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Nemrod
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My Misadventure

Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:54 pm

This being the forum for modern diving with DH regulators I though that I might relay an incident and my follow up improvements and considerations. As from my post on the auxiliary bottle rigging, I just returned now a few weeks ago from over a month of diving (and driving :roll: ) in South Florida. The purpose of the trip was not just to dive but for me to acquaint myself with my new camera rig. The camera and photography with said camera was the focus of all dives but for Commercial Pier.

So here goes, I had made eight dives from boats along the Jupiter ledges, Sat, Su, Mo, Tu, and then went to the Blue Heron Bridge on Wed. and then did a dive at BHB and hired a guide to tote the required dive flag prior to the incident. It was sandy at BHB and the guide, a nice lady, was on personnel terms with all sorts of critters there and it was fun though the viz was cloudy. It was sandy and gritty and I actuated my DSV on the Argonaut several times as we would surface from the shallow water to discuss the cool critters. That evening I serviced my camera but did nothing to my Argonaut. The following day, Thursday, I did a solo dive from Anglin Pier, Commercial Pier in Lauderdale by the Sea. It was a beach dive, I set up in the sand and while talking to a fella about conditions, my SCUBA fell over in the sand and sand did get into the DSV. Upon entering the water, I rinsed the DSV and closed it as I had about a 1/4 mile swim, on my back, to the second ledge. Reaching the location, I opened the DSV and noted some grittiness to the operation but paid it no mind. Dive went as planned, maximum depth maybe 25 feet or so, not sure. Returned to the surface and closed the DSV for the swim back. I had gotten a little cold the day before and was really tired so that afternoon at the hotel, I serviced and readied my Nauticam for the next day and went to bed. Other than a cursory rinse, my dive gear got no love, hey, it is dive gear!

Now Friday, feeling okay but was still a little under the weather due to the cold. I had a dive scheduled for the deep ledge at Jupiter, about a 110 foot dive along a series of ledges with a lot of pelagics common here. First dive went fine, nothing unusual. Saw so much but the sharks would not come in close enough and neither would the Goliath groupers, but huge fun anyway. Second dive. Another drop on the deep ledge and this time I hit 100 feet. Again, tons of big critters hovering on the edge of viz and a fun dive until the end. I was with a group, drift diving, not a planned solo dive so I did not have an auxiliary bottle.

Image

About 20 minutes into the dive I noted some water when inhaling, I actuated the DSV to attempt to reseat the O-ring , thinking that the culprit, and that seemed to help but did not stop the dribble of water. I saw several turtles in a row and I got distracted by them and let the group drift on with the intention of my catching them later. Never happened.

Image

I took a look at my primary computer and it was now in deco so my plan was to do a swimming deco and catch the main group. I had not yet secured my camera because we had seen numerous sharks during our ascents and I wanted to be ready. The leakage was getting worse and I was having difficulty breathing so I decided I better secure my camera (retained during the dive by a coil lanyard only), my motto, with my camera or on my camera, almost came true, the latter. I took a look at my computer, nothing, it was dead, dead, dead! My backup had come loose and was on the bottom of my forearm so I went back to securing my camera and made no progress. I got another gulp of seawater and decided to not try and catch the group but to shoot my SMB from now about 60 feet. I took a wet breath and closed the DSV so I could remove it from my mouth without free flow to orally inflate my SMB.

Normally I can do that and handle my camera at the same time but I was stressing due to the need for air and I was beginning to want to be on the surface badly. I dropped my spool and away it went wrapping around my legs! I got some air into the SMB and let it go up. And I was still trying to clip my camera off when finally I felt one clip go home. I opened the DSV and took a breath, nothing but water. I grabbed the intake hose and milked it to see if I could get air and the Argonaut immediately responded with a gush of air. I then inhaled and got nothing but seawater again and some went into my lungs. I managed to get my backup computer rotated so I could see it. And I was now totally greyed out and essentially drowning. Then that inner voice, hey, Jimmy, get on your safe second NOW!!!!!!!! I weakly grabbed for it, the regulator was necklaced, it was an Oceanic pancake safe second. I do not recall exactly but somehow managed to get it in my mouth and hit the purge which shoved the seawater residing in my mouth, esophagus and larynx down into places seawater best not go. I choked and vomit through the regulator. I weakly ascended to 30 feet to do my required stop when I noted a large bull shark observing the fracas, 30 feet down and 40 feet horizontal. Just hanging out. I again thought to try and close on the group but quickly gave out. The Oceanic regulator just was not giving me enough air considering I was already air starved. I did manage to pull my spool up and now I also fully secured my camera at all four points.

