PANIC - A FREE survey!

[timle]

I think panic is very rarely the root cause of an accident. I believe the formula is:
minor incident + panic = major accident.

Of course thats not the only road to a major accident.

 

[speedhound]

I don't think that panic is a cause of scuba accidents, but is the difference between a minor hiccup and a major accident.

As divers we're taught, and gain experience, to recognise, avoid and deal with potential problems that may occur before, during, and after a dive.

Panic is an "irrational condition", something that gets in the way of our using our training to avoid or overcome a problem. If panic kicks in, even a simple problem such as a flooded mask can quickly lead to injury or death.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

When I get surprised by something underwater, whether it be from an equipment malfunction, getting caught on something, or anything else that's out of the ordinary, I like the basic formula:

1. Stop
2. Breathe
3. Act

Stop - Stop thrashing, stop letting your mind race, stop the acceleration of fear.
Breathe - Nice deep breath. Relax. Realize that you CAN breathe. Look around. Evaluate the situation. Examine all the options in a cool, detached way.
Act - Take methodical action, step by step, and know that a cool and level head is your greatest ally.

I read somewhere that nearly all scuba fatalities were found still wearing their weights. I don't know what that's worth, but it's certainly interesting to note.

 

[lostplanetairman]

I think panic comes at the end of the error chain. The series of errors that were missed and though started out little became big and now appear to be unsolvable. I try on every dive to practice some skill that will help me avoid panic. The surface is now too far away.

 

[HowardE]

I think this is one of the most vague questions I have ever seen here.

What type of injury? DCS? Overexpansion? Death?

According to DAN - the most common dive injuy is DCS. Panic is not directly related to DCS... Actually, the highest percentage of injuries occur with experienced divers.

According to DAN the #1 injury is from rapid ascent...

When problems were reported, a rapid ascent was the
most frequent complication. Figure 3.4-2 describes the frequency of
reported problems during the dive series immediately prior to the
injury in our sample. Computer use was approximately 70 percent
of our sample, similar to 2002. Less than 20 percent reported planning
their dives using only tables.

So really, not planning a dive, and ONLY using a computer could be interpreted as the #1 cause of injury.

But instead of guessing, or asking for opinion... Why not look at the facts... DAN researches this EVERY YEAR.

Dive safely!

 

[Heffey]

My vote is No!
I believe that lack of preparation is the # 1 cause of diving (or any other type of) accidents.

By lack of preparation I mean:
1) Failure to properly train for the activity.
2) Failure to obtain proper equipment for the activity.
3) Failure to properly plan for the activity.

Panic is a reaction to not being prepared for what is occurring. Panic can exacerbate the problem and ultimately may be the final blow that prevents the accident from having a positive outcome.

 

[dkktsunami]

Panic is a symptom of something else that has gone wrong - inadequate training, poor planning, poor equipment maintenance, etc. Panic is a bad, uncontrolled, perhaps illogical reaction to a problem or threatening situation but it is not the original cause.

 

[bundy]

Please Vote

 

[Xanthro]

I'd say stress is the most common cause of an injury. If the diver nevers feels stress it's near impossible to feel panic.

We take many precautions to prevent stress such as training, planning, equipment knowledge and experience.

Having your regulator and mask kicked off and inhaling water can immediately cause stress. However, if you are prepared and have practiced before, then you can quickly get the situation back under control and then stress drops.

Minor incidents that can't be immediately fixed can cause increasing stress until panic sets in.

Major incidents that can me attended to cause less stress and thus no panic.

Anything that increases your stress is going to increase your risk in a dive. That's why diving within your comfort level is so important.

 

[matt_unique]

Panic is the last point on the trail leading to an accident. From that perspective I feel it is the primary cause of an accident. Panic is the final, measureable common denominator.

--Matt