What if...? Physiological Issues

[Cave Diver]

The following post is one of a series of threads resulting from a collaboration between [user]Bubbletrubble[/user] and myself.
We have divided the What if...? idea into a series of topics and posted the main thread as a sticky here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...514-what-if-what-do-when-things-go-wrong.html

Please Read The Following Bullet Points Carefully!

• Our intent for this discussion is to get newer divers thinking, not spoon feed them the answers.
• We're going to ask that the more experienced divers don't just jump in with responses to every scenario.
• Instead, we want this to be a two part exercise for newer divers by doing the following:
  • Quote a given scenario and
  • (1) discuss what they would do given the situation
  • (2) talk about how to avoid getting into that situation in the first place.
• Then the more experienced divers can give follow up comments on insights on those answers.

Anyone is encouraged to a post new scenario for discussion, but please follow the instructions above when answering and keep it relevant to the topic.

Physiological Issues
* What would you do if you started feeling really cold on a dive...so cold that it was difficult to think clearly?
* 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?
* What would you do if you're finning hard to keep your head above the surface of the water...and you're getting tired?
* What would you do if you were unable to equalize/clear ears on ascent (reverse block)?

 

[TexasKaren68]

* 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

OK, seriously I'd thumb the dive and get to where it's warm. I'd also signal my buddy that my brain is loopy so he'll pay close attention to me as we surface.

* 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'm not generally a hard/fast breather, at least I haven't been up to this point so something must have freaked me out. My first thought would be to surface and stop freaking out. However, if it was a case of not freaking out but just having a hard time getting air (but still getting some) then I'd check to make sure I actually had enough air by looking at the (hopefully functional) gauge. If not then I signal low air to my buddy, get his alternate and we surface. If I do have enough air, then maybe my valve isn't turned on all the way, or the reg has a problem. I'd have my buddy check the valve and I'd try my alternate to see if it's any better. At any rate, surfacing sooner rather than later would be in order. Funny how a lot of my answers to these questions involve getting to the surface.

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

Is my BC broken, why is there no air in it? The first thing I do on the surface is put air in my BC. I'd ditch my weights if my BC wasn't keeping me up.

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

Go down a few feet and try again. Keep trying. Try some more. Try again. If it doesn't work then surface in extreme pain. I've had a reverse block before. I was on a plane trip with my Mom. I couldn't get my ears to pop when the plane landed and OMG they hurt. I was crying and crying (I was 11 years old). They finally popped a little as we were waiting in line at Customs but they took about a day to get back to normal. Ouchie.

edit: just looking at that last part I realized it was backwards. Going from high altitude (less) pressure in a plane to ground (more) pressure would have been a squeeze. At any rate, same result, ear pain and one upset Mom.

 

[rubixcube]

* What would you do if you started feeling really cold on a dive...so cold that it was difficult to think clearly?
Thumb the dive (assuming I'm level headed enough to do so).
* 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 think I remember this from class! Calm down, stop moving, and focus on good breathing until feeling goes away, otherwise thumb 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?
Inflate BC, lay on my back, if absolutely necessary ditch weight.
* What would you do if you were unable to equalize/clear ears on ascent (reverse block)?
Signal buddy, descend a bit and hang out there until ear clears.

Prevention involves not pushing it, and knowing both what to do in these situations and when to thumb a dive.

 

[Cave Diver]

Go down a few feet and try again. Keep trying. Try some more. Try again. If it doesn't work then surface in extreme pain. I've had a reverse block before. I was on a plane trip with my Mom. I couldn't get my ears to pop when the plane landed and OMG they hurt. I was crying and crying (I was 11 years old). They finally popped a little as we were waiting in line at Customs but they took about a day to get back to normal. Ouchie.

One thing that has worked for me in the past with a reverse block is to turn my head so the problem ear is down as I work my jaw and tug on my ear. Air will try to seek the highest point, so doing that seems to help it move away from my ear drum and relieve the pressure.

 

[ferris213]

* What would you do if you started feeling really cold on a dive...so cold that it was difficult to think clearly?
Signal my buddy there was a problem, I'm cold, and I'm struggling to think (Crazy person finger wobble at the temple?) Then ascend and try and get warm.

* 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 have had this and it was scary, I could feel the panic rising. I signalled to stop, clung to a rock (we were finning against current) then focus on slow deep breaths. It took a good few minutes to calm down. Was able to continue after that.

* What would you do if you're finning hard to keep your head above the surface of the water...and you're getting tired?
Assuming I'm OOA and can't power inflate my BCD, I'd try and manually inflate. If I couldn't do that I'd signal the boat I was in trouble and need help then ditch weight. Try and roll onto my back, ask my buddy for help.

* What would you do if you were unable to equalize/clear ears on ascent (reverse block)?
I'd descend a little and try again, keep trying, chin wobble etc. I'm not sure how to fix it so I'd probably end up hurting my ears.

