"uh-ohs"

[water_monkey]

I may be way off base, and don't take this the wrong way, but I think it is good to have an "incident" periodically. I am not talking about a serious, life threatening issue, but those little blips that remind us to pay attention and not get complacent. I am new to diving, but I have had three minor incidents so far. Two of them could be considered near misses and the other was just "hey, wake up!"

The two near misses happened on the same trip, the first when I was completing OW. I was doing an alternate air ascent, with the instructor using my octo. We were at 25' On the way up everything started spinning like I was on the teacup ride at Disney. I thought "this is not right, but it feels kind of cool." Honest, thats exactly what I thought. I looked at my bubbles, looking toward the surface and it cleared right away. No panic, freaking out or otherwise causing a need to change my shorts. It was all of about five seconds.

The second was a day later, during a night dive. I was in a group of six, in the middle of the pack. we were at about 55' coming up to about 30' to another attraction, following a guide line. I was rising a bit too quick, so while getting that under control, I got a bit disoriented and shined my light around looking for the group. I did not spin around or otherwise change position from what I thought was my last direction. Of course the light had the same affect as brights in the fog and I could not see squat. I checked my air, depth, etc., then covered my light and found my group in front of me pretty much where I thought they should be. Again, it was not long, about five seconds, shorts intact. My biggest worry here was that "great, I am going to have to surface and miss the rest of the dive because I got lost." Mind you, that would not have stopped me from surfacing.

The third "incident" was really minor. When I descending to over 50', it became noticeably harder to breath, not horrible just harder. "Oh crap I have an air issue." Checked my gauge and took several deep breaths. The needle was not moving around, so I knew the air supply was good. I ascended 15' or so and it got better, went back down and it got a bit difficult again. It was never an issue of having no air, I just had to work a bit harder to get it. Finished the dive with no issues. My buddy was right there the whole time and I indicated that all was okay. I have heard that regs can get like that at depth, depending on the type. This one was not adjustable. The other one I have used had no issues, even at more then 60' and it was not adjustable either. When I turned this one in to the shop I mentioned the issue so they could check the reg out. (I still rent most of my stuff)

So, to make a short story long,
Lessons learned:
1. just don't panic and everything should be fine.
2. as long as you are breathing, and have air, its all good.
3. having incidents like this are not necessarily bad and can be used to help make you a better diver.
4. it does not take much to cross the line into panic if you don't keep your cool.
5. ALWAYS keep your buddy near, because it can go bad in a hurry. (I tend to keep my buddy within arms reach)

 

[cavediver08]

6. Make sure to buy your own gear...SPECIFICALLY your life support gear... One can become very uncomfortable underwater and it can cause problems if your diving with gear that is not yours... My reg (Apeks XTX 100) I have serviced by only one person, every six months, to check it. I would trust this man with my life and he is the only one I will let touch my regs... Be careful and get your own gear! =D

 

[poety]

So, to make a short story long,
Lessons learned:
1. just don't panic and everything should be fine.
2. as long as you are breathing, and have air, its all good.
3. having incidents like this are not necessarily bad and can be used to help make you a better diver.
4. it does not take much to cross the line into panic if you don't keep your cool.
5. ALWAYS keep your buddy near, because it can go bad in a hurry. (I tend to keep my buddy within arms reach)

Im new as well and I have experienced some of the things you spoke about, the disorientation that lasts for about 3-5 seconds can be very unnerving. As a veteran skydiver however, I think its getting used to controlling the reaction to high stress situations since after the first few hundred jumps, it was like second nature to do complicated tasks midair.


I'll share my uhoh story here too.

I had my first scary incident on a night dive as well which was just a couple days ago! It started with descending and seeing two other lights that I knew were not my buddies. I came to find out later that it was the other diver (doing a solo) but I remember specifically thinking to myself "why is it so crowded down here? We're actually descending near other divers?" Anyway, we eventually drifted away and I was spending my time collecting my bearings and marveling at the sea stars, checking gauges as though I was a narced out freak, etc etc.

