Regarding the vibration: the study targeted the question if vibration before (not after) diving can reduce the bubble load. Bubble load is not identical with the incidence of DCS, even though often even professional societies are good at blurring the lines between both, alas it seems for PR purposes in some cases. Bubble load is something that can reliably be measured in experiments, as bubble are present in nearly every case. DCS is very rare, so often not seen even once in studies. But it is important to stress that nothing proves that a lower bubble load guarantees no DCS.
And as with so much in diving, statistical basis for this study is heartbreaking. 14 divers, 2 dives each. But anyhow. The reasoning behind it was that bubbles very probably do not manage to come into existence in free solution in divers, as supersaturation is not high enough. Prevailing ideas are that they are born ("nucleated") either by mechanically making and breaking contact of solid surfaces (remember the cracking you can make with your knuckles...). This is called "tribonucleation". Or that they are born at surfaces, and preferably at places where there are narrow cracks within which the baby bubbles can grow, and then some time can come free and start their journey through the bloodstream. This is called "heterogeneous nucleation". A consequence of this second idea is that we all should have waiting baby bubbles in our body all the time. They may just become more problematic when given the opportunity to prosper by saturation after diving. So there is the idea: shake the diver before the dive --> babies get shaken out of the cradle and perish --> less baby bubbles present during and after the dive, so less risk. Nothing of this is proven of course, not even the mechanism of bubble production, and maybe not even that the bubbles are the real problem. Still, here it is:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c653/86b0cedd0b375358d6872c3dcabb9c093756.pdf
This study seems to really indicate less bubbles after pre-dive shaking. Make of it what you want. I personally will not shake before diving, and I have no hesitations to board a shaking car after diving.
And regarding the OP, honestly, I would not consider bubbles or DCS the culprit. I would guess, as many others have stated, that you over time will much improve your experience by improving your breathing. Some of what you describe sounds like CO2 build up more than anything else. DCS is very rare, do not let all the hype about it take away your joy!
And as with so much in diving, statistical basis for this study is heartbreaking. 14 divers, 2 dives each. But anyhow. The reasoning behind it was that bubbles very probably do not manage to come into existence in free solution in divers, as supersaturation is not high enough. Prevailing ideas are that they are born ("nucleated") either by mechanically making and breaking contact of solid surfaces (remember the cracking you can make with your knuckles...). This is called "tribonucleation". Or that they are born at surfaces, and preferably at places where there are narrow cracks within which the baby bubbles can grow, and then some time can come free and start their journey through the bloodstream. This is called "heterogeneous nucleation". A consequence of this second idea is that we all should have waiting baby bubbles in our body all the time. They may just become more problematic when given the opportunity to prosper by saturation after diving. So there is the idea: shake the diver before the dive --> babies get shaken out of the cradle and perish --> less baby bubbles present during and after the dive, so less risk. Nothing of this is proven of course, not even the mechanism of bubble production, and maybe not even that the bubbles are the real problem. Still, here it is:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c653/86b0cedd0b375358d6872c3dcabb9c093756.pdf
This study seems to really indicate less bubbles after pre-dive shaking. Make of it what you want. I personally will not shake before diving, and I have no hesitations to board a shaking car after diving.
And regarding the OP, honestly, I would not consider bubbles or DCS the culprit. I would guess, as many others have stated, that you over time will much improve your experience by improving your breathing. Some of what you describe sounds like CO2 build up more than anything else. DCS is very rare, do not let all the hype about it take away your joy!
