Ack terrible diving weekend:(

hi guys, i need to vent a bit and get some thoughts from you guys

righty where to start. I'm already a PADI qualified OW diver and joined the uni dive club which is BSAC so i needed to do a crossover dive.
I take long term medication but my doctor gave me clearance to dive with restrictions of 20m and normal air mix only and i have dived previously with no problems.

Well the plan was to set out on a training trip with the uni dive club at 6am and make our way to wales, a 3 hour journey. we arrived at the club to find out we were missing an instructor called "R". it seems that "R" decided it would be a good idea to go out the previous night and consume exessive amounts of alcohol which lead to him oversleeping.
By the time he arrived at the dive site it was already 11am, 2 hours late. the dive plan was chucked away and plenty of faffing about took place as plans were changed and changed again with noone able to make a firm decision on what was happening.
by the time it came to my crossover dive it was already 3.30 pm, which ment i had been out in the sun and heat for 6 and a half hours. i was wearing my 7mm around my waist to keep me cool and made sure to consume regular water.
I was told to suit up so i assembled my kit, suited up (7mm semi dry and a 5mm shorty, gloves hood bootys), put on my weight belt and kit. when i had suited up i looked for "R" who was still faffing about with the rest of the group, acting like a guy more interested in having a laugh instead of teaching.
I started to get uncomfortably hot and asked several times if i could get in the water because i was boiling up. he answered each time with a no followed by hang on a few minutes.
By the time he got his suit on (not his kit) i was in the process of passing out due to heat stroke, someone caught me, put me on oxygen and removed my kit. my pulse according to the record was up to 166 and i was bright red, pouring sweat. ambulance was called by which time i was comming around and moving about again, feeling better but having a terrible headache.
Now there was alot of tension after this, "R" decided to blame my meds as opposed to his messing about as the reason for me overheating in my kit on a blazing hot summers day and i have been told that while i was in the ambulance the rest of the group was told not to tell anyone at home about this, specifically the uni, the press, BSAC, their parents etc.......
The next day I was told i would be unable to dive because of my meds, which he was still blaming for my heat stroke.
Overall i had wasted £50 and 2 days because of piss poor organisation and misplaced prioritys. It would seem that "R" is more interested in flirting with the freshers than doing his job, it should be noted that his "fresher on the side" was moved from the other instructor to himself even though he had prevented another instructor several weeks ago teaching his girlfriend because of possible bias. it should also be noted that a certain student was told on no less than 3 times to suit up and then afterwards to take her stuff off because she wasn't going in yet.

Well i'm done venting, thanks for listening. any feedback or advice would be appreciated.
Jut

Sounds like a real a-hole. I would not stay quiet and report this formaly to who ever the instructer awnsers to.

I know you don't feel it's the meds and you described a situation that would definitely contribute to heat stroke, but you may also want a second opinion on the meds. Check with another doctor, just to be safe.

I have one buddy that was cleared for diving by his doctor, but after diving with a diving doctor, she flipped and told him that the meds he was taking could induce O2 toxicity when diving to a PO2 greater than 1.2 (90' on EAN 32).:wacko:

Meds? Possibly, have yourself checked by a diving doc.

Stupid, inconsiderate instructor....absolutely.

If everyone was so worried about others finding out about the incident and/or his behavior then yes it should be reported as it appears it wasn't the first time.

Pez de Diablo once bubbled...
I know you don't feel it's the meds and you described a situation that would definitely contribute to heat stroke, but you may also want a second opinion on the meds. Check with another doctor, just to be safe.

