Panic regulator removal

[K_girl]

A question - if CO2 buildup starts to happen in a situation where you need to exert yourself i.e. strong current how do you prevent or curtail it. Once you pass a certain point I find it very hard to recover short of just going with the current which is not always a good idea.

Trying to swim against a strong current could be worse, much worse, but here are some ideas if you find yourself in this situation:

1. Heavy current is typically the case from the start of the dive and most problems will occur early in the dive. If you are in a situation where no one is tending a boat, abort the dive immediately in strong current. If you are in a situation where someone is tending the boat and you've been deep, I would say, anything 10 minutes or less, do a slow ascent and skip the safety stop. Or, look at your nitrogen loading if you have done multiple dives in the same day. If you've done a proper surface interval, under 10 minutes, you are probably still OK to skip the safety stop.

2. During the ascent, or if you need to do a safety stop, maintain your position by fixing on a point on the bottom. Do not try to make progress against a strong current. You can preserve your breathing and your air usage by just maintaining a position. Force yourself to breathe deep and breathe slowly, your body will get more oxygen that way. Don't try to make it back to the boat, plan to let the boat pick you up. In a strong current, you are not the only one who will not make it back to the boat. Carry a safety sausage and a whistle, you will have less to worry about.

3. If you cannot see the bottom during the ascent and safety stop (if needed), point yourself into the current and kick in a slow, steady manner as to not overexert yourself. You can get some reassurance that you are maintaining position by watching the particles go by you.

In my sister's situation last year, by going up with her, I helped her to maintain a slow ascent. When we reached the safety stop level she attempted to swim back down to do a safety stop. We were in heavy current, I looked at my computer and saw that only 8 minutes had passed. It was the first dive of the trip, so we had little nitrogen loading and the computer showed little nitrogen loading. I gave her the signal to ascend because of the current and I knew they only had one little skiff and they were going to have to pick-up a lot of people and I thought it best that we be one of the first - and we were. When we were on the surface she said she thought that I was disappointed that she had to abort. I told her - no - I was concerned about the current and reassured her that anytime she needs to abort a dive, I have no problem with that and I will always stick with her. I told her it is better to abort early than later. I told her all the things she did right which was - she signaled me to go up, she stayed with me and didn't make a bee-line to the surface, she didn't grab for my reg in a panic, she attempted to do a safety stop, she stopped herself from breathing in water. Actually, I didn't know she was so panicked until she told me at the surface. So all-in-all, even though it was a harrowing experience for her, she learned a lot about herself and has become a better diver for it.

 

[K_girl]

Correction: If you've done a proper surface interval, and the dive is under 10 minutes, you are probably still OK to skip the safety stop.

 

[Darnold9999]

Actually in almost all situations where you have not exceeded NDL most people can safely skip the safety stop. Not to suggest that you should skip a safety stop - if it is at all possible you should make the stop. It reduces your risk. However putting yourself at risk just to make a safety stop is not a good idea either and too many people believe that if you miss the safety stop you are at extreme risk so they do stupid things just to make the stop i.e. run out of air.

I will have to try the purge button technique it sounds like a usefull tool.

Slow your breathing and breath as deeply as possible clearing the bottom of your lungs seems to be the only way to clear CO2 (that and reduce your exertion level)

 

[bcwolfen]

I've actually had it happen to me . . . on the surface. Jumping into 42 degree water in Nanaimo last winter, and making my way along the granny line to the bow anchor line for descent, I couldn't catch my breath. I ended up taking my regulator out of my mouth, which was stupid, because we had significant surface chop, and I ended up aspirating some salt water.

And found out later that I could expect some of the breathlessness every time I jumped into that ice-cold water. But I can testify that, when you get short of breath, the last thing you want is something in your mouth, even if your brain knows that something is the source of the air you're breathing. After that experience, I had a lot more empathy for panicked divers underwater.