After me and the shark completed my safety stop I went on to the surface and spit my regulator out, inflated and rolled on my back to breath. I saw the main group only about 30 yards from me and again I tried to swim but could not, my legs just would not move at all. I gave the captain the okay sign and then rolled over to see where my friend was, he was still there. The boat spun around to pick the main group up and the captain waved at me and I again gave the okay sign. I am sure he was wondering why I did not just swim over to the main group. He did a quick loop and backed down on me. My friend was gone.

I was bleeding out of my mouth and down my face. The mate asked and I told him I bit my tongue, that satisfied him. He took my camera and placed it in my bag and the captain down from the nest got me in my seat. He then fussed, gently, about me rolling over and asked me to not do that because it is hard for him to see me. I told him I would not and he was right and the reason I did it was there was a bull shark under me. He then exclaimed---insert explicative--- spear fisherman and patted me on my head and went back up top. Yeah, there were two fellas participating in some sort of honor system lion fish rodeo on the boat. I noted nobody in the head and quickly went and threw up some more. I did not want the crew to see me throwing up, and I wiped the blood off my face and pretended to be okay. A couple of fellas were really interested in my Argonaut (and the hose covers) but I could hardly talk so did not satisfy them at all.

Lessons and changes:

Big one, I am now 67 yo and need to understand what that means, something I have not really come to grips with. We have limitations.

1. Clean and service the DSV and all of my equipment if it is full of sand. Pre-dive maintenance of dive gear is important on multi-day dive trips, I did not but will from now on.
2. New dive computer, my main computer was old, should have been replaced a long time ago.
3. Removed all but 60 feet of line from one SMB spool and only 30 feet on my small SMB spool to eliminate them going off into the depths if dropped.
4. Got two new AL Core safe seconds, to replace the Oceanic and the Calypso, one for octopus duty with the Argonaut, one for my auxiliary bottle duty.
5. Revised my camera bolt snaps and lanyard system to make it easier to use and vowed to start securing my camera early when in deep water or drifting to remove that stress (of dropping it) from the ascent and deco.
6. Stay out of deco.
7. Stay closer to the group unless on a planned and equipped solo dive and not heed the siren call.
8. If there is potential to be solo, then equip for solo.
9. Got a new, supposedly easier to deploy SMB.
10. Simplify (my equipment), eliminate (potential failure points), reduce (carry only what I need for the dive).
11. Do not dive if not feeling tip top.

Postscript:

Yes, I have a coil tether on my camera if dropped and I do not trust a single connection when drifting in deep water without my hands on the grips with a camera that cost the GNP of a small country. With my camera or on my camera! Well, maybe revise that thinking. Or maybe not. I guess I can afford one more.

I did find the O-ring in the DSV dislodged (IMO) and sand was present in the mechanism. I cleaned the Argonaut up but since I was really not feeling well that evening and did not have another O-ring (bring spares, note to self!), put it away once dry. I finished the remaining near three weeks of diving using my AL LX Titan Supreme rigged in Hogarthain fashion. A superb regulator by any measure and in fact rated Superior on the ANSTI machine.

I developed a bad cough by that afternoon of the incident and still have it now over a month latter, though it is much better. My cold went away by the following day but the cough remained. I continued to dive every day nearly for three more weeks in Florida. Yes, I was tested for the C-word there and including a blood test at the doctor office here and I am negative. He did some X-rays, just this Monday and saw some signs of infection (quote him, some interesting results) and put me on an antibiotic and wants to see me again in three weeks. I have made 8 more dives locally in the interim and immediately went back on my full workout schedule. But the cough makes breathing difficult. My doctor, who is a diver, now that he has ruled out the C-word, does think I aspirated seawater.

