Unknown Friend got hit with DCS

[bhend16]

Over the Christmas holiday I had a friend and her husband go to Cozumel. While there they completed 4 days for diving, on their last day her husband ran out of gas at 97 feet. They had been at depth for over 10 mins, per her recollection she was not 100% sure because they did not have a computer between them. When he ran his cylinder down the DM instructed them to use her Octo and ascend, they performed their safety stop per their console at 15 ft, which she said was probably only one min or two max. They got back on the boat and waited for the other divers to return. After their surface interval they completed their second dive without incident.

The next day they flew home to Colorado. She had a splitting headache and eye pain for 9 days and went to the local hospital where the ER doc was a diver and asked the correct questions, luckily the hospital has a chamber. She was sent to the chamber for 6 hours and is feeling much better since then.

When I spoke to her I asked if she had called DAN when she started feeling ill in Mexico and she said they don't travel with DAN. I was a bit flabbergasted by the entire situation. I am still a newish diver and they have been diving for years and apparently they "just trust the DM" to keep them safe. The third piece of equipment I bought was a computer, after my mask and fins, per recommendations on this board and others. I guess this is more a question, is it common to holiday divers to not have computers/DAN on their trips, or are they out layers?

Edited: for buddy breath misuse.

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

The dive ops i dove with won't give you any tank if you can not show minimal equipment: dive computer is one of these items.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

They got back on the boat and waited for the other divers to return. After their surface interval they completed their second dive without incident.

The smart move would have been to just sit out dive #2 because of what happened on dive #1.

 

[rsingler]

is it common to holiday divers to not have computers/DAN on their trips, or are they outliers?

Very common, unfortunately.
Then again, despite what  other vacationers do, the red flags in this incident are multiple.
Although it's not clear from this data alone that this was indeed DCS, as opposed to eye pain from a sinus-related incident, several things stand out.

they don't travel with DAN...

they "just trust the DM"

her husband ran out of gas at 97 feet

the DM instructed them to buddy breathe

After their surface interval they completed their second dive without incident.

While the issues are self evident, for new divers lurking in this thread, running out of gas at 100 feet is much more likely due to the 4x gas density and tank gas consumption at that depth. But that's not consistent with

they have been diving for years

And buddy breathing? The donating diver didn't have an octo to share? Or is that just mistaken terminology?

And taking a second dive after an OOA at 97 feet increases my concern about this couple's judgment. @Capt Jim Wyatt is exactly right.

And finally, flying home the next day after two dives, with one to 97 feet, just adds to the risk unless it was a really late flight.

Oh, and a possible one minute safety stop after a 97 foot dive and likely rapid ascent. Was that dictated by her gas also being gone?

The litany of issues is huge!

But to the root of your question, a computer and DAN are cheap insurance compared with the cost of a dive vacation, not to mention a visit to a hyperbaric chamber. Was that covered by their health insurance??!!

My not so gentle suggestion would be to really reconsider this couple as possible future "diving friends", versus plain old "friends."

 

[Divin'Papaw]

What an absolute cluster &$%#&. They are both very, very luck. If they continue diving, I hope they use this as a wakeup call.

(1) You are responsible for your safety, not the DM
(2) Never dive without your own computer
(3) Monitor your gas closely and begin your ascent with a predetermined minimum "rock bottom" that will ensure you, and your buddy if you have one, can safely get to the surface in an emergency
(4) Don't dive with crap dive ops that allow/condone these type of reckless dive practices

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I was a bit flabbergasted by the entire situation.

Yeah.

Question - curious - did they really "buddy-breathe" or did they share air using her octo?

[revsion - I had done exactly the same thing as Doc did above but I culled it all out before sending. Still curious about the buddy-breathing aspect though]

But as to your question, I don't pay particular attention to others' equipment, but I do remember being on resort boats, there were definitely folks on the boat without any form of computer and I suspect a lot of the same cavalier mind set as your friend.

 

[bhend16]

Very common, unfortunately.
Then again, despite what  other vacationers do, the red flags in this incident are multiple.
Although it's not clear from this data alone that this was indeed DCS, as opposed to eye pain from a sinus-related incident, several things stand out.





While the issues are self evident, for new divers lurking in this thread, running out of gas at 100 feet is much more likely due to the 4x gas density and tank gas consumption at that depth. But that's not consistent with

And buddy breathing? The donating diver didn't have an octo to share? Or is that just mistaken terminology?

And taking a second dive after an OOA at 97 feet increases my concern about this couple's judgment. @Capt Jim Wyatt is exactly right.

But to the root of your question, a computer and DAN are cheap insurance compared with the cost of a dive vacation, not to mention a visit to a hyperbaric chamber. Was that covered my their health insurance??!!

My not so gentle suggestion would be to really reconsider this couple as possible future "diving friends", versus plain old "friends."

It was mistaken terminology. He used her octo to surface. I have never been diving with them and after this I don’t think I will. When she told me her story apparently I couldn’t conceal my shock she kept asking what I would have done. I sent her some links to, from my understanding, good affordable computers and the link to sign up for DAN.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Unfortunately, you cannot purchase situational awareness. That is the most lacking component in this story.

 

[bhend16]

Unfortunately, you cannot purchase situational awareness. That is the most lacking component in this story.

They didn’t even have a basic watch to time their safety stop. I was in utter disbelief. The unfortunate thing is we were going to start planning a dive trip fro this summer and I am thinking it’s not going to happen after this.

 

[rsingler]

Two suggestions:

Peregrine

The Peregrine by Shearwater is a simple and easily accessible, full colour, multi-gas dive computer. Featuring four dive modes, Bluetooth wireless technology and vibration alerts, the Peregrine is your ideal companion for many adventures to come.

shearwater.com

Rock Bottom Pressure