Flower Gardens Bent Diver

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Capt Frank runs a tight but friendly boat - even tho his toenails were the same color as his hair

I'm almost afraid to ask - what color might that be? None of the natural colors that come to mind seem appealing.

Marc

 

[zonicles]

I have only been to the Flower Gardens one time for a 3 day trip and the Coast Guard had to evacuate a body from the other boat on two different occasions.

The current was strong and the bull sharks large.

Maybe I'll not go back.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

From the Fling, eh? Wonder if he was on Air or Nitrox? Good the diver recovered well. I guess everyone is going to blame age. Pretty difficult to get bent on Nitrox with a 2-1/2 hour minimum SI, but of course - can happen.

Saw a lady do a night dive on Paradise Reef and get bent. It had been almost 36 hours since her previous dive. We were down for about an hour and did a good safety stop. She got back on board and we dropped other divers off before she began having symptons. She felt dizzy and and felt like she needed to throw up.

The divemaster caught this right away. The lady was a veteran divers with several hundred logged dive for that year.

She was immediately put on 100 percent O2 and Dr. Picollo was called as we were heading to the harbor. An initial evaluation found Type II barotrauma to the inner ear.
During evaluation she looked like drunks that I had arrested before. Couldn't touch her nose with the tip of her finger. Constant rocking and she kept saying that she wasn't bent. Lots of folks told me they weren't drunk either.

A 5 1/2 hour chamber ride resulted in relief of all symptons and no diving for six months. That was over two years ago and she's diving strong. She drinks lots of water and has lost weight.

Good profile, 35 foot max and no where near deco. Dr. Picollo said number of factors could be to blame; over 40, slightly overweight, female with more body fat than some men, dehydration, etc. One or all. Anyway the outcome was the same.

You know the greatest pressure change is in the last 33 feet. Something happened and due to quick action there was a good outcome.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I have only been to the Flower Gardens one time for a 3 day trip and the Coast Guard had to evacuate a body from the other boat on two different occasions.

The current was strong and the bull sharks large.

Maybe I'll not go back.

Your decision but, diver evacuations, strong currents, and bull sharks are all far from the norm.

 

[DandyDon]

Great....a teenager. Go to your room, Blenny!!!!

It was the French Angel adolescent.

I'm almost afraid to ask - what color might that be? None of the natural colors that come to mind seem appealing.

Marc

Orange. A salty sea captain, tight ship, but a very pleasant and likable fellow. His wife was quite a DM and first mate, hoisting lines in her sexy bikini and work gloves - both of which she handled well. I'd go anywhere where those two. He told me a story that was worth the trip alone, I'd love to hear him more when he had time.

I have only been to the Flower Gardens one time for a 3 day trip and the Coast Guard had to evacuate a body from the other boat on two different occasions.

The current was strong and the bull sharks large.

Maybe I'll not go back.

I hope you're renting gear. No point going diving anymore.

Excerpting....

Good profile, 35 foot max and no where near deco. Dr. Picollo said number of factors could be to blame; over 40, slightly overweight, female with more body fat than some men, dehydration, etc. One or all. Anyway the outcome was the same.

You know the greatest pressure change is in the last 33 feet. Something happened and due to quick action there was a good outcome.

That is wild, Jim - a classic undeserved, altho I think they like to call them unexplained. We just don't know everything, got to be prepared for the worst.