Like many of us I thought that following all the instructions, procedures, stops, use of nitrox, ascent rate, etc… was sufficient protection against decompression sickness.
I just realized to my expense that this was not the case:
I was cruising the Maldives on a live-aboard at the rate of two and more often three pongs a day that I was doing at Nitrox 32%. Dive times between 45 minutes and one hour following the current (12l bottles), slow ascent speeds (1m / min at the last one !!)
I nevertheless had a decompression accident one and a quarter after getting out of the water, without having made any particular effort and without feeling the slightest fatigue. Symptom: dizziness and loss of balance, vomiting. Fortunately I was immediately put on oxygen, the boat rushed towards the nearest hyperbaric center (luckily only 1:30 by boat from the last dive site). I entered the chamber 3 hours after the symptoms and had six sessions over 5 days (15 hours in all). I have recovered to 99% and continue rehabilitation treatment upon my return.
I think that apart from my age (69 years) the number of dives (30 in 12 days), the cause is to be found in the fact that I did not drink enough on the last day. The center which treated me imposes 1 liter per dive (half before half after). I always saw that the drink was recommended, it is in fact imperative!
Fortunately I was well insured for the cost of these treatments.
This is an experiment that ends well in principle but is sobering.
Alain
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4 comments
Thank you Alain for this testimony. Good recovery.
thank you and get well now i will drink and still water of course before the dive.
Something I would drummer in the heads of the prepas I train.
In the past, these accidents were qualified as immerities. They are numerous and show the diversity of factors aggravating the physiology of man under pressure. Do not forget that breathing a gas mixture disturbs the whole metabolism and that scientists have tried to mitigate the risks by developing dive tables, the latter replaced by computers which are less able to manage a successive dive, a fortiori two or even three…. Good thinking!
Hi Alain, the experience must have been more than surprising and I can imagine the ideas that go through my head. Thank you for writing this experience, it puts things back in place, especially drinking water before and after diving, it's the kind of “thing” that I completely forget.