What's the best way to give rescue breaths w/a back inflating BCD?

[kathydee]

I just finished a padi rescue course. Had a bit of trouble with mouth-to-pocket-mask rescue breathing while wearing my back inflating BCD. Every time I tried to give a breath, the BCD would thrust me forward and split fins did not seem to counter with much stability. I deflated my BCD a bit and managed to accomplish the exercise in still water, but I'm not sure how easy it would be with swells.

Also IÃÅ love to hear the merits of mouth to pocket mask vs. mouth to snorkel. We did not practice mouth to snorkel, but I'm wondering if it would be easier with my BCD.

Any suggestions? (besides getting my gear )

 

[pwl]

the pocket mask should stay on the patient & protect from splashing. not sure if mouth-to-snorkel gives you this as effectively.

if you had to deflate your BC a bit to perform the task then that's what you should do.

position yourself appropriately - with pocket mask the ideal position for me was ahead of the patient rather than to the side (which was the mouth-to-mouth version)

 

[marinediva]

KD
Not sure which BCD you have, mine is a Libra, which has wings as well. I have two, easy to detach clips on each shoulder. I actually found detaching them still gave me the lift with out the face first roll issue. I did find leaving my BCD attached at the waist sat me higher in the water than the victim.

It is interesting that you bring this topic up as I dont believe wings are really rescue friendly for most students. In a number of courses I have done I actually placed the victim in my BCD just so the student had to think about things a little bit more.

hope it helps

 

[tharris]

Hi, i have a Ladyhawk and i have no trouble doing mouth to pocket mask, with the pocket mask put yourself behind the recipient and you should have no problems with this, also the pocket mask is a lot easier to do than the snorkel as you can protect the victim from water splashing onto them in rougher seas.
This works well for me but you have to do it the best way you feel comfortable as long as the end results are ok.
Hope this didnt confuse you too much...

 

[kathydee]

KD
Not sure which BCD you have, mine is a Libra, which has wings as well. I have two, easy to detach clips on each shoulder. I actually found detaching them still gave me the lift with out the face first roll issue. I did find leaving my BCD attached at the waist sat me higher in the water than the victim.

It is interesting that you bring this topic up as I dont believe wings are really rescue friendly for most students. In a number of courses I have done I actually placed the victim in my BCD just so the student had to think about things a little bit more.

hope it helps

Thanks! I have a ladyhawk. Not a wing but still back inflating. Found it awkard to tow from the side. so maybe it's best to try from the stem where I could spend more time floating on my back. Deflating it helped, as did repositioning the integrated weights back in the pouch a little. But im pretty short which makes trying to do rescue breath with a partially deflated BCD's less functional with swell.

What issues came up if a victim had a wing? Hard to turn over? Probably harder to keep stable in the water?

 

[AzAtty]

Your observations that deflating the BCD a bit and moving your weights around helped are spot on. Overinflation and weight position are probably what caused most of your problems.

As for "mouth to snorkel," the snorkel creates additional "dead air" space and is harder to keep positioned properly (i.e. in the mouth). A pocket mask also has dead air space, but is easier to keep it the right position. Both the pocket mask and snorkel will keep out water. Conditions will determine which does the best job of protecting the airway, although most will argue that the pocket mask, having a small opening, will keep water out better. On the other hand, in heavy swells where water will break over the face, the snorkel gives you several more inches of protection. The issues are airway protection and ease and efficacy of ventilation. Choose the method which works the best under the circumstances and allows you to complete the rescue quickly.

As for wings, I've not had any major issues with them. They're a different kind of BCD, and each style has its unique characteristices. Most back inflate BCDs will roll on you if you give them the chance. How much you inflate them determines how they will react. Keep in mind that the victim's exposure suit will usually provide adequate positive buoyancy, so once the weights are gone you can let some air out of the BCD to gain better control.

 

[muddiver]

You are going to have to remove the victim's BC if you think you will do CPR and to get them out of the water. Since it is eaiser to remove in water, remove everything that is causing drag.

Do the same for yourself. Without your BC, weights, tank you will be able to manuver and you will cut down the drag on you as you tow the victim. All you need is your fins and if you can manage the rescue breaths you can leave your mask on. Usually it just gets in the way.

In the real world, you need to get the person out of the water and on a hard surface, and/or to the local EMS. The little air you get into their lungs while towing them, might not mack that much of a difference. The more help you get to move them on to shore/boat/helecopter the better the care you will be able to provide.

 

[scjoe]

As far as I know, the lifeguards in Southern California get people out of the water first (that includes scuba divers) and then worry about rescue breaths.

 

[marinediva]

What issues came up if a victim had a wing? Hard to turn over? Probably harder to keep stable in the water?[/QUOTE]

I have found they sit differently in the water. For those vertically challenged like myself it does tend to present some problems getting to their head.

As far as stability goes, I find when acting as a victim I felt more stable wearing the wing, but certainly found the student had issues trying to remove my BCD.

In any case, in the unlikely event of a real scenario I would expect a number of different approaches would be exercised and conditions as well as situation would be assessed. I am aware that in England as well as Australia, that the lifeguards get people out of the water first, then start breaths.

If I was in a swell with assistance close at hand I may consider losing my own BCD but not fully removing the victims so it becomes an assistant tool till the exit. In calm water I would following training and loose both BCD's whilst giving breaths.

 

[S. starfish]

Also IÃÅ love to hear the merits of mouth to pocket mask vs. mouth to snorkel. We did not practice mouth to snorkel, but I'm wondering if it would be easier with my BCD.

Just a note on mouth to snorkel. With the majority of snorkels people are buying/diving with these days mouth to snorkel breathing would be quite difficult due to splash guards at the top of the snorkel and purges at the bottom. I can only imagine the complexity of trying to plug up the purge and splash guard while holding the snorkel in the mouth, swimming, removing gear and counting breaths. It would probably be better to not try at all and just make for the shore as fast as possible.

The more old school snorkels that are just a tube with a mouthpiece - no purge or anything - will work for mouth to snorkel, but there is the dead air space issue.