I have one buddy that was cleared for diving by his doctor, but after diving with a diving doctor, she flipped and told him that the meds he was taking could induce O2 toxicity when diving to a PO2 greater than 1.2 (90' on EAN 32).:wacko:

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The guy who owned the site checked with another diving doctor later that evening. My medications are effexor XL(75mg) and temazepam(10-20mg). I have been cleared to dive no deeper than 20 m and using only a standard 20/80 air mix. I am not allowed to dive while under the influence of temazepam and have been advised a time limit between taking the the temazepam and when i can next dive which i have always stuck to.
The paramedic from the ambulance said that the drugs i take did not contribute to the incident.
I have been taking these meds for a while to treat depression and am familiar with the drugs and their side effects. I always research something before i swallow it and i always dive my tables very conservativly because i like to be on the side of caution.
My diving doctor has over 35 years experience of diving and im confident in his ability to assess my fitness to dive.
it was a requirement when i joined BSAC that i had to be certified by a qualified diving doctor before i was allowed to dive.
I understand where you are comming from but i do not believe what happened to your friend applys to me.
Regardless i shall be making an appointment to discuss this incident with him.
Thanks for your input
Jut

would be to tell the uni, the parents, BSAC, etc. (maybe not the press). Second one would be never to dive with that particular instructor or instructional group again, even if they change their minds and let you back in.

Don't know if those meds would have any influence on thermoregulation bu I think almost anyone would have been in trouble doing what you describe - meds or no meds. You couldn't get rid of the heat no matter how much you sweated because the neoprene was doing what it was designed to do - hold it in.

I had a dive about a month ago where the air T was only about 11-13 C and still ran into heat issues (really minor, by comparison) when a niggling problem with my BC inflator hose o-ring delayed my entry into the water. Had to pause on the dock to get my breathing under control before GSing in. 3 C water never felt so *good* going down my back. No medication, no medical conditions that would lead to problems, it's just that 14 mm of neoprene (or 12 in your case) is *incredibly* hot when not immersed in cold water. It's even worse when it's a dark colour and there's sun. Even a much lighter-weight suit (5mm jane I wear sailing) is too hot to wear on shore on warm days.

If you are ever stuck like that again, take it off completely (especially the cowl!), *not* just to around your waist (that helps, especially if the suit's already wet but it obviously wasn't enough in this situation) or go in for a "swim" with the suit on but no weights or tanks. 6.5 hours on a warm day in 12 mm of neoprene. <Shudder> Glad you made it.

Mad dogs and Englishmen..., eh?

Jut that sounds terrible - I would urge you to make a complaint. Get something in writing from your doctor that says your meds were all in order and did not contribute, and then go to town on that guy, he sounds to me like he should not have anything to do with diving. Just reading your post makes me want to jump up and down. Report him while the whole thing is still recent, don't delay.

It might be worth posting this on the BSAC forum. It would be interesting to get the viewpoint from a few other BSAC instructors.

I do think that the instructor concerned may not have acted in the best way possible. It is worth pointing out however, that unless this was being done through a BSAC school, the instructor wasn't getting paid. It's all voluntary. And if it's a UNI club, is the instructor also a student?

The BSAC forum can be located at www.bsacforum.co.uk

HTH
Rob.

RobK once bubbled...
It might be worth posting this on the BSAC forum. It would be interesting to get the viewpoint from a few other BSAC instructors.

I do think that the instructor concerned may not have acted in the best way possible. It is worth pointing out however, that unless this was being done through a BSAC school, the instructor wasn't getting paid. It's all voluntary. And if it's a UNI club, is the instructor also a student?

The BSAC forum can be located at www.bsacforum.co.uk

HTH
Rob.

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thanks for the link rob
No he isn't a student, we have a lot of non students in our club. although he was not getting paid it doesnt excuse his behavior and lack of responsibility.

Jut once bubbled...

thanks for the link rob

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No worries.

No he isn't a student, we have a lot of non students in our club. although he was not getting paid it doesnt excuse his behavior and lack of responsibility.

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Oh I agree. I don't think he behaved well at all. If it had been me in that situation I would have had words with him Not always easy though I know.

The only point I was making is whilst there is no excuse for his behaviour it's important not to compare him to a professional
Because he's not.

It also might be worth mentioning the whole incident to the Club's DO.

One note I will add. Clubs are notorious for their politics. This isn't just a thing associated with BSAC, any organisation that runs on a club basis will have political issues. Sometimes the issues that exist within a club make it uncomfortable to continue as a member. It may be worth looking for other clubs in the area if you can.

Cheers,
Rob.