Is Light DCS Possible with Very Shallow Dives?

[aramid]

New to the forum and diving, and probably I'm being overly paranoid, but figured it can't hurt to ask.

I just got my PADI open water diver certification dives done over the weekend. We didn't go deeper than 25 feet and the longest dive was around 40 minutes. I'm wondering if such shallow dives could cause very light decompression sickness?

I felt fine on Sunday after we finished diving, but on Monday my back started itching pretty hard, kind of felt like some insects biting, and scratching didn't seem to help. It got better on Tuesday and seems to be gone today. Also my wrist started hurting, which isn't completely unusual, given I work at my desk a lot, but it hadn't hurt in a while and also started on Monday, so I'm wondering if that's related.

Sorry if this is just stupid paranoia and thanks for your responses.

 

[BDSC]

I would think it would be highly unlikely with the profile you have described.

 

[Wineaux]

I don't have the answer for you but just wanted to say you aren't the only one who has wondered that! I was achy and really tired after my AOW weekend and I definitely thought "OMG... DCS?!?!? No! Maybe?" a few times. I wasn't anywhere close to past RDP limits for sure, I think I just had a badly time onset of a cold but I definitely had those thoughts.

 

[dfx]

AFAIK it's possible at shallow depths, but only through repeated, long exposures with very short surface intervals. According to my table, the no-deco limit at 30 feet is 4.5 hours.

 

[SailNaked]

very unlikely DCS, however there are alergies to neoprene that could be possible. to get DCS at shallow depth you would have to stay at 40 ft for say an hour and then fully inflate your BC, and maybe but I still doubt it.

 

[shmuggy]

Call DAN - I was in an emergency room at Grand Cayman years ago and there was a young girl who got bent on her first certification dive. Why take a chance?

 

[TMHeimer]

AFAIK it's possible at shallow depths, but only through repeated, long exposures with very short surface intervals. According to my table, the no-deco limit at 30 feet is 4.5 hours.

Right. I wouldn't worry about it. You could get lung overexpansion injury (theorectically?) by ascending too fast even if you exhale, as expanding air may be trapped in an odd place in the lungs, or that you actually ascended faster than you could expell the air. But again, needle in a haystack, and why would one ascend so fast anyway after being trained? So, that would fall under DCI, but not DCS. I would think that unless you were down for those 4.5 hours or so, DCS would not happen. On my 2nd dive ever I was down for 54 feet for all of 5 minutes if that (the rest of the dive was about 20') and found my square (table) profile meant bad news). I was a bit paranoid when I saw a slight arm rash....Not very smart. I dive your profile lots (without my computer) and don't give it a second thought.

 

[boulderjohn]

As everyone has said, it would be unlikely--incredibly so--for you to have DCS on such dives. You were barely doing more than extended safety stops.

The itchy back would not be considered a common DCS symptom.

The achy wrist could be from your desk job, but it could also be some kind of a strain you put on it over the weekend. You aren't used to handling scuba equipment. I'm an old codger. After a weekend of heavy diving, I have all sorts of aches and pains that have nothing to do with DCS.

 

[aramid]

Thanks for all the replies everyone, that helped to put the rest of my worries away

 

[freewillie]

Having "light" DCS is a little bit like saying you are just a "little" bit pregnant. You either have it or you don't.

Asking if it is possible it a little bit like asking if it is possible if you can win the lottery. You might if you buy a ticket but I wouldn't quit the day job.

At the depth and time you did your dive it would be highly unusual to have DCS. It is more likely and more probable that you simply had associated sx not related to diving but either exertional discomfort from over exerting on a dive and some contact irritation from whatever you contacted for an itchy back.