 

[k ellis]

* What would you do if you started feeling really cold on a dive...so cold that it was difficult to think clearly?
I would abort the dive as the onset was coming on. Though I have found myself to be cold on a dive I generaly have never been "Instant" cold its always a setting in thing

* 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?
Much like one of the above poster mentioned the key to this problem is to identify the stresser. When possible find a solution as his was to hang on to a rock. Once you identify the stresser stay calm and decide on how you are going to fix it and just breathe normaly. (This is the key focus though is to calm down and breathe)

* What would you do if you're finning hard to keep your head above the surface of the water...and you're getting tired?
As a diver goes diving more and more and hopefuly more often they will be able to pinpoint their buoyancy to where its not an issue on the surface. If properly weighted you should be able to stay afloat fairly easy. This is where a snorkle proves useful too. And in the worst case you have air left right? Just return the regulator to your mouth and RELAX. Again once you have neutralized the stress determine the best course of action to relieve the stress. Quiet possibly the best answer as previously mentioned would be if you still cant stay afloat drop your weights. (Neoprene floats remember?) and attempt a manualy inflate. Also remember all of you experienced divers :cool2: you should have an SMB with you if your smart and this contains what??? AIR!!!!! fill it up and there you go instant floatation device

* What would you do if you were unable to equalize/clear ears on ascent (reverse block)?
This is one good old cave diver himself mentioned. Air is funny how it always puts pressure on the closest side to the surface. If you cant equalize go to the best depth that removes the pain and tilt your aching side of your head away from the surface. be patient and continue to work with it. It will pass its just you have to be patient. Based upon the fact though there was a significant amount of pain underwater its possible that it could have caused some bruising of the ear drumbs from the pressure against it. Id abort the remainder of the dives based upon this and also their is an underlying condition that created the blockage to begin with such as possibly a cold. It would immediately be a sign if it happend once it can and most likely will happen again

 

[PatW]

Well, I have a bit of trouble with these situations.

Hypothermia - I take this situation seriously. If I start shivering, it is time to go someplace warm. So I would terminate the dive before I got that cold. I tend to be extremely cold tolerant, so this is unlikely to ever happen.

Breathing issues - I am in very good aerobic shape. Scuba divings does not tax me physically. This situation would only happen if there was a failure in my reg. In which case, I would use my secondary and if that did not work, use my buddie's air. I would again terminate the dive.

Keeping my head above water? I don't need to, I have a snorkel. I suppose if I was overweighted and my BC would not inflate, I could ditch my weights. But even with my weights and no inflation in my BC, I generally do not have this problem.

Finally, the reverse block. I have never had one. I would go with the descent and try to equalize (I would gyrate my head and neck various ways to try to get equalization) and ascend and repeat until it went away. Of course, eventually an air shortage may force an ascent which could lead to damaged or blown ear drums.

 

[2 Big 2 Fail]

Physiological Issues

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

I'd have been on the way up before that. I've been cold enough in my life already, thank you.

* 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'd remember that overbreathing alone might be the problem, but it's all the same problem in the end. I'd do my self body check for physical stress responses and alter them (stress is physical, and you can dissipate most of it by correcting body responses), and that includes restoring proper breathing if I'd somehow not been doing it. If slowing the rate didn't relieve the reg problem, I'd try the backup while starting up and be doing all this fast enough to preserve what reserve I had in my lungs. The body response thing is pretty automatic with me, and once noticed, I'll deal with it automatically and can attend to the other stuff, like lining up the backup.

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

Tell myself, "Whoa, you know better than that and know that you float okay without finning, you dummy. Relax. Let nature do the work."

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

Assuming ample air remaining, go back down to where it's relieved and try again, but very slowly, doing the usual maneuvers. But I would not do this to the point where air was short. Short of air is one thing. Short of air AND in reverse block pain is quite another, and the block won't kill me.

 

[Cave Diver]

Assuming ample air remaining, go back down to where it's relieved and try again, but very slowly, doing the usual maneuvers. But I would not do this to the point where air was short. Short of air is one thing. Short of air AND in reverse block pain is quite another, and the block won't kill me.

A reverse block wont kill you, but you should definitely be aware of the potential effects. I was on a boat with a diver who blew out an eardrum. They had a brief moment of sharp stabbing pain and experienced extreme vertigo and nausea when the cold water flooded his ear.

We didn't know what was wrong, but we saw him turning kind of topsy turvy as his equilibrium was compromised. We got him to the anchor line and after a few minutes he regained his bearings. He was able to surface without further incident, although he did have some rather nasty discharge from that ear.

It's difficult to say what the outcome might have been if this had been a free water ascent, without an anchor line or several other people around to help him back to the anchor line.

 

[DevonDiver]

* 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, exit the water and get warm. Warn my buddy/others that I am in an early stage of hypothermia.

* 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?

Stop all activity and rest. Monitor my spg needle for fluctuations. Attempt to calm my breathing. If I still felt that I wasn't getting enough gas, I might request to use my buddies' AAS, to differentiate whether a physiological or equipment based problem existed. If my breathing couldn't be calmed, or I continued to feel uneasy, then I would abort the 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?

Establish positive buoyancy at the surface. Inflate BCD. If, for any reason, that was impossible, then I would drop weights. I would also communicate my problem to my buddy, so that they could assist/support me until I gained positive buoyancy.

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

Firstly, communicate the problem to my buddy. Pause my ascent and allow some time for my ears to clear. If my ears had reaced a point where they were painful, then I would descend until the pain eased and then allow more time for them to clear. At this time, I would also confirm my gas status and NDL status (should be plenty, as I would have planned my dive to allow for contingencies such as this).

If the ears had not cleared after a protracted length of time, then I would try sucking on my closed nose (the opposite of blowing on descent). If that didn't work, I might also try partially flooding my mask and snorting some seawater up my nose. If I was wearing a hood, I would also lift the hood from my ears in case the ear canal was sealed by the hood fit.