James

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couv
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Re: My Misadventure

Wed Aug 25, 2021 1:16 pm

Welcome home James, and thank you for sharing that experience.

Which o-ring did you find discrepant? The one under the mouthpiece opening?

Cheers,

Couv
A sincere THANK YOU to all at VDH who make this wonderful resource available and to all the thoughtful contributors.

bakodiver391
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Re: My Misadventure

Wed Aug 25, 2021 4:16 pm

I am glad you are (mostly) Ok, and thanks for posting your misadventure so that others can learn from it. I have been a technical dive supervisor, among other things, for several decades, and find much of interest in your post. First, i probably don't have to tell you that any time you aspirate water you should consider it a medical event and suspend diving until cleared by a physician. Second, this type of spiralling of events to an out-of-control situation is very typical of most dive accidents. It is almost never one thing, it is a cascade of events, one leading to another until the sum total is unmanageable and leads to panic or another poor outcome. It sounds like you dealt with the situation effectively but a less experienced diver might have had a poor outcome.
It sounds like your gear setup was sub optimal and that you have taken steps to correct it. We have all gone diving with gear setups that we knew could be better and it takes a hard-minded approach to not accept the status quo and to stop diving until we have the gear set up right. I use a type of SMB with a one-way duckbill sort of valve in the open end, which i found interfered with a fast, full inflation. I have since cut the duckbill out with a knife on all of my SMBs and had no further problems. It's small things like that, and being pro-active about changing them that prevents the cascade of events leading to a poor outcome.
I'm sure I am preaching to the choir but newer divers will benefit from learning about your experience and we could all benefit from giving our gear a hard look and changing what is not optimal.

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captain
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Re: My Misadventure

Wed Aug 25, 2021 11:00 pm

Glad everything worked out for the better. The A word creeps up on you. I am now 77 now and not diving, at least I haven't in about 6 years. I realized my limitations and any future diving will be in benign environments. My wife tells me my worst enemy is my 77 year old brain, it thinks the body is 18.
Captain

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Nemrod
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Re: My Misadventure

Thu Aug 26, 2021 12:41 am

bakodiver391 wrote:
Wed Aug 25, 2021 4:16 pm
I am glad you are (mostly) Ok, and thanks for posting your misadventure so that others can learn from it. I have been a technical dive supervisor, among other things, for several decades, and find much of interest in your post. First, i probably don't have to tell you that any time you aspirate water you should consider it a medical event and suspend diving until cleared by a physician. Second, this type of spiralling of events to an out-of-control situation is very typical of most dive accidents. It is almost never one thing, it is a cascade of events, one leading to another until the sum total is unmanageable and leads to panic or another poor outcome. It sounds like you dealt with the situation effectively but a less experienced diver might have had a poor outcome.
It sounds like your gear setup was sub optimal and that you have taken steps to correct it. We have all gone diving with gear setups that we knew could be better and it takes a hard-minded approach to not accept the status quo and to stop diving until we have the gear set up right. I use a type of SMB with a one-way duckbill sort of valve in the open end, which i found interfered with a fast, full inflation. I have since cut the duckbill out with a knife on all of my SMBs and had no further problems. It's small things like that, and being pro-active about changing them that prevents the cascade of events leading to a poor outcome.
I'm sure I am preaching to the choir but newer divers will benefit from learning about your experience and we could all benefit from giving our gear a hard look and changing what is not optimal.
Thank you, I mean the post as a learning point at my expense. I did some dumb things. My equipment was not really sub-optimal but my camera equipment had became more complex, not that my prior camera rig was exactly peanuts. I was overly focused on my new camera and also on returning to the main group which were both distracting me. Yes, a cascading of events, any one of which would not have been a big deal but all together began to overwhelm me. I really did want to bolt to the surface but resisted the urge and it took discipline not to when I was greying out and swallowing water. Why did I not switch to my safe second earlier, I do not know, again I was focused on getting my camera secured, catching the group and dealing with the minor deco obligation. And a dose of disbelief and reluctance to go off my Argonaut. This all could have been avoided had I disassembled the DSV after the Commercial Pier dive when I noted some sand in it. I should have cleaned the DSV out and lubricated it.