I had no idea how disorienting but FUN a night dive would be! I stuck close to the dive master (probably too close!) but I knew my plan was to eventually stick with my camera buddy I had been diving with all day after the DM ascended with the other newbie. So, as we're cruising along, the next thing I know I felt like I had run into a wall! I had two flashlights around my wrist on my right hand, one hanging from my BCD, and a glow light on my rig (yes I know its absurd, I was like a glow worm down there but I was scared ok?!)

As I crashed into this "thing" I realized I had forgotten to put my R hand glove on and I felt something that reminded me leather. I flashed my lights up onto whatever it was because at this point, I felt like I was in a battle with it and as I look up, there it is --- an enormous loggerhead turtle!! :turtle: It was flapping at me trying to get away since it was probably more scared then me when all of a sudden... WOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP my mask was gone. :dropmouth:dropmouth

I thought "you've got to be kidding me, its pitch black, Im being attacked by a turtle and no one can see that I lost my mask!" Well, just in time, my light shined in the direction the mask was floating above my head and I was able to retrieve it. All the while saying "you know what to do, put the mask on your face, if you can't get the mask you must ascend with your eyes shut, you must hold your nose so you don't accidently suck in air, breathe through you're regulator, now clear your mask, keep your eyes shut, blow, now look for your buddies" Well, needless to say I motioned my DM who was about a kick away of the turtle. Ofcourse I couldn't share what happened but when I got on board I sure did! He saw the turtle I had flashed my light at, but I don't think anyone saw what happened since we were all side by side two in front, two in back (I was in the back)! Anyway, I felt a lot more confident after that dive since I knew my brain was working underwater the same was in the air - but it does go to show you NEVER KNOW WHAT kind of situation you're going to run across or when.

This is a great board, Im glad the DM recommended it!

 

[TSandM]

I think one of the most valuable lessons a diver can have is to have something happen in fairly innocuous circumstances that scares the dickens out of them, so they know what near-panic feels like, and that they can stop it.

My first experience with that came in my second OW class dive, when I went to flood and clear my mask, and ended up with a bunch of cold salt water down my throat, and choking. I signaled the instructor that I wanted to ascend, and she shook her head at me and told me "No." I thumbed again, and again she said "NO!". I was choking and coughing and a little panicky and I wanted OUT, and she wouldn't let me go, so I learned something. I learned that I could take the panic beast and stuff him back in his box.

It came in really handy about a year later, when I flooded a mask on a wall dive and lost orientation and got vertigo. As I (so I thought) tumbled and somersaulted through the water, I had the same feeling of wanting OUT, but I knew I could beat it and I did, and thought the problem through until I found something on which to orient myself, and solve the issue that had caused my mask to flood and refuse to clear.

I recently read a report of an exit from a cave in zero viz, where a diver felt the same emotion creeping up on her, and she "slammed the lid on it." Knowing you can do that is one of the most valuable things I think a diver can know about him or herself.

 

[scubadobadoo]

I think one of the most valuable lessons a diver can have is to have something happen in fairly innocuous circumstances that scares the dickens out of them, so they know what near-panic feels like, and that they can stop it.

My first experience with that came in my second OW class dive, when I went to flood and clear my mask, and ended up with a bunch of cold salt water down my throat, and choking. I signaled the instructor that I wanted to ascend, and she shook her head at me and told me "No." I thumbed again, and again she said "NO!". I was choking and coughing and a little panicky and I wanted OUT, and she wouldn't let me go, so I learned something. I learned that I could take the panic beast and stuff him back in his box.

It came in really handy about a year later, when I flooded a mask on a wall dive and lost orientation and got vertigo. As I (so I thought) tumbled and somersaulted through the water, I had the same feeling of wanting OUT, but I knew I could beat it and I did, and thought the problem through until I found something on which to orient myself, and solve the issue that had caused my mask to flood and refuse to clear.

I recently read a report of an exit from a cave in zero viz, where a diver felt the same emotion creeping up on her, and she "slammed the lid on it." Knowing you can do that is one of the most valuable things I think a diver can know about him or herself.

Bingo! Stress/panic management is #1.

When someone asks me what I think makes a good diver I say, "stress/panic management." Those small huh ohs we all have remind us of that.

Nice post ts&m.