The Bed Spins at depth?

[aripple]

The last two times I was on the Car Ferry Milwaukee, which rests in 115' of 42 degree Lake Michigan water, on my initial decent I experienced what I would compare to the "bed spins" when I reached the deck at about 80 feet. On my second dives I was ok, but on each of the first dives I got the "bed spins". Any thoughts?

 

[Cave Diver]

Vertigo or narcosis or a combination of both.

Dark, cold water can enhance the effects of both.

 

[aripple]

I don't think that is is vertigo because I've got good visual references, surface and wreck. THe water is not dark at all, it is pretty clear with lots of ambient light. I'm diving dry so I don't think that temperature is a factor. I considered narcosis as well but I don't have that sense of euphoria, more like the room is starting to spin (like after having had way to much to drink) and as soon as a ascend to about 60' it goes away. Second dives then are without incident. I'm puzzled. Maybe I should slow my decent rate the 1st time down. I've been at these depths before and have not experienced this.

 

[do it easy]

Yeah. I agree, Great Lakes diving isn't as doom and gloom as we make it out to be

I would guess that your ears aren't clearing equally- alternobaric [-]trauma[/-] vertigo.

Edit: Thanks Lynne!

 

[almitywife]

sometimes i get a bit of a head spin.... ive found its usually from my ears equalizing and if i stop for a few seconds it passes.

cheers

 

[TSandM]

Sounds highly suggestive of alternobaric vertigo. Another possibility would be that your hood gaps and you get a rush of cold water into one ear, but not the other. Either will produce a spinning sensation.

 

[Kirby Pollard]

Hi all,
I have experienced this same problem twice, once at 180 ft. It seems to be a combination effect of narcosis and reverse block as it hit me when I ascended 4-5 ft, but was not transient like other dizziness I have had while diving. It lasted until I crawled up to 130 ft going round and round the whole time. I have started clearing much more often and sooner on descent, and now descend more slowly, so far no problems.

 

[DandyDon]

Ok I know that having an clean outer ear canal free excess wax can help prevent such. Just how often should I irrigate my ears? Is that a depends thing...?

 

[steamtrollnuke]

This happens to me most dives, I can go down as fast and as deep as I want, then the first ascent (even up ~10ft to swim over some coral) it happens. Severity is not dependent on debth. After that I can go up and down without problem.

Probably not Narcosis - it has happened at 20' and at 80'
Visibility is usually 60'-80' and the water is 85F-87F (I have complained that the water was cold, when it was 83F)

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

Sounds highly suggestive of alternobaric vertigo. Another possibility would be that your hood gaps and you get a rush of cold water into one ear, but not the other. Either will produce a spinning sensation.

I second alternobaric vertigo. Cold calorics are not that common in the diving population but should be pretty easy to rule out based on timing of the hood flood.

Good luck!