Sub-optimal, well, yes, my safe second was not up to an extended dive, good enough to go straight up to the surface but not for an air starved and stressed diver to complete a deco obligation and rejoin the group. I had not planned a solo dive and was not equipped for a solo dive and was essentially solo so I did not have my better equipped pony bottle. That was sub-optimal. And my primary computer should have been replaced long ago, it was nearly 15 years old, that was sub-optimal.

Couv, I know the O-ring was out of the groove, the one around the mouthpiece cutout. I was not feeling so good when I took it apart afterwards so I did not do a good post incident investigation, instead I just ripped it apart. The DSV was very hard to open/close and would sort of turn back from whatever position I put it in. The inner barrel was very hard to remove and I had to place it, one end on a table and then use my body weight to shove the outer body down. And the O-ring fell out and took on the shape of a pretzel. Yes, cascading events but ultimately, it was user error that initiated the incident.

I did see a doctor in Marathon, I did not mention in the post that I had an eye infection and I had a little cold too, when it rains it pours. She listened to my chest and said I was okay. I did not really go into details with her because I wanted antibiotics for my eyes, which she gave me a prescription for. I was not really feeling 100% so I should not have done the dive, so that also played into the events. I am a water person, very comfortable in the water, which leads to over confidence. I should have called that dive but I wanted to go, it was the deep ledge!

Thanks Captain, yes, I am getting better. I know what you are saying, or I am beginning to appreciate it! But, I have no intention of ever stopping diving. My instructor passed away weeks after a dive trip to Cozumel and I think he was 96. But age is a consideration, a big one, especially when one does not take it into account. Adjustments can be made to deal with that.

I am rambling now.

James

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Re: My Misadventure

Thu Aug 26, 2021 11:03 am

Nemrod wrote:
Thu Aug 26, 2021 12:41 am
bakodiver391 wrote:
Wed Aug 25, 2021 4:16 pm
I am glad you are (mostly) Ok, and thanks for posting your misadventure so that others can learn from it. I have been a technical dive supervisor, among other things, for several decades, and find much of interest in your post. First, i probably don't have to tell you that any time you aspirate water you should consider it a medical event and suspend diving until cleared by a physician. Second, this type of spiralling of events to an out-of-control situation is very typical of most dive accidents. It is almost never one thing, it is a cascade of events, one leading to another until the sum total is unmanageable and leads to panic or another poor outcome. It sounds like you dealt with the situation effectively but a less experienced diver might have had a poor outcome.
It sounds like your gear setup was sub optimal and that you have taken steps to correct it. We have all gone diving with gear setups that we knew could be better and it takes a hard-minded approach to not accept the status quo and to stop diving until we have the gear set up right. I use a type of SMB with a one-way duckbill sort of valve in the open end, which i found interfered with a fast, full inflation. I have since cut the duckbill out with a knife on all of my SMBs and had no further problems. It's small things like that, and being pro-active about changing them that prevents the cascade of events leading to a poor outcome.
I'm sure I am preaching to the choir but newer divers will benefit from learning about your experience and we could all benefit from giving our gear a hard look and changing what is not optimal.
Thank you, I mean the post as a learning point at my expense. I did some dumb things. My equipment was not really sub-optimal but my camera equipment had became more complex, not that my prior camera rig was exactly peanuts. I was overly focused on my new camera and also on returning to the main group which were both distracting me. Yes, a cascading of events, any one of which would not have been a big deal but all together began to overwhelm me. I really did want to bolt to the surface but resisted the urge and it took discipline not to when I was greying out and swallowing water. Why did I not switch to my safe second earlier, I do not know, again I was focused on getting my camera secured, catching the group and dealing with the minor deco obligation. And a dose of disbelief and reluctance to go off my Argonaut. This all could have been avoided had I disassembled the DSV after the Commercial Pier dive when I noted some sand in it. I should have cleaned the DSV out and lubricated it.

