the other is "safer", or more "conservative", or more "aggressive" we can't say.

Add to this lack of knowledge the human propensitiy to flock to fads and peoples desire to market new products and services and a very ill defined and slippery situation is the result.

I've seen, as have others, divers do profiles that according to the "authorities" should have bent or killed them; but didn't. On the other hand divers have done profiles that supposedly were right down the middle of "acceptable profiles" and been permanently crippled.

The same goes with exercise. We all have seen lots of divers dive deep decompression dives; emerge from the water and haul gear up a steep hill till they could hardly move. All with no ill effect.

So, my advise has always been to find an algorithm in a dive computer that you are comfortable with and follow its' guidance. No particular algorithm has any better proven record than any other so all should get you down and back up with acceptable risk. But, always remember the next dive may be The One. Or, you may go for the rest of your life with no problem.

Well, take care and happy diving.

 

[Goddard]

Hi Doc,

I'm wondering what impact the use of the scooter had on your profile-- If I understand the posts in this thread, you ascended using the scooter right? Would it have been safer to ascend unpowered?

-Rachel

 

[DocWong]

Actually haviing the scooters didn't have much to do with ouir ascent. Once we got back to the anchor line, we stowed the scooters and ascended with scooters off.

 

[paulwlee]

Hi Doc,

I'm wondering what impact the use of the scooter had on your profile-- If I understand the posts in this thread, you ascended using the scooter right? Would it have been safer to ascend unpowered?

-Rachel

I'm not sure what you meant by "ascended using the scooter", but keep in mind that the sort of ascents Doc is talking about is VERY controlled. Way slower than swimming up.
Once somewhat off the bottom, moving up 10ft takes 30 seconds or longer, and on average a minute and longer, if the stop times are included.

Doing a gradual ascent while scootering in a particular direction is definitely possible, although it takes a bit of practice.

Now on the other hand if you scooter vertically towards the surface, then that's a death wish.
(BTW, I've done it while freediving, and it's fun!!)