Hungover Diver

[mempilot]

...are you impared, if you are, then you probably shouldnt dive, if you are dehydrated, then you should rehydrate yourself before diving as dehydration is one of the great contributing factors to DCS, as is lack of concentration..

Mark,

I wish I had read this before diving yesterday. It would have been a nice reminder of why I should have bagged a dive. While I wasn't impaired from being hungover, I was impared from being dehydrated, unrested, and from a lack of being 100%. I was lucky and walked away in pain. It's just a matter of time before people get hurt from this kind of stuff. You and I both know it.

For the impaired diver, read this.

http://www.scubaboard.com/t80877-chain_of_events.html

 

[DORSETBOY]

Now, drunk or drugged up is a different sitiuation.

But be careful setting parameters on who or when or where people can dive, because it establishes a precedent.

What will you say when someone imparts such will on -you-?

yep, drunk or drugged up is different, if you dive when you are either then you are either very stupid or very selfish in your attitude to those around you or those you leave behind. If you are hungover though you still should'nt dive, as I said in my earlier post I have done a couple of times in the past and I am ashamed for having done so as i put myself at risk and my buddy at the time.

I'm in the unfortunate position of knowing divers who died quite recently diving (not I hasten to add through doing any thing that was their fault), I don't have much time for people who condon mixing drink and diving as it is a sport that has so much potential risk involved that we should all have respect for. Also, keysdrifter, remember that there could be any one of any age reading this site and what you say on here can influence impressionable people.

 

[mempilot]

Keysdrifter454, the advocation of diving drunk or hungover is irresponsible and this thread should be pulled. There is no defense for this, as there is no defense for driving under the influence. This is destructive behavior that eventually will kill you or someone around you that needed your help. Get a clue. I hope I never run into you on a charter, because you won't be diving in the same waters as me, period.

 

[SteveDiver]

Keysdrifter454, the advocation of diving drunk or hungover is irresponsible and this thread should be pulled. There is no defense for this, as there is no defense for driving under the influence. This is destructive behavior that eventually will kill you or someone around you that needed your help. Get a clue. I hope I never run into you on a charter, because you won't be diving in the same waters as me, period.

Mempilot I agree with you. Please keep in mind who the person is that is making the comment. In reviewing his previous posts it is obvious that he has issues and likes to "split hairs". This is all due to being immature. It makes you also question the validity of his dive profile as well. If he lost a loved one like I have due to the fault of a drunk he would probably take this more seriously. Being a LifeFlight Medic I see all kinds of drinking related fatalities and this is a serious issue unfortunently it is the drunk that survives and the others are killed. It is discouraging to have a fellow diver that promotes drinking and diving. Hopefully I will not be the one that has to pick up the pieces when he has a dive related trauma due to ignorance. Just last year we had a lifeflight call for a drunk boater. While in the air flying the "drunk" patient to the hospital we missed a call for a fourteen year old that suffered a trauma due to a car accident. I will never forget this! Spending time with a drunk when I could have responded to the 14 year old whom later passed away. My advise to Keydrifter is to be a "role model" for other divers especially the young ones. There are other things that you can say/do to create controversy that are not serious in nature as drinking and diving are.

 

[SteveDiver]

Mempilot I agree with you. Please keep in mind who the person is that is making the comment. In reviewing his previous posts it is obvious that he has issues and likes to "split hairs". This is all due to being immature. It makes you also question the validity of his dive profile as well. If he lost a loved one like I have due to the fault of a drunk he would probably take this more seriously. Being a LifeFlight Medic I see all kinds of drinking related fatalities and this is a serious issue unfortunently it is the drunk that survives and the others are killed. It is discouraging to have a fellow diver that promotes drinking and diving. Hopefully I will not be the one that has to pick up the pieces when he has a dive related trauma due to ignorance. Just last year we had a lifeflight call for a drunk boater. While in the air flying the "drunk" patient to the hospital we missed a call for a fourteen year old that suffered a trauma due to a car accident. I will never forget this! Spending time with a drunk when I could have responded to the 14 year old whom later passed away. My advise to Keydrifter is to be a "role model" for other divers especially the young ones. There are other things that you can say/do to create controversy that are not serious in nature as drinking and diving are.

