Panic - how close we are

[Griffo]

Being demasked can be very panic inducing even when you are prepared for it. It doesn't feel natural to breathe when your eyes are submerged and you have water rushing up your nose.

I try to remove my mask, swim awhile with it off and then put it back on every third dive or so. The reason I do it is because from time to time I like to practice my basic skills while diving. When I removed my mask at depth in cold water, I was shocked at just how unnerving I found it. Like you, I had to revert to that, "I'm still breathing so everything's alright" mantra. Didn't panic, didn't shoot to the surface, but it freaked me out a hell of a lot more than I was comfortable with. Since then I make sure to practice demasking on a regular basis.

For me, having my mask ripped off really doesn't worry me that much - IF the water is warm. In cold water, I really really struggle. Something about cold water hitting my face causes my body to react by making it hard to breath, and initially I will automatically hold my breath. It's not just scuba diving, I get the same thing swimming. It takes me a minute or so to get over it.

The problem when diving is obvious - I start to ascend. Doing the maskless swim on fundies in cold water I had significant difficulties. My buddy had to keep tugging on my arm to tell me to descend. Practicing again in warm water, was no problems what so ever. It's something that I just need to keep working on.

 

[elmer fudd]

For me, having my mask ripped off really doesn't worry me that much - IF the water is warm. In cold water, I really really struggle. Something about cold water hitting my face causes my body to react by making it hard to breath, and initially I will automatically hold my breath. It's not just scuba diving, I get the same thing swimming. It takes me a minute or so to get over it.

The problem when diving is obvious - I start to ascend. Doing the maskless swim on fundies in cold water I had significant difficulties. My buddy had to keep tugging on my arm to tell me to descend. Practicing again in warm water, was no problems what so ever. It's something that I just need to keep working on.

I've come to the conclusion that cold water makes everything much worse panic wise. 45 degree water is just inherently scarier than 80 degree water.

 

[Rhone Man]

I've come to the conclusion that cold water makes everything much worse panic wise. 45 degree water is just inherently scarier than 80 degree water.

I have noticed a lot of common denominators in panic/high stress incidents. Many incidents seem to involve:

• using new / unfamiliar equipment
  
• type of diving which the subject is either new to or inexperienced in
• greater depths than the subject is accustomed to diving
• poor weather conditions
• cold / dark / poor visibility
  
• minor pre-dive health issues (congestion / cold / headache)
• minor equipment malfunctions (something loose / leaks / uncomfortable)
• physical exertion

Usually one of these alone is not sufficient. But once you have a few in combination, a situation which is not inherently dangerous can seemingly become very stressful quickly.

My most recent "incident" was in 2010. I was diving deeper than I normally dive (not way deep, but more narcosis than I am used to), first open water dive in a dry suit, and it was much colder and darker than I am used to. I was also following someone into an unfamiliar shipwreck where I wasn't 100% comfortable with their skills (no lines). No full blown panic, but my heart was beating pretty hard by the end and we ended up calling the dive early.

 

[billt4sf]

I've come to the conclusion that cold water makes everything much worse panic wise.

I've come to the conclusion that cold water makes everything much worse everything-wise!

 

[elmer fudd]

I've come to the conclusion that cold water makes everything much worse everything-wise!

The sea life can be pretty nice. Not that warm water sucks for that. Tropical areas have all the colorful fish and coral reefs, but it seems like there are about a million different tiny critters and plants in cold water areas.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

In cold water, I really really struggle. .

I wonder why cold water matters. It may be facing a new experience in the context of all our past experiences. Maybe that semsester of swimming when the pool heater was broken did some good afterall.

 

[TMHeimer]

I wonder why cold water matters. It may be facing a new experience in the context of all our past experiences. Maybe that semsester of swimming when the pool heater was broken did some good afterall.

I think some of us are just lucky. We've all had the ice cream freeze from stuff other than diving. It's ice cold water--what does one expect? It's like some just have no problem ever equalizing. Just lucky. even though that's a physiological thing for sure.

 

[Griffo]

I wonder why cold water matters. It may be facing a new experience in the context of all our past experiences. Maybe that semsester of swimming when the pool heater was broken did some good afterall.

For me it is simply a physiological reaction. I remember having it all the way back to swim training as a young child - where in winter the coaches learnt quickly that i had to spend a couple of minutes in the cold water before a race, otherwise my breathing would be affected and i'd blow up. I simply cannot control it- the sudden cold affects my ability to breath. Give it a minute, and it goes away.

I blame being born in Nauru, but in reality I think its just genetics.

 

[TSandM]

If the water gets cold enough, there are certainly physiologic issues. We learned that a couple of years ago, when we went up to Canada and dove in Nanaimo in January. The surface water was 41 degrees (snow runoff), and when we jumped off the boat, several of us became so short of breath that we were close to panic ON THE SURFACE. It was simply immersing our faces in ice water that did it, and we learned that it was a feeling that would pass if you stayed put.

I don't know how the people who ice dive do it -- but I suspect they don't do a giant stride into the ice water!

 

[elmer fudd]

That's cold water shock. You should experience it sometime without a suit on. It literally leaves you gasping for breath. I thought I was really in trouble a few years ago when I went for a swim in an alpine lake. Fortunately it does pass within about a minute, but it's said to be the cause of many drownings.