No visible up/down reference and being dizzy?

[chrispete]

I also think the fact I'm wearing the low profile black freediving type goggles do not help....any suggestions?

You need to use a mask that gives you the ability to equalize the amount of air in the mask by breathing out through your nose. Swimmers goggles do not allow for this and that can lead to problems at depth. I would suggest that you switch to a mask with a built-in nose pocket so that you can equalize the air space in front of your eyes.

 

[rawls]

That's a loaded question.

I was not meaning it to be a loaded question at all. I was just interested in your input, and you and Puffer Fish provided some good insight...Thanks!

 

[Teamcasa]

This is a very informative thread. Having never suffered vertigo or dizziness even in dark water with little light. Just reading how others deal with it will help me if that situation ever comes up. Thanks to all.

 

[Air On]

I read though a few of these and thought I'd offer my findings after night dives (sea and lake) and low to no vis lake dives.

For refence to UP I first used my bubbles. However is some instances like when your in currents or swimming you can't SEE the bubbles very well.

My section option I've found most reliable is WATER. I had a little bit of water in my mask and it acted like a falts horizon like the gimble in an aircraft.

You might also use a manual compass. If you get a ball style compass it will act as your level too.

Another item I've used is my disposable camera (goes to 50 feet) It likes to float UP so if its on my wrist its a good refence.

I had thought about a boat key float (little bright colored foam oval with a bead chain on it.) then just attach it to my console or power inflator.

Just some options. The feeling of motion sickness? Have you tried some of the diver approved motion sickness medications?

 

[Puffer Fish]

I read though a few of these and thought I'd offer my findings after night dives (sea and lake) and low to no vis lake dives.

For refence to UP I first used my bubbles. However is some instances like when your in currents or swimming you can't SEE the bubbles very well.

My section option I've found most reliable is WATER. I had a little bit of water in my mask and it acted like a falts horizon like the gimble in an aircraft.

You might also use a manual compass. If you get a ball style compass it will act as your level too.

Another item I've used is my disposable camera (goes to 50 feet) It likes to float UP so if its on my wrist its a good refence.

I had thought about a boat key float (little bright colored foam oval with a bead chain on it.) then just attach it to my console or power inflator.

Just some options. The feeling of motion sickness? Have you tried some of the diver approved motion sickness medications?

Vertigo will cause the same sort of nausia that people associate with motion sickness. However, the least of your concerns is getting sick (at least for me). The difficulty is being able to move effectively in any direction. Your comments on knowing which way is up are excellent, but effectively moving in that direction may be difficult.

 

[almitywife]

This is a very informative thread. Having never suffered vertigo or dizziness even in dark water with little light. Just reading how others deal with it will help me if that situation ever comes up. Thanks to all.

i know exactly how OP feels as it happens to me quite often, especially on deep dives when the decent can take a while. when i look into the water and cant see the bottom and there isnt a mooring or anchor line i look for something for reference - usually my buddy or i look frequently at my computer to keep my focus on the decent

cheers

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Great thread and info. My camera is negatively buoyant and always points down for me. It is fairly small and not effected by current much but I have had to position it where my body protects it from the current to get my reference. This trick has helped me.

 

[ScubaSteve]

This has been a great thread with a lot of tricks to overcome the feeling of vertigo. I have been lucky so far and have only had that feeling a couple times and it only happened on night dives where I turned my light off to see how bright it was topside or to see the bioluminescent algae in the water (both discussed with buddy ahead of time). This happened because I lost all points of reference (distance from bottom or surface) and was easily over come by turning the light back on and either shining it on my computer to give me the confidence that I was still neutral or the bottom to see I was not descending or ascending.

 

[TSandM]

Any recognizable visual reference will usually stop the vertigo. For me, it gets tricky when the visual reference is not oriented in a reliable fashion -- For example, the anchor line runs at some kind of angle, but what kind of angle can vary. I have been known to get quite cattywompus trying to orient myself to structures which don't turn out to be what I think they are. There is a wrecked barge we sometimes dive which has a flat bottom. The barge is lying on its side, and the bottom is not vertical. My brain WANTS it to be a vertical wall, so I end up diving lying partially on my side . . . Similarly, the particulates in the water are great for remaining at the same depth, most of the time, but give no orientation information.

 

[floridanewbe]

Never happened to my so thanks for the knowledge