Her First Dive Didn't Go so Well

[LowDrag]

Kudos to your daughter big time Dumpster!!! Sounds like a bad dive turned good to me. Tell her and your son I said good job they both deserve a pat on the back.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I didn't expect that much positive feedback. We gave her zyrtec last night (which has been a miracle for sea lice) but didn't seem to help that much. This morning her neck had raised welts again, but she seems just uncomfortable this evening.

Yes she is tough. I taught her brothers to dive when they were 8 and 9 years old and they were scuba diving with me on some open ocean dives in 60 or more feet by the age of 9. But she was different, only wanted to snorkel, so I never pushed it. She can easily freedive to 25 feet and can run like the wind, so I expect her to pick up the skills quickly.

She recently came to me and said she wanted to learn to scuba, but does not want to dive from the boat, just do easy dives. I am fine with that. She has a lot more training to do, and since I am not an active instructor, we may eventually have to look into getting her certified.

It really is an excellent situation. I have something she wants and I get to force her to sit through individualized lectures on inverse relationships, physiology, anatomy, oceanography, diffusion, partial pressures and who know what else...poor child..

 

[lv2dive]

I didn't expect that much positive feedback. We gave her zyrtec last night (which has been a miracle for sea lice) but didn't seem to help that much. This morning her neck had raised welts again, but she seems just uncomfortable this evening. ..

I react very strongly to bites and stings - so much so that I keep cortisone cream and Benadryl pills in my car and bring them with me on boat dives in case I have an experience like your daughters' - and that is basically my point. . I have found oral Benadryl or its generic equivalent to be most effective in reducing that sort of reaction.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I react very strongly to bites and stings - so much so that I keep cortisone cream and Benadryl pills in my car and bring them with me on boat dives in case I have an experience like your daughters' - and that is basically my point. . I have found oral Benadryl or its generic equivalent to be most effective in reducing that sort of reaction.

Thanks...Some of the sores are now oozing and a little blood came out...

 

[lv2dive]

Thanks...Some of the sores are now oozing and a little blood came out...

Ouch I really hope she feels better!!

 

[supergaijin]

So I snorkel to the bottom in like 18 feet and get her tank and bring it up and she puts it on, I let her descend as I watch from the surface and then swim down and grab my tank. In the few moments as I flip the tank over my head (and my attention is diverted from her) .. .. she takes one.. a large jelly drifting in the current completely covers her face and wraps up in her hair. My son saw it from the surface and he dove down and ripped it off her face. I pop my tank on and she is rubbing her neck and frantically gives the thumbs up. Obviously, I should have paid better attention.

This popped out at me straight away. I think all agencies state that beginners should not be left to descend alone. Dof/Don equipment on the equivalent of CW 1 is also not such a great idea IMO.

I fully understand that this was not an 'agency-sanctioned' dive... however those rules are put in to place for a reason.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

This popped out at me straight away. I think all agencies state that beginners should not be left to descend alone. Dof/Don equipment on the equivalent of CW 1 is also not such a great idea IMO.

I fully understand that this was not an 'agency-sanctioned' dive... however those rules are put in to place for a reason.

No doubt, but it wouldn't be a good story if it wasn't true. I will be more attentive with her.

 

[bracko]

yeah, that popped out to me as well. What's done is done and probably a lesson for both.

so what's been the follow up? is she keen to continue?

 

[Quero]

Poor thing! I'm so very sorry your daughter suffered a marine life injury, DD. I hope she recovers soon and that the welts go away without scarring (get some MedDerma at the pharmacy--it's OTC). She did great, IMO, in keeping her composure as well as she did.

As for the dive itself, I believe I would have called it as soon as I saw the proliferation of stinging jellies. With an untested diver who specifically asked for "easy" dives, it seems to me that the result was unsurprising--a dive that didn't go smoothly; an emergency ascent; an injury. You must feel awful.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Poor thing! I'm so very sorry your daughter suffered a marine life injury, DD. I hope she recovers soon and that the welts go away without scarring (get some MedDerma at the pharmacy--it's OTC). She did great, IMO, in keeping her composure as well as she did.

As for the dive itself, I believe I would have called it as soon as I saw the proliferation of stinging jellies. With an untested diver who specifically asked for "easy" dives, it seems to me that the result was unsurprising--a dive that didn't go smoothly; an emergency ascent; an injury. You must feel awful.

Do you think I should feel awful?

I am preparing to take her out on a MUCH more dangerous expedition. In fact she is in my office at this very moment, literally bugging me about it. She wants me to subject her to another situation where she is unlicensed and I have absolutely no control over the situation. If she makes a small mistake, she may die and I might die as well. Do you think I should risk her DEATH, just because she is asking me to give her lessons in an environment that I have absolutely no control over?




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She just turned 15 and got her driving permit and wants me to take her on her first driving lesson. I have ZERO formal qualifications for teaching her this stuff. I'm really very nervous about it.