gehadoski
Contributor
Dear All,
I am not sure if I am posting this in the right place or not, but I really want to share my incident with you. May be this could be useful for someone and/or may be someone can give me an advice.
Around 4 years ago I was on a liveaboard for 3 days in the northern part of the Red Sea. We anchored at the Thomas reef at the Strait of Tiran North of Sharm El Sheikh. We were 7 Divers of different levels, 4 were beginners and 3 were advanced. I was one of the three That were advanced PADI divers. There is an a canyon on the Thomas reef and there are 2 arches in that canyon one on around 35 meters and another one on 72 meters. Its not a big arch, just a meter or 2 wide. Here what happened, the advanced divers wanted to go through arch at depth of 72 meters, they DM refused but they were so stubrn about it and they agreed with the DM that they make this dive on there own risk and they signed the papers regarding this. Honestly, I didn't go with them for 3 reasons, First, I know that it is very risky and its not a joke. Second, I Don't like deep dives. I prefer shallow and colorful dives. Third, My computer were broken and there were no spear one on boat. So, the plan was that we will enter the water together and on 35 meters we will split to 2 groups the 2 advanced divers go on there own till the depth they wanted and we will go through the arch on 35 meters. All I have is just my pressure gauge. So I agreed with DM that I will follow his lead. I know that this is something stupid to do. but I had no choice.
We did our buddy check and jumped in the water. The weather was great and vis was crystal clear. we started to descend and enter the canyon one after another. Everything were going fine. Then I felt that there is something wrong. First, we agreed with DM that he will give a certain sign, this sign means that the 2 advanced divers will be on there own and we will level here to go through the arch, he didn't give the sign. We were descending for a while, remember I was an advanced diver by then. I had around 90-100 dives under my belt. So I felt that we passed the 30 meters, but since I have no gauge I didn't know what depth we are. I gave the DM a sign to ask about the depth but he didn't reply. So, I felt kind of disoriented, I felt bit anxious but I was under control. Then felt the narcosis, by then I was for sure that this is out of plan, still don't know what depth we are at, I felt more anxious. Then I found we are passing the same arch that the advanced divers we passing. That's not all, While I was in the arch, I was very narced and can hardly control my mind, one of the divers infornt of me kick me on my face and took of my mask and regulator. I did all that I can focus on putting back my mask and clear it and put in the reg again in my mouth. Trust me, on 72m it needs a hell of effort to do that. while you are narced and anxious. I panicked and I felt that I can hardly breath, I felt so cold and They told me that I blacked out for around 3- 5 min. Since then and I get panic attacks when I see the blue or feel cold.
I really like diving so much, but since then when I get underwater and look at the blue or feel coldness of the water, I feel anxious and my mind start to trip me as if I am narced. Can you imagine that I feel that way when I dive on 20 meters. That's why I decided to go on a diving trip on the 1st of May may be to Dahab to overcome that feeling. Of course not by diving on 72 meters again, but my diving more to get more confidence with water. This time I want to be with DM 1 to 1. I will tell him/her my situation and hopefully this will help.
If anyone here can help me in this please don't hesitate.
I am not sure if I am posting this in the right place or not, but I really want to share my incident with you. May be this could be useful for someone and/or may be someone can give me an advice.
Around 4 years ago I was on a liveaboard for 3 days in the northern part of the Red Sea. We anchored at the Thomas reef at the Strait of Tiran North of Sharm El Sheikh. We were 7 Divers of different levels, 4 were beginners and 3 were advanced. I was one of the three That were advanced PADI divers. There is an a canyon on the Thomas reef and there are 2 arches in that canyon one on around 35 meters and another one on 72 meters. Its not a big arch, just a meter or 2 wide. Here what happened, the advanced divers wanted to go through arch at depth of 72 meters, they DM refused but they were so stubrn about it and they agreed with the DM that they make this dive on there own risk and they signed the papers regarding this. Honestly, I didn't go with them for 3 reasons, First, I know that it is very risky and its not a joke. Second, I Don't like deep dives. I prefer shallow and colorful dives. Third, My computer were broken and there were no spear one on boat. So, the plan was that we will enter the water together and on 35 meters we will split to 2 groups the 2 advanced divers go on there own till the depth they wanted and we will go through the arch on 35 meters. All I have is just my pressure gauge. So I agreed with DM that I will follow his lead. I know that this is something stupid to do. but I had no choice.
We did our buddy check and jumped in the water. The weather was great and vis was crystal clear. we started to descend and enter the canyon one after another. Everything were going fine. Then I felt that there is something wrong. First, we agreed with DM that he will give a certain sign, this sign means that the 2 advanced divers will be on there own and we will level here to go through the arch, he didn't give the sign. We were descending for a while, remember I was an advanced diver by then. I had around 90-100 dives under my belt. So I felt that we passed the 30 meters, but since I have no gauge I didn't know what depth we are. I gave the DM a sign to ask about the depth but he didn't reply. So, I felt kind of disoriented, I felt bit anxious but I was under control. Then felt the narcosis, by then I was for sure that this is out of plan, still don't know what depth we are at, I felt more anxious. Then I found we are passing the same arch that the advanced divers we passing. That's not all, While I was in the arch, I was very narced and can hardly control my mind, one of the divers infornt of me kick me on my face and took of my mask and regulator. I did all that I can focus on putting back my mask and clear it and put in the reg again in my mouth. Trust me, on 72m it needs a hell of effort to do that. while you are narced and anxious. I panicked and I felt that I can hardly breath, I felt so cold and They told me that I blacked out for around 3- 5 min. Since then and I get panic attacks when I see the blue or feel cold.
I really like diving so much, but since then when I get underwater and look at the blue or feel coldness of the water, I feel anxious and my mind start to trip me as if I am narced. Can you imagine that I feel that way when I dive on 20 meters. That's why I decided to go on a diving trip on the 1st of May may be to Dahab to overcome that feeling. Of course not by diving on 72 meters again, but my diving more to get more confidence with water. This time I want to be with DM 1 to 1. I will tell him/her my situation and hopefully this will help.
If anyone here can help me in this please don't hesitate.