almost died

[fairybasslet]

Panic is often exactly what causes deaths. There isn't any boogie man or anything. We usually do it to ourselves.

I have to absolutely agree with this too. We surfaced at the wrong boat in the Flower Gardens and my buddy, a very experienced diver with over 1300 dives was real non-challant and said "Ooops" and started swimming to our boat. I looked at our boat far out on the horizon (or so it seemed to me) and I'm like "We're gonna swim there?" He's like "sure." Well, not knowing too much about currents and stuff, I automatically assumed we were going to be swimming against the current and I knew I'd never make it. Near panic set in. He was kind of confused by my reaction but calmly told me to swim to him. Then I relaxed enough to realize that the current was taking us right to our boat. Man, did I feel really stupid after that, but it was a good learning experience.

 

[ReefGuy]

That's why you head into the current first

IThen I relaxed enough to realize that the current was taking us right to our boat.

 

[fairybasslet]

That's why you head into the current first

We did, but the first dive of the morning on the last day, I think the vis was about 5 ft. We couldn't find the mooring line on our way back, and finally did a free ascent. As we were ascending, we noticed a mooring line, but couldn't read the bottom of the boat, the vis was that bad. Wasn't until we surfaced that we saw it was the wrong boat. By that time, I was so disoriented, I didn't know where I was. :11: We actually didn't do so badly. Only about 3 buddy pairs surfaced at the correct boat, and I know that for one pair, it was luck. At least we didn't have to take the ride of shame on the chase boat. Many other divers were picked up. :wacko:
For the next dive, the DM put strobes on the mooring line, like you would for a night dive. That certainly helped, although for the second dive, the vis had improved to about 20-25 ft.

 

[gasdvr]

Hey Punisher I Agree whole heartedly with Fish'n Chips and Catherine96821!!!!!!!!!
Did they not teach you in OW class that you can also reach up (right hand), grab your first stage, find your reg. hose, and glide your hand along it to recover your reg. You do know which first stage reg. port your primary hose is right? You should try this method and may find it easier then the 'sweep' I don't believe your situation was life threatening, your panic was. You can also try to hang your octo under your chin-take a piece of 1/2"dia surgical tubing, use plastic ties to attach it to your octo, put it as close to you chin as possible without restricting any movement. With some good adjustment and practice you can almost 'scoop' up your octo without hands. If you decide to go this route, be sure to change hoses, you'll be breathing the 'long' hose' which now also used for buddy breathing, you suck on the octo when you buddy breath. Check with your LDS and ask them to check out your set up (before you dive it!!!) Practice the method with a qualified buddy. Also, go back to basics, get a refresher course and read some books on equipment configurations. YOU should not dive go solo. Glad your ok. Are you certified?

 

[all4scuba05]

GASDVR, unfortunately the location of the tank in relation to my body doesn't allow me to be able to reach the hose from over my shoulder. tried that before and just couldn't reach it.

you're right, my panis was what was threatening.

I have the AIR2 so when I get an octo installed, i'll be doing the tie off.

Been certified, refreshing now and taking advanced soon.

 

[Rec Diver]

REC DIVER, are you saying that you don't consider this a near death experience? have you studied how long it takes us to die once we start breathing in water when 15ft below...I have no idea how long it takes to pass out down there from no air. of course I panicked, I forgot I had another reg. and after not being able to hold my breath any longer, I started desiring the air above the surface and went for it. I THOUGHT it was near death because I've never experienced that situation before. turns out I was wrong, I guess it would take more than that to kill me?

What you experienced was panick. I don't consider it near death because when you started having a problem you should have started up immediately, not wait around until you could no longer hold your breath. Had you done this you would have reacehd the surface long before you would have reached you regulator. Remeber you were at 15 feet, not a 115 feet. I would suggest you retake all of your open water class over, you aparently did not learn from it the first time.

 

[JRScuba]

Well, I'm glad you clarified that for me. If he held his breath, he could have gotten an embolism, but to worry about DCS from 15ft? That seems rather odd to me.

15-ft EMBOLISM, I find that highly unlikely. Read his post, sounds like a new diver to me. Did he do the right thing, yep!! He did exactly what he should have done if he was " somewhat " deeper.
I'm sure that experience will be his teacher, as it is with most of us.

I was happy to hear that I was able to clarify that for you.
Perhaps open water 101 is a better place to start.

 

[RiverRat]

this was my first near death...it was yesterday...ft wetherill, RI. solo dive around noon.

Dude you just gotta chill out a bit and take a step or three back. I'm just over about a 100 dives now and starting to feel comfortable in the water. It took me 50 dives to just start to trust my gear and my insticts/reactions in an alien environment. I've had that "panicky" feeling early on in diving and learned real quick to STOP, BREATHE, THINK and ACT! Amazing how the body and mind can work against you underwater and stupid problems can escalate into severe ones. Stopping, then regaining proper breathing control, usually by resuming a few SLOW, DEEP, CONTROLLED breaths works wonders for me. Gives me a short pause to say OK let's deal with this, blow off some possible accumulated CO2 and stop the cycle of stress, which can lead to panic even in divers with thousands of dives that have never paniced before. I think training and education (reading Alert Diver etc.) goes a long way as well as just getting in more dives. I won't get into the SOLO / NO- SOLO debate now.
But you are definately not ready to or should even consider solo diving right now.

 

[RiverRat]

15-ft EMBOLISM, I find that highly unlikely.

Just for the record, divers have embolised in 6 ft. of water or less. There is a story on the board somewhere about a guy working on a boat prop that got stuck, ripped out his hand and blasted up holding his breath. He got an embolism.

If you go back to your OW training you'll understand that the most dramatic changes in volume occur between 33 ft. and the surface.

Even from 15 ft. blow bubbles if you have to ascend without an air source.

 

[fairybasslet]

Just for the record, divers have embolised in 6 ft. of water or less. There is a story on the board somewhere about a guy working on a boat prop that got stuck, ripped out his hand and blasted up holding his breath. He got an embolism.

If you go back to your OW training you'll understand that the most dramatic changes in volume occur between 33 ft. and the surface.

Even from 15 ft. blow bubbles if you have to ascend without an air source.

Yep. That's my understanding too. Maybe someone else needs physiology 101.