The Bends

[Blue982]

To the OP, if you're being serious, was this a "discover scuba" course that you paid for or just a fun (illegal, but fun) dive with a "friend."

Small point: It's not illegal to dive uncertified. It's dumb and risky but entirely legal. Scuba diving, like ultralight flying and skydiving, self regulated before laws were put into place.

I have a friend who went diving in Mexico - no certification, no pool sessions, no instruction other than "don't hold your breath." I think what the OP describes is entirely plausible. When you consider how overweighted certified divers are, it wouldn't be a shock to me if the divemaster (probably in name only) accidentally dropped a weight belt and corked the OP. Also plausible, with somewhat sketchy dive operations, would be a simple equipment malfunction - stuck inflator.

 

[BDSC]

and I exited the surface straight up out of the water almost to my knees..........as I was inhaling like a mother all the way up because of the velocity I was travelling.

I can't imagine how fast a person would have to be going to exit the water "almost to my knees" and on top of that they were INHALING all the way up. How would that not kill a person if it happened as described?

 

[JoshuaJ]

I can't imagine how fast a person would have to be going to exit the water "almost to my knees" and on top of that they were INHALING all the way up. How would that not kill a person if it happened as described?

I'm just a new, novice diver so take this with a grain of salt...

Of course one should never hold their breath diving, since it can easily lead to lung over-expansion. BUT as long as the epiglotis in the back of your throat is open, expanding air can escape even if you aren't "breathing". So in theory it is possible that the OP's diaphram was keeping the lungs expanded and full with air, but his throat was open allowing the expanding air to escape.

Since it was his first OW dive, I'm sure that the recount of the dive isn't 100% accurate thanks to inexperience and sensory overload so who knows. He probably exhaled at some point

 

[DizzyDallasDi]

My chest hurts just reading the OPs question. I seriously think we've been trolled because I just can't see a dive professional doing something like that. But if not, that DM should be decertified and have some other nasty things done to him that should not be mentioned here. If your account is true, you could have died on the spot from ruptured lungs.

I can assure you I am NOT a troll. And, clearly, the DM was not a "dive professional," he was someone with gear and a boat out to make a buck....and he succeeded.

 

[DizzyDallasDi]

I can't imagine how fast a person would have to be going to exit the water "almost to my knees" and on top of that they were INHALING all the way up. How would that not kill a person if it happened as described?

Okay, clarification needed on the "inhaling" part. I was breathing really hard...inhaling AND exhaling. I apologize I didn't make that part clear.

 

[SeahorseDeb]

Hey Di, stay here with this group. You can see how much they care, and they do, --everyone. The advice is life saving and also the group provides a basis for support, and you were right on :cool2: to come here with your concerns and questions!!