It would seem to me that, as we gain experience and go through some minor glitches on dives, we should increase our capacity to tolerate issues underwater. I'm wondering what could cause an experienced (say, more than 200 lifetime dives) diver to become distressed enough to lose rational thought. Has anyone here (who meets those criteria) been through a panic event? What caused it, and what did you do?
Question Panic in the experienced diver?
- Thread starter TSandM
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
- Messages
- 22,171
- Reaction score
- 2,798
- # of dives
- 5000 - ∞
Panic is having an overwhelming fight or flight response. Such a response is often inappropriate when diving and thus places the diver in greater peril.
Oh I panicked.
I'd been diving for about 20 years and in warm water, had been complimented about my ease underwater. So I booked a trip to Pt. Hardy. 1st problem, the exaust port for my drysuit leaked horribly. I found out later that the rubber gasket in the valve had folded over. So I had to "burp" the suit very carefully on the surface and close the valve before I jumped. The third day, I'd asked to dive with the DiveMaster again because I was the only diver without a buddy. I think the exhaust valve was part of the problem. So the DM told me to wait to be the last off the boat so he could dive with me. I jumped last. In Pt. Hardy the currents are swift. When I jumped, the current had picked up and I grabbed the boat to take the camera hand off. Then the DM told me I was a fine diver, I didn't need him.
So I let go of the boat and decended. Well, I didn't get all the air out of the suit so I inverted and kicked. In no time I was upside down, plastered against a reef with a camera in my hand at about 50'. Panic hit. I couldn't get enough air out of the regulator. I also realized I was the only person who could help me, so even with the hyperventilating and seeing the air guage drop visibly, I clipped off the camera and tried to calm myself. I got down to 1.25K before I did that. Then I turned right side up, wasting the 250 and now I'm down to 1K. It took andothe 500 lbs to turn around to push off the reef. Then I opened the valve so I could go to the surface and get back on the boat. In a 10 minute dive I drained a 3,200 lb tank. The look on my face must have been haggared when I came back on the boat because the skipper and divemaster both asked me if I was alright. I didn't show them my guage.
I think one reason I could get things back under control was I used to race Hobie Cat sailboats. When you turn one over, you don't have time to panic.
I haven't quit diving. My latest is attempting to be a GOOD Cave diver. I'm going for my full cave in the Riveria Maya next month.
I'd been diving for about 20 years and in warm water, had been complimented about my ease underwater. So I booked a trip to Pt. Hardy. 1st problem, the exaust port for my drysuit leaked horribly. I found out later that the rubber gasket in the valve had folded over. So I had to "burp" the suit very carefully on the surface and close the valve before I jumped. The third day, I'd asked to dive with the DiveMaster again because I was the only diver without a buddy. I think the exhaust valve was part of the problem. So the DM told me to wait to be the last off the boat so he could dive with me. I jumped last. In Pt. Hardy the currents are swift. When I jumped, the current had picked up and I grabbed the boat to take the camera hand off. Then the DM told me I was a fine diver, I didn't need him.
So I let go of the boat and decended. Well, I didn't get all the air out of the suit so I inverted and kicked. In no time I was upside down, plastered against a reef with a camera in my hand at about 50'. Panic hit. I couldn't get enough air out of the regulator. I also realized I was the only person who could help me, so even with the hyperventilating and seeing the air guage drop visibly, I clipped off the camera and tried to calm myself. I got down to 1.25K before I did that. Then I turned right side up, wasting the 250 and now I'm down to 1K. It took andothe 500 lbs to turn around to push off the reef. Then I opened the valve so I could go to the surface and get back on the boat. In a 10 minute dive I drained a 3,200 lb tank. The look on my face must have been haggared when I came back on the boat because the skipper and divemaster both asked me if I was alright. I didn't show them my guage.
I think one reason I could get things back under control was I used to race Hobie Cat sailboats. When you turn one over, you don't have time to panic.
I haven't quit diving. My latest is attempting to be a GOOD Cave diver. I'm going for my full cave in the Riveria Maya next month.
Last edited:
lamont
Contributor
FlyerQ
Registered
I was diving off Palm Beach Florida with a group consisting of all locals who dove several times a month or more (most a couple of dives a week).
We were doing some deepish reefs (110') and mild decompression profiles (mandatory 10 minute stuff). It was group drift diving without 1-on-1 buddy assignment, which was the norm in that area at that time (may still be). Anyway, I turned around and looked into the saucer eyes of another dive flailing around and pointing at her regulator. It was evident she was having a crisis, but the reason was not clear. We'd been down a while and had a ceiling by that point in the dive.
Since I dove an air2 at the time, I popped my primary out, she grabbed it, and I held her tight by the BC straps making sure she didn't rush for the surface. After a minute of hyperventilating she began to calm down. She reciprocated a nice hold on my BC straps and we started for our decompression stop. The entire group (maybe 7 others) joined us in the ascent as the activity at depth was noticed by all.
