What if...? Physiological Issues

[mud8847]

What would you do if you found yourself breathing really fast/hard underwater and the reg felt like it wasn't giving you enough gas?

This is an interesting question and one, which I have run into a few times. I am totally a novice diver and have logged less than 20 dives, however, under some interesting circumstances. I will man up and admit I have entered the pre-stages of full-blown panic a few times for a variety of reasons if not in full-blown panic. There was an awesome thread in the Advanced Discussion surrounding panic, are their people more prone to panic, and what causes seasoned divers to panic. I believe everyone has the potential to panic and it is just a matter of what ones own personal plate can handle at any given time.

The best I was given from this board, is to stop, breathe, think, breathe some more, and then act. Words of wisdom! However, in reviewing the few incidents where my breathing seemed to get away from me and I was struggling to regain it, it actually took an observant DM who grabbed my arm, looked me in the eyes, and through almost osmosis and will through physical contact reclaimed my breathing getting it back into a manageable cycle. Now, prior that incident I was struggling to catch my breathe and stuck in a wicked current. Now I would have stopped completely and focused all my energy on regulating my breathing. However, my question is, if said event happened again, and you are diving with an insta-buddy or foreign DM how and what signals can you use that would be recognized as “hey I’m having a hard time breathing?” After checking your equipment and one has deemed ok my equipment is fine and maybe the problem is I am over exerting myself and self-help seems to be failing.

Thoughts?

 

[Frosty]

heck I wanna see how I do on this without cheating.
* What would you do if you started feeling really cold on a dive...so cold that it was difficult to think clearly?
Abort the dive I'm doing this for fun and being that cold isn't fun.
* What would you do if you found yourself breathing really fast/hard underwater and the reg felt like it wasn't giving you enough gas?
right away signal my buddy I'm not happy-signal low air then 1 Check my pressure gauge, 2 swap to my spare second stage then given there actually arent any external issues then signal my buddy I need to stop /chill for awhile.* What would you do if you're finning hard to keep your head above the surface of the water...and you're getting tired? Smack myself on the head for being REALLY STUPID and inflate my BC. If that diddn't solve the issue then I'd be even more annoyed at myself as I dumped either the shellfish I had just harvested or one of my weight pouches. * What would you do if you were unable to equalize/clear ears on ascent (reverse block)?
given I've still got a good safety margin air wise I'd signal I'm having ear troubles to my buddy then just decend a M or two and first remove my hood then work through normal ear clearing exersizes.

 

[SnorkelLA]

Physiological Issues
* What would you do if you started feeling really cold on a dive...so cold that it was difficult to think clearly?

*Solution: Notify my buddy, go to shallower/warmer water or surface.

*To Prevent: wear extra exposure protection upon checking the water temp

* What would you do if you found yourself breathing really fast/hard underwater and the reg felt like it wasn't giving you enough gas?

*Solution: check my SPG, if low, ascend, if adequate, switch to alternate reg and continue dive depending on pressure left in tank

To Prevent: check regs and O-ring before dive

* What would you do if you're finning hard to keep your head above the surface of the water...and you're getting tired?

Solution: Relax, stop finning, lean back, and inflate BCD

* What would you do if you were unable to equalize/clear ears on ascent (reverse block)?

Solution: Descend and equalize, then reascend

To Prevent: DON'T DIVE WHEN CONGESTED!

 

[ktkt]

* What would you do if you found yourself breathing really fast/hard underwater and the reg felt like it wasn't giving you enough, gas?

I learned this one the hard (well okay, only medium, way), on my very first dive after certification. Did buddy checks, started our dive, everything seemed fine. Several minutes in, around a depth of 30 or 40 feet, my regulator starts feeling hard to breathe. So, I check my pressure gauge, which you've guessed by now is wildly swinging around. I realize that my tank valve is just barely cracked open (and I know exactly why, some distraction that occurred while I was assembling my gear).

Problem is, I don't know which way to turn the valve, so if I try to fix it underwater, I have a 50% chance of cutting off my air completely. So, I have my buddy come close, and then I just guess. I guess wrong, and now it's hard to turn the valve back the other way, so my buddy hands me her octo, which she's had ready. We surfaced holding onto each other, and then regrouped.

In retrospect, there are two things I would have done differently in this chain of events. First, it would have made more sense to take my buddy's octo BEFORE turning the valve. Second, if we'd already passed that point and I'd taken her octo after cutting myself off, I think I'd rather have had her turn my tank back on than surface, since we were totally calm and nothing else was wrong.

Boy, I felt dumb, and my instructors were on shore, so of course I spilled the beans. But I was glad stayed calm and resolved the issue safely.

BIG LESSON: When you are checking your regs during buddy checks, take a couple big sharp breaths, and watch your pressure as you do it. If it drops a lot, your tank isn't fully open. Don't just check that you are getting air.

 

[brrrandi]

* What would you do if you started feeling really cold on a dive...so cold that it was difficult to think clearly?

See if my first scuba instructor was around. He was hot

BWAHHAHAA! Karen, this is kicking-my-ass funny!

 

[Buliwyf]

* What would you do if you started feeling really cold on a dive...so cold that it was difficult to think clearly?
signal "cold" to buddy. Thumb dive. No idea how to signal, can't thin? Other than acting crazy.
* What would you do if you found yourself breathing really fast/hard underwater and the reg felt like it wasn't giving you enough gas?
slow down, rest, relax, switch to octo, check tank valves
* What would you do if you're finning hard to keep your head above the surface of the water...and you're getting tired?
inflate wing completely, go to buddy, drop weight if needed. We're on the surface, ditch the failed unit if I have to.
* What would you do if you were unable to equalize/clear ears on ascent (reverse block)?
Look up, relax jaw, wiggle jaw, swallow. I know you can pinch your nose and actually suck a little, no idea if that's bad mojo in the diving world though?