Question Did I get my first CO2 hit?

[heftysmurf]

Good morning divers! Had 3 dives this weekend and while a new diver, I like to learn and also figure out ways forward to prevent future issues.

Saturday was a boat dive with first being a wreck, Hog Heaven, for you Floridians or others who know. 20 mins under around 60', I spot a weight pocket and figured I'd be a good Samaritan and recover it. Seemed LOADED so that tweaked my buoyancy, little exertion and boom, I feel panicky. I swim over to my buddy who is also the DM for this dive and and tried telling him I felt off and wanted to thumb it. He did all the good stuff to look him in the eyes, breathe, etc. I was adamant about thumbing it and he gathered the rest of our group, we hit the line, and start our ascent. Safety stop was just FOREVER! I got on board the boat and the DM's are asking what happened. I'm grumpy because I "ruined" it for my little group but everyone was so supportive and saying, "it happens". I sit beating myself up for the next 30 or so minutes until our next dive at a reef in 30-40' which I did no problem. Finally, yesterday, I get back on the horse and do a shore dive for an hour or so at around 20'. Again, no issues.

After action: Trying to review the events of Saturday, I wanted to understand what tossed me into panic, if nothing else, to learn from it and try to avoid it in the future. I THINK the following had an impact on why I felt the way I did and THINK I might've had a CO2 hit due to it. Seas were rough. 4-6' on a boat with ~20 folks (10 in our group with 2 DM's). Few people were hurling (I have a weird barf phobia!). New site and then trying to be a good guy and recover a weight pocket, changing my breathing/exerting myself. Finally, being so new to diving to not fully recognize under the surface what was happening.

Is it goofy to try to analyze these? I do this a lot with stuff that goes less than expected. Thoughts on this truly being a bit of CO2 buildup or just my head playing games on me?

Bottom line for me is, I've dove with most of my LDS DMs and they've all been top notch and I learn something new each time!

 

[TheCatFish]

Seems more likely to me that you got overwhelmed with the dive, the surf, the vomit, etc.

Your dive profile and description doesn't seem to fit with my understanding of CO2 poisoning.

What is making you suspicious of CO2 buildup?

 

[heftysmurf]

Seems more likely to me that you got overwhelmed with the dive, the surf, the vomit, etc.

Your dive profile and description doesn't seem to fit with my understanding of CO2 poisoning.

What is making you suspicious of CO2 buildup?

Thanks! My understanding then is way less! I'm just trying to think yes, overwhelmed, then shallower breathing (maybe)...I tried to focus on my breathing but I was definitely not feeling myself so assuming (we know that's never good) that it was a smidge of CO2 buildup. Or just plain old panic/not feeling the whole thing.

 

[steinbil]

It sounds like mostly a mental thing. Maybe you were a little on edge/nervous because of the sea state and vomiting, and when you noticed the buoyancy shift combined with struggling a little bit in the water, it sets off a chain reaction. It's incredible how quickly panic can set in underwater if you're uncomfortable. Often this discomfort, working under water, nervousness, higher heart rate can lead to improper/shallow breathing, which exacerbates the problem. It's a vicious cycle, and it's not always easy to say what the trigger was, but often it's a combination of things - especially if you're already a little nervous.

I've had one really uncomfortable situation underwater at around 85-90ft which I think was a combination of working/kicking harder than normal into current to keep up with a team mate, narcosis (dark narc), poor ventilation. I also noticed being a bit nervous with higher than normal heart rate on a couple of dives after that, but calm breathing sorted it out, and after gaining more comfort I haven't experienced anything similar again.

I think CO2 might play a small part in situations like this, when hard work and nerves lead to improper breathing, but I think it mostly comes down to being comfortable.

 

[inquis]

CO2 buildup is typically accompanied by a post-dive headache.

 

[heftysmurf]

CO2 buildup is typically accompanied by a post-dive headache.

So that evening I did have a headache...Not sure if it's related or not.

 

[davehicks]

So that evening I did have a headache...Not sure if it's related or not.

I've had a CO2 hit on a rebreather, and I've had CO2 headaches as a baby diver from skip breathing. I am pretty sure you had neither one. As others have suggested, this was probably just anxiety. Not to be ignored, but it is something that experience will help to resolve.

