Was this DCS during OW cerification

[emydive]

I wasnt cold at all. Maybe even too warm as the air was about 85 deg.
Choppy conditions too as I was waiting for the second dive in a boat rocking back and forth AND worrying about one ear that would not clear up.
7ml wetsuit in 72 deg. water.
They aborted the second dive, took me back to the beach and an EMT arrived. But didnt do anything to check me out as I was feeling normal again. Thats why I didnt do any diving the next day to see if any other symptoms would show up.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Bubbletrouble, hypercapnea is NOT defined as a serum bicarb level over 45 mmHg.

Yeah, I know better than that...

hypercapnia: elevated level of CO2 in the blood
mmHg ain't even the normal units associated with bicarb. Holy typo, Batman!
Bicarb is typically given in mmol/L.
Normal range for serum bicarb: 24-30 mmol/L
Normal range for arterial PCO2: 35-45 mmHg

OK now?

 

[Hemlon]

It sounds like you hyperventilated.

 

[emydive]

OK
Thanks to all.

Will try breathing normally even if fear of the unknown sets in.
Maybe after 55 years I just dont like the feeling of trying something new that I dont feel in control of.
But my last dive was pleasant and fun so I'll take it from there and not go much futher than that till comfortable with it.

 

[Hemlon]

OK
Thanks to all.

Will try breathing normally even if fear of the unknown sets in.
Maybe after 55 years I just dont like the feeling of trying something new that I dont feel in control of.
But my last dive was pleasant and fun so I'll take it from there and not go much futher than that till comfortable with it.

I applaud you from trying again after having a bad experience. So many people would just give up.

You can do this!

 

[Alexvizzio]

Panic attack. I saw exactly the same in an AOW student who couldn´t breath due to hyperventilation, the suit was pretty tight and the sea was pretty rough. Also, sometimes, students get pretty hung up on the DCS idea and get overtly concerned about it. As long as you stay within the RDP limits and ALWAYS ASCEND SLOW diving should be safe and fun.
Furthermore, if you didn´t need hyperbaric treatment it´s unlikely you got decompressed since the only way to treat symptoms is in a hyperbaric chamber. Bubbles would not recede just like that.

 

[DevonDiver]

Although it is possible to get DCS diving within recreational limits, you were so very far within limits that it seems very unlikely.

Given the fact that the dive was so far within decompression limits, I would think that decompression was not a problem. Of course, there could be some if the diver came up from 65' without a safety stop after down for 32 minutes. But even then, it would seem unlikely.

The profiles that you described aren't that impressive in terms of nitrogen-loading, so DCS would be rather low on the differential.

Just as an aside, I know of several instances where divers recieved DCS hits (and recieved chamber treatment) during training for OW certification.

It's rare (as others have mentioned) but should not be dismissed as impossible.

In each of the cases I heard about, the following contributing factors were noted:

1) Heavy drinking on the evening prior to the dive.
2) Insufficient sleep on the evening prior to the dive.
3) One or more rapid ascents on the dive.
4) Saw-tooth profile.

Two of the incidents I mentioned occured with 1 instructor in Thailand. He'd take his students out drinking into the early hours during the course. He liked to get his students to 'loop-the-loop' on their safety stops, because it was 'fun'. 2 students in the chamber in 2 years. I don't think PADI did anything.....

The other incident followed a simular pattern to the one above... drinking, partying plus irresponsible instructor...

 

[Dirty-Dog]

What concerns me most is not the symptoms you had (which were, as others have mentioned, most likely to be caused by your anxiety) but the fact that you were "totally out of air" during your ascent. It's awesome that you're going back and not letting your bad experience keep you out of the water, but you really really need to work on your situational awareness. Running out of (or even dangerously low on) gas should require a truely unique set of events.

 

[DevonDiver]

.... you were "totally out of air" during your ascent. ...you really really need to work on your situational awareness. Running out of (or even dangerously low on) gas should require a truely unique set of events.

Given the circumstances (OW Class)... it only requires one factor.... an irresponsible instructor who failed to adequately monitor his students and failed to intervene when his student suffered an emergency.

If the OP ran out of air on his OW course, then it should be reported to PADI (or whatever agency he trained with).

 

[Bubbletrubble]

What concerns me most is not the symptoms you had (which were, as others have mentioned, most likely to be caused by your anxiety) but the fact that you were "totally out of air" during your ascent. It's awesome that you're going back and not letting your bad experience keep you out of the water, but you really really need to work on your situational awareness. Running out of (or even dangerously low on) gas should require a truely unique set of events.

@Dirty-Dog: As boulderjohn reminded me earlier in this thread, emydive was fulfilling the OW requirement to demonstrate a simulated CESA under the supervision of her instructor. I think she described being out of air as she arrived at the surface because (1) she probably misjudged her exhalation slightly during the CESA and (2) she did not inhale off of the reg despite actually having an ample gas supply. She was operating within the parameters of the exercise...if I understand the situation correctly.