Sub-optimal, well, yes, my safe second was not up to an extended dive, good enough to go straight up to the surface but not for an air starved and stressed diver to complete a deco obligation and rejoin the group. I had not planned a solo dive and was not equipped for a solo dive and was essentially solo so I did not have my better equipped pony bottle. That was sub-optimal. And my primary computer should have been replaced long ago, it was nearly 15 years old, that was sub-optimal.

Couv, I know the O-ring was out of the groove, the one around the mouthpiece cutout. I was not feeling so good when I took it apart afterwards so I did not do a good post incident investigation, instead I just ripped it apart. The DSV was very hard to open/close and would sort of turn back from whatever position I put it in. The inner barrel was very hard to remove and I had to place it, one end on a table and then use my body weight to shove the outer body down. And the O-ring fell out and took on the shape of a pretzel. Yes, cascading events but ultimately, it was user error that initiated the incident.

I did see a doctor in Marathon, I did not mention in the post that I had an eye infection and I had a little cold too, when it rains it pours. She listened to my chest and said I was okay. I did not really go into details with her because I wanted antibiotics for my eyes, which she gave me a prescription for. I was not really feeling 100% so I should not have done the dive, so that also played into the events. I am a water person, very comfortable in the water, which leads to over confidence. I should have called that dive but I wanted to go, it was the deep ledge!

Thanks Captain, yes, I am getting better. I know what you are saying, or I am beginning to appreciate it! But, I have no intention of ever stopping diving. My instructor passed away weeks after a dive trip to Cozumel and I think he was 96. But age is a consideration, a big one, especially when one does not take it into account. Adjustments can be made to deal with that.

I am rambling now.

James
"I never plan to quit diving," sounds familiar, I think heard it from my own mouth with my own ears.
I realized I don't get to decide when to quit father time does. For me the change from 70 to 75 was like going from 20 to 50 over night.
My advise is if your training program doesn't include serious strength training it should. Cut back on long steady state cardio and do shorter sessions or HITT combined with strength training (weightlifting). I started doing that 5 years ago ago, I put on 20 pounds of muscle mass and I am probably stronger now than 20 years ago. Makes everything I do easier.
If you don't run into heart related issues like me you may fulfill your dream to never stop.
Captain

BigSwell
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Re: My Misadventure

Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:48 pm

I'm 51 now and my "check engine light" should appear anytime ... KNOT looking forward to that as well as the mandated (by my wife) colonoscopy and other fun medical stuff I used to laugh saying "thanks BUTT no thanks", that's karma I guess.

Some of the guys I used to dive and fly with have since hung up their fins (and wings) now, and some we've lost like Jim Stewart back in 2017 (he was 89yo) he was one of my mentors. I learned a lot from him as well as Wayne Pawalek, Bob Snodgrass, and many others during my time at SIO. I dive a few times a week now, back then it was daily, sometimes 3 or more dives in a day. Looking back at some of the stuff we did placing equipment on the ocean floor, collections, and other stuff I can't really talk about I think what I would give today to go back to that time (with the knowledge and experience I have now) and do it all over again, those were some of the best years of my life so far, and I made MANY near fatal mistakes.

So I say, get wet as often as you can, even if it's just bobbing around in a wetsuit on surface with MFS... I hope to have the last beat of my heart while in the water enjoying our liquid environment. I gave the poem below to the family of another mentor, Don Wilke for his memorial service, these are people I think of every time I enter the water, am I'm very grateful to have known and dived with them.

The Watermen
I will always begin and end with the ocean.

The ebb and flow of the sea's tide courses through my veins. The ocean has become the framework for who I am. Changing, adapting, failing, succeeding, and inspiring.


But a beginning is just a beginning and an end is just an end. It is in the middle, the “in-between,” where we find out who we really are. And the middle is hardly ever at sea level.


