Question about panic

[jdb]

A strange thing happened last week that is new to me. My buddy and I were diving a local site that I have dove many times, (this was my buddies 1st time to this site.) Our dive plan was to drop to 110' and then to assend up to 30' where we would finish out our dive. Everything was going as planned, at 100' we reached a talk box and my buddy felt the need to pop up in it. In an effort to complete a whole thought I took one maybe two breaths out of the box. After this we continued on down to our depth of 110' only the further we went down the more I got this feeling of panic to the point I called the dive. I can not describe this feeling only that it felt like that if I didn't get up right then, then I wouldn't make it. I managed to keep my cool and my dive buddy never realized that I called the dive for other reasons. It was everything I could do to keep calm and collected. I know it wasn't the site as I have been there several times, I don't think it was the depth as I have been deeper. Could this have been caused by a build up of co2 from the talk box? Has anyone else ever experenced this?

 

[nickjb]

It certainly sounds like CO2 build-up.

I've experienced it a couple of times and it isn't pleasant. I felt like my reg could not provide enough air even though it was working fine.

 

[jdb]

I was really hopeing to that. I don't really like the idea that I just fliped out for no reason.

 

[Diver0001]

jdb once bubbled...
A strange thing happened last week that is new to me. My buddy and I were diving a local site that I have dove many times, (this was my buddies 1st time to this site.) Our dive plan was to drop to 110' and then to assend up to 30' where we would finish out our dive. Everything was going as planned, at 100' we reached a talk box and my buddy felt the need to pop up in it. In an effort to complete a whole thought I took one maybe two breaths out of the box. After this we continued on down to our depth of 110' only the further we went down the more I got this feeling of panic to the point I called the dive. I can not describe this feeling only that it felt like that if I didn't get up right then, then I wouldn't make it. I managed to keep my cool and my dive buddy never realized that I called the dive for other reasons. It was everything I could do to keep calm and collected. I know it wasn't the site as I have been there several times, I don't think it was the depth as I have been deeper. Could this have been caused by a build up of co2 from the talk box? Has anyone else ever experenced this?

Narcosis is known to have this effect too. You were certianly deep enough for this to be a possibility.

R..

 

[Walter]

"In an effort to complete a whole thought I took one maybe two breaths out of the box."

Why? You do not know what the quality of that "air" might be. Never breathe "air" from such a source. Remove your regulator to talk, replace it to breathe then remove it to talk again.

What action did you take when you felt approaching panic? You obviously didn't panic, but you may have barely escaped it. Panic in such a situation can and does kill divers. Panic is the greatest danger divers face. To avoid panic, the first action should alway be concentrate on your breathing. Slow deep breaths combat panic. Once you have that slow deep breathing pattern established it is time to take your next step. Think about your choices. Decide on what you wish to do (such as abort the dive) and do it.

Panic is usually the result of a number of factors. Narcosis, CO2 or something small going wrong will start the ball rolling. The diver will then either have confidence in his diving ability, his ability to handle problems and the knowledge to establish a slow deep breathing pattern or he will usually panic. I do not think most divers have that necessary self confidence or the knowledge to deal with breathing effectively in critical situationf to avoid panic. "Stop, Breathe, Think then Act" is great if you know what it means. It is not self explanatory.

 

[jdb]

panic may have been a bad word to use, let me replace it with " a feeling of impending doom" My breathing was never an issue, it was more of a mind thing. At about 105 feet I got the feeling that I really needed to check my gauges, Quick. I glanced at them and they were fine, Time was good and air was at about 2300. At about 108 foot this feeling of I am about to run out of air or go into deco was really getting strong but my gauges and computer say I am way in the clear, I check my buddies and it says the same. When we hit 110 I turn the dive because this feeling has gotten so strong that I am swimming with my gauges right in front me, not taking my eyes off of them. I see the numbers I understand That I am in the clear of either of these things but for some reason I still feel like I broke some rule. Like I am not going to have enough air to surface or that I am going to exceed my bottom time. All the while trying not to spook my buddy who is fairly new. I turned the dive because I had never felt this way before and something just wasn't right. I have been in several stressfull situations and have never felt like this. I don't remember exactly when this feeling left me, but I know it was somewhere above 50 foot.

 

[Walter]

Sounds to me like panic was the correct word. You were very close to panic and unless you were concentrating on your breathing, it is likely you were taking rapid shallow breaths and weren't aware of it.

"it was more of a mind thing."

That's exactly what panic is - a mind thing.

Why did you breathe from the box? Narcosis?

 

[Uncle Pug]

... nailed it.

 

[jdb]

Breathing from the box never hit me as something not to do until after this. I have done this before in the past at much less depths 20 to 30 ft never a problem, people are in them so much and usually release enough fresh air into them that you can't tell the difference. The thought of it being a bad idea didn't enter my mind until around 110 ft. I can assure you that I won't make that same mistake twice. I see the problem with it now. As far as breathing, that is something that I have made a habit of concentrating on, takeing long slow deep breaths. But who knows maybe they were short and shallow at that time. As far as the word panic, I have usually associated that with someones actions and not their feelings.
So is it your concensus Walter and Uncle Pug that this was a case of Narcosis and had nothing to do with co2. I am just trying to figure out why this happened and how to prevent it from happening again.

 

[Walter]

You didn't panic, but you were very close.

It could have been a combination of high CO2 and Narcosis. Narcosis from the depth and the extra CO2. The CO2 would also make you want to breathe faster and shallower. The fast shallow breathing builds additional CO2. You get a snowball effect (like I know about snowballs) and the breathing problem only gets worse. It doesn't take long before the brain shuts down and the diver is in full blown panic.

Why isn't the concept of only breathing from your regulator taught in more OW courses? I know I cover it in mine.