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The Risk of Neglecting Your Air Supply
The Risk of Neglecting Your Air Supply
Steven P. Hughes
Jacob’s Age: 40
Experience: Open Water Diver With More Than 100 Dives
Medical History: Generally Fit/active
After a year of planning, it was finally time to win the coveted underwater photography trophy. Jacob entered the water for the first dive of the day with his dive buddy, Todd. The dive started successfully—conditions were good and they had several likely “keepers” in just 30 minutes. They decided to go deeper to find something different. At 130 feet, just as Jacob was preparing to begin ascending, Todd swam up to him and held up his air pressure gauge. It was dangerously low. Todd had less than 100 psi left in his tank, which was not enough to get him all the way to the surface, never mind make a safety stop. Jacob pulled out his alternate second stage and they began an air-sharing ascent.
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As the buddy team made their way to the surface, their ascent got faster and faster. Jacob tried to deflate his BCD, but Todd was panicking and just wanted to make it back to air. Todd’s rush kept Jacob from being able to get his BCD inflator in the right position to let the expanding air escape. They went from 130 feet deep to the surface without a safety stop and with a rapid ascent in the last 40 feet of water. At the surface, Jacob tried to get Todd to orally inflate his BCD and switch to snorkel, and in doing this, Jacob dropped his expensive camera. They were over much shallower water now and Todd was buoyant and calming down, so in spite of their fast ascent, Jacob decided to rescue his gear. During this short dive, Jacob replayed the moments of their rapid ascent and realized that he might have suffered some kind of pressure related injury. He kept an eye out for any symptoms over the next day or two, including joint pain, fatigue, numbness and tingling.
After describing the incident and his symptoms, Jacob was diagnosed with DCS (decompression sickness) and was placed on a standard decompression regimen.
Back on the boat, Jacob knew that they should stop diving for the day and even get checked out by a medical professional. But he didn’t have any symptoms and seemed to be fine. He really wanted to place in the top three, so he decided to dive two more times that day. Todd decided to sit it out.
When he woke up the next morning, Jacob felt pain and tingling in his right arm. Fearing it was from his rapid ascent, he drove to the nearest hospital, which also had a hyperbaric chamber. After describing the incident and his symptoms, Jacob was diagnosed with DCS (decompression sickness) and was placed on a standard decompression regimen. The medical team noted that the rapid ascent followed by further scuba diving was the likely cause.
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Jacob was lucky that his decision to keep diving after an uncontrolled ascent didn’t cause more severe injury. Injury could have been mitigated or prevented had he stopped diving after the incident.
Lessons for Life
1 Running out of air is one of the top triggers of serious scuba diving incidents, yet it isentirely avoidable. Check your air often and turn around with enough to make a slow, controlled ascent, safety stop and reach the surface with a reasonable reserve. Be a SAFE diver: Slowly Ascend From Every dive. Save Air For Emergencies.
2 Air sharing may be necessary in an emergency, and is important to practice periodically so the situation remains under control. Modern BCDs usually have multiple deflation valves—be familiar with yours and practice using them so you have exhaust options when trying to deflate on an emergency ascent.
3 Your life and health are more important than your equipment. If you are in a dangerous situation, leave your gear behind. Flotation for your gear may be available and could help in an emergency. But ultimately, if you couldn’t ditch something because of its cost in an emergency, don’t take it diving.
4 After a dive incident, call DAN’s emergency hotline or other diver emergency service as appropriate for where you’re diving. They can provide advice based on your situation and give you information on signs and symptoms to look out for, as well as what to do if emergency care is needed.
