Sharing my recent experience with skin bends/skin decompression illness

[Panpangato]

Hello forum members, I just wanted to share my recent experience with skin bends, which I did not know existed until now.

I recently went on a dive trip to Roatan. We had shallow dives for the most part 30~50 feet, always had surface intervals for about one hour, and always did the three minute safety stops. Out of the 17 dives, 14 were nitrox 32-33%. I was ok up until the last day when I very briefly hit 106 feet, it was probably only 5-10 seconds and still within the MOD. After that days dive, I noticed that my back would suddenly get very itchy, like ants were crawling all over my back. That itchy sensation only lasted a couple of seconds so at first I ignored it but I would experience the same thing after several hours and the next day as well. I also noticed that the skin on my back was mottled so I googled the symptoms and learned about skin bends. My skin cleared away within hours but I continued to have itchy back for 2 more days.

Im surprised that someone can still get decompression sickness even after following all safety protocols. I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience and what one can do to prevent this. Diving more conservatively perhaps?

 

[azstinger11]

I got hit with skin bends in Bonaire, went to the ER got put on 02 but no chamber ride. Ultimately I think it was dehydration that tipped me over the line. So I really make sure to stay super well hydrated on dive trips now.

 

[GDHLEWIS]

Possibility you were dehydrated? Maybe had an extra drink the night before, overexerted yourself during the dive maybe. All can cause DCI even if you dive within the limits. Did you see a doctor at all about it at all?

 

[Blackcrusader]

I do vacation dives where I do 40 plus dives in 2 weeks. Dives to 40m depth and never had a DCS hit. 3- 4 dives a day/
You might want to do a PFO test on your heart.

 

[scubaozy]

Hello forum members, I just wanted to share my recent experience with skin bends, which I did not know existed until now.

I recently went on a dive trip to Roatan. We had shallow dives for the most part 30~50 feet, always had surface intervals for about one hour, and always did the three minute safety stops. Out of the 17 dives, 14 were nitrox 32-33%. I was ok up until the last day when I very briefly hit 106 feet, it was probably only 5-10 seconds and still within the MOD. After that days dive, I noticed that my back would suddenly get very itchy, like ants were crawling all over my back. That itchy sensation only lasted a couple of seconds so at first I ignored it but I would experience the same thing after several hours and the next day as well. I also noticed that the skin on my back was mottled so I googled the symptoms and learned about skin bends. My skin cleared away within hours but I continued to have itchy back for 2 more days.

Im surprised that someone can still get decompression sickness even after following all safety protocols. I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience and what one can do to prevent this. Diving more conservatively perhaps?

Majority of the bends are actually "undeserved" hits. Decompression models used by computers also include these cases. Only assertion you can make using a computer is, majority of the people who used DC conservatively do not get dcs.
You need to look at what has changed between these dive profiles and the ones in the past. Only problem I see in your profile is 1h SI is on the bare minimum side. Otherwise your practices seems to be reasonable, you probably want to dive nitrox only as of now. Now you also know what to expect, as soon as you notice any signs/symptoms get your self put on O2.
My sister is an experienced diver with 500-1k dives, she had developed mild skin bends twice. We were considering a pfo connection but I noticed she had them whenever she was diving 3-4 dives a day on a LoB. Now she does only 2 dives a day and so far it is all good even after challenging dives.

 

[also_anon_dc]

Im surprised that someone can still get decompression sickness even after following all safety protocols.

You're assuming that one needs to not follow safety protocols to get DCS this is not the case (and a dangerous assumption). As others in this thread have mentioned most people that get DCS have followed all the rules and dove conservatively.

 

[BrackaFish]

Hello forum members, I just wanted to share my recent experience with skin bends, which I did not know existed until now.

I recently went on a dive trip to Roatan. We had shallow dives for the most part 30~50 feet, always had surface intervals for about one hour, and always did the three minute safety stops. Out of the 17 dives, 14 were nitrox 32-33%. I was ok up until the last day when I very briefly hit 106 feet, it was probably only 5-10 seconds and still within the MOD. After that days dive, I noticed that my back would suddenly get very itchy, like ants were crawling all over my back. That itchy sensation only lasted a couple of seconds so at first I ignored it but I would experience the same thing after several hours and the next day as well. I also noticed that the skin on my back was mottled so I googled the symptoms and learned about skin bends. My skin cleared away within hours but I continued to have itchy back for 2 more days.

Im surprised that someone can still get decompression sickness even after following all safety protocols. I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience and what one can do to prevent this. Diving more conservatively perhaps?

First thanks for sharing and glad to hear that you are ok. Secondly, this is a great reminder as @also_anon_dc and many others have pointed, staying within NDL limits and doing “everything right” doesn’t ensure a trouble free dive. There a dozens of factors that tables and computers cannot account for such as age, fitness, hydration status and medication. At the end of the day it seems like you try and do your best to dive safely using good technique, your training, trying to stay fit and using common sense etc. Add a bit of luck from the Dive Gods and you will emerge from the water having had a safe and great dive. Be safe

 

[100days-a-year]

I've done 40 deep dives in a week diving extremely stupid profiles in 130' to 180' and have a buddy who got bent in 90' diving well inside a Suuntos NDL on dive two after a 2 hour plus SI. Way to subjective and variable to make authoritative pronouncements.
Got skin bends lobster diving shallow before, likely due to lengthy exposures.

 

[Silverback9]

I got hit with skin bends in Bonaire, went to the ER got put on 02 but no chamber ride. Ultimately I think it was dehydration that tipped me over the line. So I really make sure to stay super well hydrated on dive trips now.

I got skin Bends a few years ago. Okay 40 years ago... We were diving in 40 degree water in dry suits, and dropped to 105' for 5 - 10 seconds like yourself. About an hour after the dive when my buddy and I were driving back home I got a red irritated area on my right forearm, and it tingled and itched like crazy for about an hour. We had an O2 tank, so I sucked on that for about 30 minutes until, we stopped to eat. After the oxygen and eating, the itching and tingling passed, and the irritation cleared up by the next morning. I have never had a case of skin bends since.
I believe as slight as the case was, the oxygen relieved the symptoms, along with time.

 

[speleo]

"my recent experience with skin bends, which I did not know existed until now."

Do instructors no longer teach anything about deco sickness - signs/symptoms?

"Im surprised that someone can still get decompression sickness even after following all safety protocols."

The "safety protocols" are really a best guess, informed by empirical outcomes and some research. No one should expect zero chance of the bends, especially on multi-day repetitive dives. Successful past diving exposures and protocols that did not result in bends do not prove that a similar repeat exposure won't result in an incidence.