Get bent

[UWupnorth]

I just returned from a dive trip to cozumel, while there I met and dove with people from all over the U.S. and the world for that matter. I was amazed at the number of people who had gotten bent in their diving history. Is it that common? One diver I spoke with just befor we left, who I had not seen in a couple days, just finished with treatments in a chamber. she had gotten bent on a dive that I happened to be on two days before.

I have been diving for a long time and have made quite a few dives and have never gotten bent or considered it easy to get bent. Am I just lucky?

How many of you have had to do time in the chamber?

 

[Rick Inman]

I just returned from a dive trip to cozumel, while there I met and dove with people from all over the U.S. and the world for that matter. I was amazed at the number of people who had gotten bent in their diving history. Is it that common? One diver I spoke with just befor we left, who I had not seen in a couple days, just finished with treatments in a chamber. she had gotten bent on a dive that I happened to be on two days before.

I have been diving for a long time and have made quite a few dives and have never gotten bent or considered it easy to get bent. Am I just lucky?

How many of you have had to do time in the chamber?

It has been said that there are two kinds of divers: Those who got bent and those who will.

I fall under the "got bent" catagory.

 

[Tollie]

I must be a "to be bent" guy. I have heard of a number of divers with the "niggles" but full out bent seems to me to be rare amoung recreational divers.

 

[ppo2_diver]

It's not a matter of "if" you get bent, but "when" you get bent. Eventually, every diver will get bent if diving enough (according to statistics). They only guarantee to not get bent is to not dive.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Well, if you are going to go with sayings, I'll add one from my USAF pilot buddies:

"There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots."

While that's not completely true (I've seen some really good, pretty bold pilots who retired from the job), it does make the opposite point of the sayings above.

Statistics lie. I've been diving since 1959, and have not been bent, ever. For those of you who are proud of being bent, it is not a "badge of honor" for diving. It could mean that you'll end up disabled by asceptic bone necrosis in later years. Even people who have not technically been bent can develop this disease, so prevent that bubble formation. How, well here are some tips:

--dive your deepest dive first, when doing multiple dives.
--don't dive near the "knife edge" of the no-decompression limits. Stay well away from them.
--Don't do decompression dives. If you do, then there will always be a potential for missed stops, and the resulting decompression sickness.
--Stay warm, watch the exercise between dives, and learn to dive relaxed.

There's a lot to see in shallower waters, so enjoy those as much as the deep stuff.

Enjoy,

SeaRat

 

[gcbryan]

It's not a matter of "if" you get bent, but "when" you get bent. Eventually, every diver will get bent if diving enough (according to statistics). They only guarantee to not get bent is to not dive.

What statistics show that every diver will get bent if they dive enough?

 

[Damselfish]

Thought getting bent was pretty rare statistically. You even hear that statistic used to say that Nitrox is not safer than air - the argument being getting bent is so rare anyway any additional help from Nitrox doesn't make much statistical difference.

 

[CWMurf]

--Stay warm, watch the exercise between dives, and learn to dive relaxed.

SeaRat

I don't remember the exercize warnings, or why anyway. What is the reason that exercize between dives causes problems? Does the theory extend to post-dive activity if no more diving is planned for the day?

 

[String]

Disagree with some of these

--dive your deepest dive first, when doing multiple dives.

Since about 2002 just about all research into it has hinted that reverse profile dives do NOT increase the chance of DCS. Granted you could potentially plan longer bottom times doing it deepest first but provided the tables or computer are stuck to a reverse profile is not a risk factor

--don't dive near the "knife edge" of the no-decompression limits. Stay well away from them.

Or just pad in some extra safety/decompression stops. Yes though i see so many divers (admittedly mainly abroad) who fly the 1 minute NDL right from the bottom to their stop its frightening. Deco isnt a fine line. Its blurred. Very blurred. 4 mins of no stop left may as well be 4 mins of stops into deco. You wont not get bent by staying 1 minute inside of NDL any more than going 1 minute into deco. Common sense is needed. If youre close to the line use your head and extend a shallow stop and so on. Dont blindly rely on a wheel or computer. All deco tables and computers are based on a statistical curve - yes most people are in the middle of that but by its very nature not all are.

--Don't do decompression dives. If you do, then there will always be a potential for
missed stops, and the resulting decompression sickness.

Again i disagree with this. There seems to be a lot of rabid paranoia about deco dives. Some agencies and/or divers seem to think its evil, dangerous, will kill you and other ridiculous statements. Yes you can get bent by missing stops by losing buoyancy so a rapid ascent. That can also happen INSIDE the tables after a loss of buoyancy causing a rapid ascent. Same mistake, same result possible. Just because that computer says you're fine or the table back on the boat says its fine doesnt mean you can safely rocket up to the surface like a missile. Properly trained divers properly equipped for properly planned deco dives are less of a DCS risk than resort-course wonders with their rental kit and 4 dives following the 1 minute to go NDL on a computer.

--Stay warm, watch the exercise between dives, and learn to dive relaxed.

Thats fair enough. Ironically the deco stop is where people generally get coldest. Also add in proper hydration, dont dive tired, dive a gas other than air if possible, dont sawtooth, watch the ascent rates and so on.

There's a lot to see in shallower waters, so enjoy those as much as the deep stuff.

Possibly although generally the better wrecks are deeper as not smashed up as much by the sea. Typically here visibility is better deeper due to less plankton and so on. Theres not much point in going deeper for the sake of it BUT there is a point of going deeper to get a better dive if it will provide one.

 

[String]

I don't remember the exercize warnings, or why anyway. What is the reason that exercize between dives causes problems? Does the theory extend to post-dive activity if no more diving is planned for the day?

"strenuous exercise" post dive is generally frowned upon due to the effect on blood flow and its related effect on off-gassing.

It has bent people.