Air Embolism In Shallow Water

[sphyrnidus]

If the kayaker keeps breathing, everything should be fine. However for a non diver dumped into an emergency, that's a big "if."

I've never heard of anybody getting an compressed gas injury without having any dissolved nitrogen or breath holding.

flots.

It has nothing to do with nitrogen. This has only to do wit air expansion. So when we are full of air (which might easily happen with a stressful event) there is only very limited possibility to add more air. At ten meters the air would already double in size. At 2-3 meters that would still be 20-30 % increase in size. The lung when fully filled with air can at the max at 10-15%. So even at slight depths, you might end up with air embolism when not breathing.

 

[spunbrass81]

You can embolise in a bath tub if you try hard enough! I have buddies that carry spare air while white water kayaking and @ 3 to 10 FFW I wouldn't see a issue,rarely would you even get to 10.foot!

 

[flots am]

It has nothing to do with nitrogen. This has only to do wit air expansion. So when we are full of air (which might easily happen with a stressful event) there is only very limited possibility to add more air. At ten meters the air would already double in size. At 2-3 meters that would still be 20-30 % increase in size. The lung when fully filled with air can at the max at 10-15%. So even at slight depths, you might end up with air embolism when not breathing.

Did you read this part?

". . . dissolved nitrogen or breath holding."

 

[sphyrnidus]

Yes flots am, I saw it. But you wrote the first part of the sentence too and I was replying to that part.

 

[Hank49]

The term whitewater indicates that the water is almost foamy? This is in your favor as far as depth. Your buoyancy is less so the pressure per depth would be less.

But since you're spinning out of control and probably don't know which way is up, kind of like getting pitched over the falls on a 15 foot wave....or bigger....think Teahupoo...I would go for the spare air. Just keep breathing.

 

[bracko]

As others have pointed out, it probably is not a good idea to use pressurized air in this case . I myself received a lung over expansion injury in shallow water. In 1992 I was diving off the coast of Spain in rough seas. The dive was over and I was waiting my turn to enter the boat on a rear ladder while trying to avoid being brained by it. I had just removed my fins and grabbed the ladder at the bottom of a trough in the water when I was yanked upward by the ladder as the boat traveled to the peak of a wave. I was pulled up from about 3 to 4 feet fsw to the surface rapidly. It felt like a million pin pricks all over my lungs and thankfully never developed into anything more than a nagging cough for several weeks. In short, if you can't control your depth don't use pressurized gas to breath. I was a fairly new diver then, but I learned my lesson on boarding boats in the open ocean.

there was an article on the DAN Asia Pacific newsletter about 12-18 months ago recounting an accident similar in circumstances and outcome to this in Florida (except I dont think they walked away). I don't have the time at the moment to search through their back issues as only the first paragraph makes it to the email.

 

[egovenatus]

I would like to read about it if you can find it..let me know!