*I am a fish out of water, always yearning to return to my beginning*


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Nemrod
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Re: My Misadventure

Thu Aug 26, 2021 4:08 pm

I hear you Captain!

Fitness is very important for diving comfort IMO. My general fitness and water comfort are in part why I am still here to type my ramblings. Younger folks can rely on youth to provide that reserve of energy to fall back on, older folks, it takes sweat and pain. Anyways, part of optimizing our SCUBA equipment is optimizing ourselves, since we, the diver, are the main and important part of the system, an integral part ;). And irreplaceable. We do not want to be sub-optimal!

So, to get back closer to subject. Well, this was not a planned solo dive, therefore I did not have an auxiliary bottle with me. At the time I noted my computer telling me I was now in deco I saw that I had just over 1500 psi left in the aluminum 80 tank. To skip forward, when I was on the deck of the boat I had maybe a hair under 500 psi. So, the shenanigans cost me 1000 psi. It took me 27 cf from beginning to end. Had I been solo and had a total back gas failure, my usual 19 cf auxiliary bottle would not have gotten me back to the surface. On this dive, with no aux bottle, had I had a total back gas failure and in the state I was in, a CESA would have likely been fatal, I would not have made it.

Drawing from this, at least on some dives, deeper dives, I plan to either stay closer to my buddies or to gear up for solo. I will still use my 19 cf bottle, it would have been enough from a more typical 50 to 80 feet dive but from a 100 feet with a small deco obligation, plus all the issues, it would not be enough. So, I got a new 30 cf bottle for deeper solo and sans buddy diving at such depths.

Back gas failure. The Royal Master, RAM, Conshelf, Titan LX, Core and Argonaut first stage is possibly the most proven and used first stage on the planet. The only one I can think of that may equal it is the Scubapro MkV, clones and descendants. Who has ever heard of either of these failing. There was some issue with a Titan in Australia but I cannot find the article. I would have to say it is so rare as to be discounted. But regulators have clogged from dirty rental tanks and missing dip tubes. The occasional O-ring failure at the yoke valve, maybe a burst disc, my point being, total failures are pretty darn rare. But nonetheless, a safe second/octopus does not constitute a redundant gas supply.

That is part of my rethinking of things, when should I prudently carry redundant gas? Well, I am still thinking on it. Pony bottles and air travel can be a challenge and then a whip is needed to fill it. But, wink, wink, I do have a buddy who goes with me on such travel dives, my wife ;).

James

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Re: My Misadventure

Mon Aug 30, 2021 12:15 pm

Hi Nemrod, thanks for sharing. I'm sure glad you came through it well enough to tell the story.
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

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Ron
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Re: My Misadventure

Mon Aug 30, 2021 6:38 pm

Glad you are ok Nem.

Did you get checked out by someone with a diving background to ensure that you do not have any barotrauma related injuries to your lungs? I took DAN's Dive Medic course and infection of the lungs can contribute to pressure related injuries while diving. If you still have that cough I'd get checked out by a dive doc or at least call DAN and speak to them. Better safe than sorry.

Ron
The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed. -JYC

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Nemrod
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Re: My Misadventure

Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:58 pm

Ron wrote:
Mon Aug 30, 2021 6:38 pm
Glad you are ok Nem.

Did you get checked out by someone with a diving background to ensure that you do not have any barotrauma related injuries to your lungs? I took DAN's Dive Medic course and infection of the lungs can contribute to pressure related injuries while diving. If you still have that cough I'd get checked out by a dive doc or at least call DAN and speak to them. Better safe than sorry.

Ron
Thanks Ron, good to hear from you!

My doc did X-ray my chest once back here. He thinks I am okay, I did tell him enough of the story for him to understand the concerns and as of the end of the antibiotic regimen I am no longer coughing, finally!!!!! I think I am fine :mrgreen: . The doc down in Marathon did listen to my chest and said I was okay, she did not know the full details though. What can I say, I did not want to hear her say I should not dive anymore :wink: .

And my Argonaut is fine as well, fully recovered I do think :D .

