AOW Deep dive yesterday....

[RiverRat]

You are NOT dead if this happens. You are merely placed into an undesirable position. Granted, it's pretty stressful to go OOA, but that doesn't maen you are automatically dead. You know what to do. Implement the correct course of action as you have been trained to do. Remember, there are several options available to you rather than closing your eyes and sucking in a lung-full of water.

A few things that aren't routinely discussed is that as you ascend an "empty" tank will probably give you at least one or two breaths as you get shallower. As the ambient pressure drops, as you get shallow, what little air that was in the tank can now drive your regulator.

Another option is to breathe off your BC inflator, as long as there is air in your BC of course. Again, as you ascend, you'll have "more" air in that BC. Just don't practice this as I'm told you can get a lung infection from bacteria in the BC.

Of course the best option is to have a buddy next to you, or a redundant air supply.

 

[RiverRat]

RH, I wouldn't wish this effect on any Diver: It took me a full 20 minutes to slow my breathing rate down; desperately hanging onto a support column on an Oil Rig in a full bore current; 150 feet down in mid-50's deg F water temperature with 10 foot viz. Was the first and absolutely last time I'll ever do Deep Air here in cold So. Calif. waters.

Man that does not sound like fun. The deepest I've been on air was 143fsw in San Salvador. Warm, clear water and I was narced as hell. I dealt with it, but I remember saying to myself I would not want to have to deal with ANY issues right now feeling this way. Now add cold, bad vis and full current, talk about a recipe for disaster! Glad you were able to stop, breathe, think and act. For me, if I get anxious or overworked underwater, just STOPPING, gettting in 2 or 3 DEEP, full breath cycles stops that viscious cycle. 20 minutes.....man good job! That's a long time with an increased SAC rate. Glad you had enough gas to get out of that one.

 

[spectrum]

I used to believe that if you could dive a cold, dark body of water like a quarry or lake you could dive anywhere - until I encountered the same conditions plus ripping currents and waves.

The wrong current at the wrong time is a true reminder of the power of mother nature. Been there, done that, learned to respect it.

Pete