Unsafe rapid ascents

[Gidds]

Ok people you've made me paranoid! When I was trained (a million years before joining this forum) I was scared quite a lot but it never once occurred to me to go zooming to the surface. Either I am that spacey or else my instructors ingrained into my head that rocketing to the surface just is not an option when you are scared or having a problem. Similarly I'm not one of those people who stomps on thier brakes in scary highway situations, especially not in snow and I am far more (or at least equally) afraid of driving than I am of diving. Until coming here and reading about it I was not aware of this phenomenon in novice divers such as myself. So anyway now I am afraid that since the idea has been planted in my head I'll go zooming to the surface when next I go diving and get scared. Any suggestions about exorcising this horrible thought from my paranoid little brain?

Thanks and much appreciated.

 

[cdtgray]

Any suggestions about exorcising this horrible thought from my paranoid little brain?QUOTE]


Remember that you are the one in control of your dives. You choose how much weight to wear, when to add or release air from your BC, and how to adjust your breathing. Keeping all of that in mind should help you to overcome some of the uneasiness associated with putting yourself into the unfamiliar underwater environment.

 

[DandyDon]

Any suggestions about exorcising this horrible thought from my paranoid little brain?

Remember that you are the one in control of your dives. You choose how much weight to wear, when to add or release air from your BC, and how to adjust your breathing. Keeping all of that in mind should help you to overcome some of the uneasiness associated with putting yourself into the unfamiliar underwater environment.

Good suggestions.

And you'll probably do fine, but if you're nervous when you plan a dive trip, arrange to hire a DM to dive with you for a few dives. Money well spent! Beyond that, I try to keep my back up plans in mind. On one dumb incident I brought on myself last year, I went thru plans a, b, c, d, e, but swam out okay.

We had a few novices on my last trip, but enjoyed 4 great DMs for 19 divers - usually 3 in the water at a time. One lady had a problem on a wreck dive and 2 of them zoomed in to help. And never be hesitant to ask for help, before, during or even after a dive. We all need others, and to help others.

 

[m3830431]

Just dive and get comfortable. If you get an unwelcome urge to bolt stop and take a second to think why. You will realize 99.9 % there is no urgency, just anxiety which could lead to panic if you don't stop and think.

 

[mark99]

I think many of the threads and posts you refer to are in reference to unintended rapid ("run-away") ascents, rather than "freak out" bolt ascents. The run-away occurs when you ascend a bit, and expanding air in your BC (as well as wetsuit expansion) causes you to become positively buoyant, and you unintentionally start to ascend more rapidly and rapidly. Maybe that's the freak out part- you know it is happening, you know it is bad, and you are trying frantically trying to dump air out of the BC as it's getting lighter and lighter and your computer alarm is going off "beep beep beep". At least that's what I hear it's like...... The main thing you really have to remember if it happens is to NOT hold your breath. Of course you prevent this by letting air out of your BC as you ascend before it happens, (hence the "buoyancy control" that you improve as you get more experienced.)

 

[Ernesto]

I was reading a book last night about a fairly famous cave diver. He said that he felt that he was alive (at the time) because he had a couple of small "situations" early in his diving career that prepared him for the bigger "situations" later on.

Knowledge is a good thing. Now you know about people panicking and bolting, and the dangers -- Now you are a more knowledgeable diver. Use your knowledge to become a better, safer diver.


ernie

 

[ScubaSixString]

I was reading a book last night about a fairly famous cave diver. He said that he felt that he was alive (at the time) because he had a couple of small "situations" early in his diving career that prepared him for the bigger "situations" later on.

Knowledge is a good thing. Now you know about people panicking and bolting, and the dangers -- Now you are a more knowledgeable diver. Use your knowledge to become a better, safer diver.


ernie

Caverns measureless, perhaps?