Hopefully others will agree with the seriousness of this issue....

 

[mempilot]

Being a LifeFlight Medic I see all kinds of drinking related fatalities and this is a serious issue unfortunently it is the drunk that survives and the others are killed.

Thanks for doing what you do. I have unfortuneatly been a package on a Medivac flight back in June of 2000. I was a passenger in a small plane that went down in rural Central Missouri and I was airlifted out in bad shape. You guys are great, and I received treatment within an hour. There was no way to get an ambulance in to pick us up. The medic that was loading me answered my cell phone. The caller was my dad, and the medic did a great job of delivering accurate info. I wish I new his name.

I have a friend that flew Blackhawks in the Army and then came to work for the airline. Since 9/11, he moved to MN and is flying a lifeflight helo. He gave up the pay to do something worthwhile.

 

[SteveDiver]

Thank you...Unfortunently the pay is not that great but the personal rewards are wonderful such as hearing from a survivor like youself. I am currently in school to be a PA-Physician Assistant so I can let go of the corporate world and work in the emergency environment where my passion is. It is also an excellent adrenaline rush when dealing with trauma.

 

[Christi]

Hello, Popeye.... Nice troll.

Doubtful. You are still impaired by alcohol, dehydration and lack of sleep.

As for the rest of your questions, if I'm running the charter:


Yes, if they cannot execute the dive safely. However, since seasickness can clear up once the diver is in the water, I might suggest that divers with mild, or even moderate, symptoms get in the water and see if they recover enough to dive.


Yes, if they can't clear or are presenting with symptoms such that they cannot execute the dive safely.


Only if they are presenting symptoms such that they cannot execute the dive safely. After all, if they are certified, one can certainly hope that they disclosed their condition to their doctor and obtained the necessary approvals.


Same as for asthma or diabetes.


I don't. That's why my charters are limited to people with functioning brain stems.


Your statement is incorrect and irrelevant. If a person can execute the required skills to standard and meets the other criteria, then they can receive a GUE certification. I'm also fairly certain that all of the GUE instructors with whom I've taken classes would work with such a diver to help them perform to standard.

While I'm sure that there are medical conditions that would preclude issuing a GUE cert., I'm equally sure that a physical impairment is not a per se disqualification.



My charters, my license, my rules.

Moreover, since I don't like performing rescues, on charters that are not mine, if someone is impaired, whether due to a hangover or otherwise, I'm going to mention this to the person in charge of the trip and the captain. Its their decision whether to allow the person to dive.


Not really. There are measurable amounts of alcohol in the blood when a person is hungover.

Even if there were not, the question is whether an impaired person should dive. A hungover person is impaired. Once again, my charter, my license, my rules.


That's a precedent I'm more than happy to live with. If any of my divers showed up hungover, it would be the last charter they took with me.



Since I don't dive while sick, drunk, hungover or otherwise impaired, I'm not overly worried.

Northeastwrecks and Mark covered the questions quiite well and I have nothing to add except to reitterate...yes, I can keep someone from diving Keys, and I don't mind the precedent it sets. I would rather have a safe diver than a bent or worse diver.

Bottom line is that it's my operation, my liability, my rules, take em or leave em. If you're drunk, hungover or drugged up, it's all the same in my book and I have a no tolerance policy for this on my dive trips.

I don't get seasick, I don't have asthma, diabetes, or any other physical impairment at the moment, I don't dive drunk, hungover, drugged up, or if I'm not feeling well...so I'm not worried about this affecting me. Regardless, if I was diving on someone else's charter, I would respect their rules whether I liked them or agreed with them or not.