Living in Nanaimo my wife and I have had quite a few opportunities to dive the wrecks off Snake Island. When its choppy out we both always feel quite a bit out of breath after the pull along the granny line to the tag line. If the tag line is jerking you up and down but there is too much current to let go sometimes you just can't sit on the surface to catch your breath so we do 'descent stop'. Even if we are breathing hard we'll drop to 20' and pause. Then we'll do a quick buddy check, set backup timers, turn on lights if not already on. I find doing these few simple tasks takes the mind off the exertion, we take a few deep breathes, give the ok and then continue our descent. I find it much eaiser to relax and catch my breath this way than bobbing in the surface hanging off the rope getting pounded by waves.

 

[iceaxe]

I've seen similar occurrences along the lines of what TSandM has experienced. On one particular evening coming up from a dive we had a significant amount of chop in which on of the members of our party had a hard time making up current to the boat. I'm not sure what his motivation was (viz. he was breathing to rapidly or just felt like removing his reg on the surface), but he took in a few mouthfuls of water and became distressed. We ended up having to shove his reg back in his mouth and towing him in. I think it's important to note that a 'dive' technically isn't over until you've gotten out of the water, not just after you've surfaced. I think lots of divers let the guard down once they've reached the surface, when in reality there are just as many hazards there as there are below.

 

[CamG]

Thanks to all who have commented on this post! It is a harsh reminder that if not handled correctly panic is fatal! How doe's one know if they will override the panic? I count it a privilage to have a Instructer who is brutaly honest and have a resource like SB to allow for an opportunity to learn from diving shortcommings and accidents. I have suffered over breathing my reg. in most of the situations described, I guarantee many starting divers would benefit from the information on this thread! In a cavern in Mexico following my wife aproximately 75 feet from the end of the dive, I had a shot of panic rip through me. Why? Who knows? The first 75% of the dive was great. The last 25% was hell! I settled gentle to the sandy floor closed my eyes and got back in cotrol of my breathing and composure. I beleive that sutch occurences make us better divers. There are some awesome tools to try if and when over breathing occurs. Thanks all and I will be recommending these tips to others! CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[TheWetRookie]

I think it's important to note that a 'dive' technically isn't over until you've gotten out of the water, not just after you've surfaced. I think lots of divers let the guard down once they've reached the surface, when in reality there are just as many hazards there as there are below.

Very good point, thanks for the reminder.

 

[tlcmetrokc]

i have had it happen with an advanced student who at 90' panicked and pulled the reg. i was 5' away. she was dead when i got her to the surface, but thankfully with all the training i was able to revive her on the way back to shore. her father unfortunately was holding his breath and her leg on our rapid accent to the surface, he blew a lung. i life flighted them both to a chamber. they both made it but dont dive anymore. its a sad tale that happens all to often.

 

[clive francis]

I thought I recalled a comment made in a spin-off thread last summer focused on panic, in which a poster mentioned a phenomenon of panicked divers, who cannot get enough air from their regulator (because of their rapid breathing), feeling as if they were suffocating and pulling their regulator from their mouth underwater, and drowning as a result. (In fact, I may have referenced it in a later post myself.) But, I have gone back through that thread and can't find the original comment. I have done a search and not found it, but the challenge may be finding the right terms. Does anyone know of, or recall in a thread, references to this phenomenon - specifically drowning cases where divers pull their regulators out underwater, associated with panic, hyperventilation, etc?

guy did it on a dive when i was in Dom rep a couple of years ago, his first dive on his AOW having just completed his OW and they took him to 30m!

i found out why i did it a couple of days later as they gave me his kit, the deeper you went the less air you got until i was sucking as hard as a could and got nothing, luckily the octo worked or i would have had shoot for the surface.

in the UK the kit would have been seized by HSE and found to be faulty but unfortunately other countries aren't so safety concious!

 

[z3r0c00l]

luckily the octo worked or i would have had shoot for the surface.

Or shared with a buddy?