It is pretty difficult to get a true CO2 hit on open circuit. However, the symptoms that I experienced on CCR (due to scrubber breakthrough) were irritability, frustration, and elevated breathing. Switching to open circuit resolved the symptoms and I didn't have any issues after the aborted dive.

CO2 from skip breathing (pausing too long between breaths and perhaps not fully exhaling) usually results in a pounding, vise-like headache sometime after the dives are completed. Adopting a steady, slow breathing pattern can prevent this. I like to use a slow inhale on a 4 count, then a 4-count exhale. This works well for most people I have assisted who had CO2 retention issues.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Good morning divers! Had 3 dives this weekend and while a new diver, I like to learn and also figure out ways forward to prevent future issues.

Saturday was a boat dive with first being a wreck, Hog Heaven, for you Floridians or others who know. 20 mins under around 60', I spot a weight pocket and figured I'd be a good Samaritan and recover it. Seemed LOADED so that tweaked my buoyancy, little exertion and boom, I feel panicky. I swim over to my buddy who is also the DM for this dive and and tried telling him I felt off and wanted to thumb it. He did all the good stuff to look him in the eyes, breathe, etc. I was adamant about thumbing it and he gathered the rest of our group, we hit the line, and start our ascent. Safety stop was just FOREVER! I got on board the boat and the DM's are asking what happened. I'm grumpy because I "ruined" it for my little group but everyone was so supportive and saying, "it happens". I sit beating myself up for the next 30 or so minutes until our next dive at a reef in 30-40' which I did no problem. Finally, yesterday, I get back on the horse and do a shore dive for an hour or so at around 20'. Again, no issues.

After action: Trying to review the events of Saturday, I wanted to understand what tossed me into panic, if nothing else, to learn from it and try to avoid it in the future. I THINK the following had an impact on why I felt the way I did and THINK I might've had a CO2 hit due to it. Seas were rough. 4-6' on a boat with ~20 folks (10 in our group with 2 DM's). Few people were hurling (I have a weird barf phobia!). New site and then trying to be a good guy and recover a weight pocket, changing my breathing/exerting myself. Finally, being so new to diving to not fully recognize under the surface what was happening.

Is it goofy to try to analyze these? I do this a lot with stuff that goes less than expected. Thoughts on this truly being a bit of CO2 buildup or just my head playing games on me?

Bottom line for me is, I've dove with most of my LDS DMs and they've all been top notch and I learn something new each time!

First, kudos to you for advocating for yourself and to your buddy/DM for giving you the psychological safety to thumb the dive.

If you were exerting yourself you may have had a mild CO2 buildup, which can make it feel like you're not getting enough air and in turn aggravate anxiety if you're not mindful of it and it's not addressed right away. It sounds like your DM did a good job of that as well.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[revise]

Hey, I know you! Was next to you on this boat.

Seas were rough. 4-6' on a boat with ~20 folks (10 in our group with 2 DM's). Few people were hurling (I have a weird barf phobia!). New site and then tying to be a good guy and recover a weight pocket, changing my breathing/exerting myself.

And you were carrying a camera, and we all dropped under pretty quick, and the person next to you on the boat was muttering about their random worry about splatting into the side of a commercial freighter on a safety stop (sorry about that). None of that was helpful. I know this is in the physiology forum and I won't speak to that, but there was a lot going on. Your brain was saying "up!!!" and you held it together. I think that's a pretty good outcome.

 

[heftysmurf]

Hey, I know you! Was next to you on this boat.


And you were carrying a camera, and we all dropped under pretty quick, and the person next to you on the boat was muttering about their random worry about splatting into the side of a commercial freighter on a safety stop (sorry about that). None of that was helpful. I know this is in the physiology forum and I won't speak to that, but there was a lot going on. Your brain was saying "up!!!" and you held it together. I think that's a pretty good outcome.

Ha! Small world. Thank you for the snacks…if that was you! Yeah, hindsight, things were a bit messy. Still had a fun reef dive! Then yesterday got my goal of seeing a turtle!

though it has been a weird weekend. I was supposed to fish yesterday with a buddy. Canceled last Thursday to shore dive. Text him last night and his wife replied he was hit by another boat and tossed from the boat and airlifted as a trauma with 4 fractured ribs. So yeah, whole weekend was….odd!