James

dhaas
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Re: My Misadventure

Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:53 am

Nemrod,

Thanks for sharing and as others said glad you're OK. Brutal honesty can keep us all paddling about if we consider many factors.

I'm your age (67 turning 68 later this year) and although exercising, lost a bit of weight, no major meds, etc. I evaluate any dive. I've mentioned streamlining and cutting down what I take into the water even with a modern set up before and continue to practice that mantra.

At international locations I'm in the divemaster's pocket, LOL......It's their home turf and know where, how, when, etc. is safest. I also give myself permission to pass on any dive whether over my head, I'm tired, "enjoyed the vacation cocktail hour too much", etc.

I am crazy on making the wife and myself switch to our integrated BCD inflator / Octo rigs at safety stops or whenever. Practicing quickly switching if any reg is fubar I believe helps makes it automatic. I also don't change set ups very much. Like you mentioned whatever computer you dive I think having the same algorithm is best. I usually dive two, one on each wrist on dedicated trips (overseas) as the statistical odds of both going bad is pretty low IMHO. I also check the batteries often and put a fresh one in before most trips no matter what.

Last thing......

We both love taking UW pics but no system is worth me risking myself or dive partner. I'll ditch mine into the deep in a heartbeat if things go bad. Then again mine isn't likely as $$$$ as your new one :)

Just one long time diver and UW photographer's opinion of course.

Again, glad you're OK and keep those flippers churning for however long you can!

David Haas

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SurfLung
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Re: My Misadventure

Wed Sep 01, 2021 11:59 am

Like many of you, I started diving back in the 1960s. But making a living and raising a family took me away from it the whole rest of my life until 2011... When I discovered this vintage double hose diving movement. Since then, I have been making up for lost time. I'm 67 years old and I dive like I can't be sure when my health or mortality will force me to stop.

Of course being IN shape is better than being OUT of shape. But I'm thinking more along the lines of debilitating illnesses or the weakness of age that might stop me. Sooner or later that day will come. So its a balance of pushing myself to go diving while I still can, and at the same time keeping things manageable for my old self. "A man's got to know his limitations" - Clint Eastwood.
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

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Nemrod
VDH Moderator
Posts: 1434
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:53 pm
First Name: James
Location: Kansas

Re: My Misadventure

Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:57 pm

Thanks David and Eben. I did not mean to overplay the age thing. We ain't old, not yet :D . It is just a factor I am going to be more mindful of now, that I simply cannot do what I used to and judging a dive based on my younger self, well, maybe I need to judge it based on my now older self.

I do not give up my camera easy, a tiger could not get it from me, damed if I will drop it. But you are right David, between me and it, I guess, it would have to go. I think I can avoid thta being smarter up front. :lol:

BTW, nothing in my story is really exaggerated. I tried to keep it relatively unembellished as much as I like to exaggerate (Yankees would call it something else but we Southerns call it tall tale telling) and embellish, if it is helpful to some I hope so. It is pretty much as I can recollect the way it went. A lot of little things can add up to a big thing. We have to break the chain of events.

James

User avatar
Nemrod
VDH Moderator
Posts: 1434
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:53 pm
First Name: James
Location: Kansas

Re: My Misadventure

Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:06 am

Just an update. I had a final chest X-ray this past Tuesday. I guess the antibiotics did their thing. The infection/pneumonia apparently caused from aspirating seawater is gone and the doctor has cleared me to Dive, Dive, Dive. He knows I am (hopefully) headed to Bonaire (if the C-word does not once again intervene with plans) and he told me to have a good trip. From July 16 until September 14. Nearly two months to rid myself of the pneumonia, what an ordeal.

Just to say, the doctor in Marathon did give me antibiotics but she was concerned about giving me the D-word knowing that I was diving (and that could be, shall we say, uh, messy). I guess the stuff she gave me was not as strong as the second round from my doctor here.

I never really did any research on seawater aspiration and pneumonia but since I have learned pneumonia seems to be common if not certain after such an event. I also came across this article here that was interesting regarding fitness and recreational divers:

https://www.dhmjournal.com/images/37/DHM_Vol37_No3.pdf

James

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