What causes one to drown while doing SCUBA?

[havnmonkey]

if they run out of air and can't inflate the bc (if it is necessary) do they even need the BC? Dumping weights should be enough to give anyone positive bouyancy so the BC wouldn't need to inflate anyway; and you should do a "swimming ascent" anyway.

MANY people do not know how to react in a stressful/panic situation. A diver gets to the surface and takes his reg out of their mouth without infalting his/her BC, they start to sink and rapidly kick and claw their way back to the surface with at the most half a breath in their lungs. The panicking diver gulps for air and gets some air but mostly water, the windpipe will involuntarily close to keep the water out of the lungs and as a result the diver chokes, loses consciousness, and sinks to the depths below.

I'm a lifeguard on a really busy beach, thats how we have drownings in rip currents.

On a good note, someone who has just gone under will usually regain breathing on their own once above the surface.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

ooooh, i was taught to inflate my BC to ascend... tell me more...

I hope that you're joking ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[BIGG_BUDD]

ooooh, i was taught to inflate my BC to ascend... tell me more...

Who taught you that? I just want to know so that I can avoid ever meeting them...

 

[AndyNZ]

ooooh, i was taught to inflate my BC to ascend... tell me more...

uuuuh, if you want to hear more how about "don't this as it's really really bad idea"...?

 

[Charlie99]

ooooh, i was taught to inflate my BC to ascend... tell me more...

You deserve at least one non-sarcastic answer. If you have adjusted the amount of air in your BCD properly while at depth, then you are close to neutral buoyancy. Just simply breathing in a bit deeper should start you slowly ascending. From that point on, you will need to dump air from your BCD as the air in the BCD expands while you ascend.

It's not a good practice to use the BCD inflator button like an elevator. This tends to lead to runaway ascents.

...what currents have to do with drowning deaths?

Probably only indirectly related. Someone who goes unconscious will likely drown. Struggling against a current trying to get back upcurrent to a dive boat can bring on medical problems. It can also result in panic. Once a diver no longer has air in his tank, then there is the possibility of choking on some water when a wave breaks over you. Unless you have good airway control, that can lead to more coughing, panicking, and taking in more water.

That's why, in an emergency, it is a good idea to dump your lead once you get to the surface -- you'll ride higher in the water without getting pitched forward by a fully inflated wing or back inflation BCD, or being squeezed by a fully inflated jacket BCD.

 

[CompuDude]

(Ok, one more sarcastic one.)

I find that water is the killer in roughly 99% of scuba-related drownings.

 

[venturediver]

I was firmly convinced that lack of oxygen to the brain was the leading cause of drowning and most other deaths for that matter. (Had to throw my 2 cents in. Which really isn't worth that much.)

 

[Rick Inman]

ooooh, i was taught to inflate my BC to ascend... tell me more...

I hope that you're joking ...

I believe that PADI teaches divers to squirt a little air in their BC to begin their ascent, and then vent as they go (not that I agree with this. Just saying...). Some new divers incorrectly interpret that as meaning to inflate their BC to ascend.

Also, I believe that, in some way, panic is the major contributer to most scuba deaths.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Angela were you by chance trained at NCSU in PE226? If you were, I know for a fact that you were not taught to "inflate your BC to ascend." Perhaps you meant something more along the lines of "I know that as I ascend, my BC inflates." ?

edit: and by "inflates" I mean the air already inside it expands.

 

[Jason Ooi]

Never do that in any situation...Instructor never teach student do that....
Panic divers caused drowning....

ooooh, i was taught to inflate my BC to ascend... tell me more...