Anyway, time past, the ceiling was lifted, and we surfaced and returned to the boat. I had a whopping 300 lbs - my remaining air had been actively monitored by the others at the stop in case we were forced to modify the buddy breathing configuration.
On the boat no abnormalities could be found with her gear at all, although I have no idea if anything was discovered in the shop.
She claimed I saved her life and also took my name and address. About a week later I got card from her thanking me, and once again crediting me with saving her.
To your point, she was never seen diving again. To this day I have no idea what she really experienced or why. She was surrounded by divers the whole time and seemingly always within close reach of air. My saving her life was really just winning the proximity lottery. It did make me wonder how achievable a 110' flared emergency ascent would be - of course followed by ordering up some O2 and an expensive trip to the chamber.
Final note, back in the early 90's mild deco profiles were pretty normal off Palm Beach and nitrox was just becoming available. Haven't dove there (or put a ceiling over my head) in many years.
OP
It may well be that people who experience true panic don't go back to diving.
On the other hand, one of my OW instructors told me a story of bolting to the surface after a cormorant pecked him in the mask . . . he is still diving.
I had an incident with real, irrational response when I descended on a stage that was turned off. When the gas ran out, instead of calmly going to my backup reg, I began to bolt -- and then realized it was just a turned off stage, and turned it back on. Since I was probably only about ten feet deep when it hit, and I didn't reach the surface, it didn't take very long to get rational. But I was truly startled by the momentary loss of rational thought. Didn't stop me from diving, though
On the other hand, one of my OW instructors told me a story of bolting to the surface after a cormorant pecked him in the mask . . . he is still diving.
I had an incident with real, irrational response when I descended on a stage that was turned off. When the gas ran out, instead of calmly going to my backup reg, I began to bolt -- and then realized it was just a turned off stage, and turned it back on. Since I was probably only about ten feet deep when it hit, and I didn't reach the surface, it didn't take very long to get rational. But I was truly startled by the momentary loss of rational thought. Didn't stop me from diving, though
- Messages
- 1,938
- Reaction score
- 168
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
I had an incident with real, irrational response when I descended on a stage that was turned off. When the gas ran out, instead of calmly going to my backup reg, I began to bolt -- and then realized it was just a turned off stage, and turned it back on. Since I was probably only about ten feet deep when it hit, and I didn't reach the surface, it didn't take very long to get rational. But I was truly startled by the momentary loss of rational thought. Didn't stop me from diving, though
The event I posted was similar, I paniced but fought back to regain control. I think some folks are too quick to write off such momentary experiences as "not really panic" because control is regained. I know that I was in the midst of full blown irrational behavior, I could see myself doing it, and I was able to fight back to control. But I wasn't IN control, so there's no way I'm going to try and pretend I was not in a fully blown panic.
I think the difference experience brings to the table is that experience builds a buffer of knowledge that can help with both preventing problems that could cause panic and allowing us the luxury of recognizing panic when we experience it and thus giving us a chance to regain control sooner than someone who is not so experienced may not get.
I tend to disagree. Fear is what drives the fight or flight response. Panic happens if you can do neither.
- Messages
- 16,577
- Reaction score
- 5,361
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
I have been lucky enough to have never panicked...yet. Some posts point out the reasons for panic, and that given the right circumstances all of us will. If you truly think your next breath is your last, it is only logical that you will panic, regardless of your experience, expertise. As one post said, a high level of competence would give you a big edge against panic, but won't elliminate it. A while back one poster said his experience would prevent him from ever panicking--I doubt it. I have been in uncomfortable situations maybe 4-5 times, but have so far been able to draw on experience to keep calm and solve the problem. Knock wood.
FlyerQ
Registered
I think of it as the condition resulting from the release of large quantities of neurotransmiters resulting in bio-physical changes that overwhelm the individuals ability to think and act normally - either at all or without intense focus. For the individual the experience is emotional to the point of overwhelming normal cognition and accompanied by potentially intense physiological changes in things like heart rate and breathing. It is, I believe definitionally, the onset of intense fear and/or anxiety.
The neural activity is focused in the lower brain and it is a "lesser evolved" response to danger. Regardless of the fight or flight decision this biological phenonmenon ensures a robust, if ill considered, response.
The problem, of course, is that more evolved animals can find themselves in circumstances where robust, yet ill considered responses to danger will kill them...
The neural activity is focused in the lower brain and it is a "lesser evolved" response to danger. Regardless of the fight or flight decision this biological phenonmenon ensures a robust, if ill considered, response.
The problem, of course, is that more evolved animals can find themselves in circumstances where robust, yet ill considered responses to danger will kill them...
Similar threads
