Montego Bay Scuba Dive 3 of 6 - Active panic in open water diver
Snorkeling 12 years ago 436,784 views
Scuba diving Montego Bay with a divemaster and 3 other people. The woman was pushed into doing something she wasnt comfortable with by her husband ( A PADI openwater instructor) and freaked out ~80 feet under water. Great job by the divemaster who prevented a potential terrible injury! Temp - 86 Visability - ~100 ft Depth - 85 ft
10. comment for Montego Bay Scuba Dive 3 of 6 - Active panic in open water diver
20. comment for Montego Bay Scuba Dive 3 of 6 - Active panic in open water diver
To look around and experience the whole dive!
I hate when people comment on something they didnt watch or understand.
30. comment for Montego Bay Scuba Dive 3 of 6 - Active panic in open water diver
to someone with no knowledge it seems weird... firstly, why is she doing this if she has no idea what to do when something goes wrong.... or how to stop things from going wrong in the first place?
shes panicking like she has no idea what to do... well, ok, then why is she doing it? What am i missing about this?
why does a divemaster stays with a beginner with problems to deep
why does a divemaster takes almost 10 min under water wheen an incident accurs
Good dive master ???really ??,
2. Do you expect the DM to abandon the person? Seriously?
3. You are 85 feet down you cant shoot to the surface.
Im guessing there is a language barrier issue here...
50. comment for Montego Bay Scuba Dive 3 of 6 - Active panic in open water diver
Where did this lady put her mask? ^^'
I never had mask issues or panic at depth, but I remember a long time ago on one of my first wreck dives, descending the line into what seemed like a bottomless dark blue void I had to stop and signal to my instructor I was not chill ... I was feeling an insatiable urge to go up and to breathe through my nose - I felt with 1000% certainty that if I descended that line any further I was committing myself to certain death. My instructor and I just took 2 minutes - he had me check gauges, check gear, basically busy myself with other things, he was signaling me to breathe nice and easy and after about 60-90 seconds the feeling passed, and I carefully made my way down to the wreck and had an awesome time.
That was many many dives ago, and I have never since had any issues with nervousness in the water - but even after years of diving I can still remember that feeling and I have had moments where I remember hoping it doesnt pop back up due to being narc'd or disoriented. It's a paralyzing response by your brain - and if you've never felt it it is difficult to articulate.
Fear and panic are the most dangerous beasts in the ocean for a diver. There is no situation underwater that cannot be made worse by panicking.
1. It falls off way to easily.
2. Exhaled bubbles go right through the video.
I would recommend a Telescoping mono-pole. This will allow you to get close up to life without scaring it. Check out the Cozumel videos I have on here which were filmed with the pole.
As for dive sites, the only ones I can really recommend were the spanish anchors, which this one was supposed to be. A bunch of swim throughs and 2 giant old spanish anchors. Second would be the airport wall. The water was VERY clear and night dives could be good here.
http://www.kellyswatersportsja.com/index.html
I would find a way to mount to shoulder/BC or similar.
Ive been using a expandable pole with the go pro mounted on the end in the other cozumel videos which allow a closer view of the wildlife without being intrusive. Check them out!
It was a nice calm ascension on the way up so no OEIs. Stinks that the diver lost her mask, though.
ANY person can become a PADI instructor; it doesn't mean you have the common sense to not push a person past his comfort zone in an activity.
I have been using scuba since 1964 and have thousands of dives in many different conditions.
Well - as long as it's tempered glass with a silicone skirt whatever fits you best is the right mask. A cheaper one may do the job just as well as long as the materials are right - it's all about the fit - and a good fit is worth paying for. Dives are expensive so why waste the good times fighting with the wrong mask and paying for it. Good gear aka gear that fits you is always worth it.
I couldn't say what makes you feel queasy but here are a few culprits that I know:
1. Sometimes it's the boat ride to the first site. Any combination of waves and gasonline fumes in the morning is likely to hit you harder when you are at your most vulnerable at the start of the day. On shallow dives the waves may still affect you underwater as well prolonging the sea-sickness.
2. An acidic diet - like maybe driking too much coffee in the morning and eating citrus fruits, will for some reason affect some people. It's easier for me to get a bit dizzy or nauseous if I've had too much coffee, and am maybe a little dehydrated because of it. But I am being very unscientific about that. It's just how I feel.
3. Could you be swallowing salt water? Novice divers will often have a lot of facial movement when they are settling into a dive. Maybe working with the mask, chewing on the unfamiliar reg, maybe just being animated. That will sometimes let a bit of water into their mouths. Some people swallow a fair amount in stead of purging. I have certainly seen THAT lead to underwater vomiting. There is a limit to the amount of salt water you can comfortably ingest.
4. Maybe it's just proneness to nausea and maybe a little nervousness while settling down and getting into the routine. Second dive is very often better than the first because you have come to terms with your gear, your buoyancy, and your technique - and your breathing has relaxed more and things are going more smoothly - where the first dive can be a bit more jagged. In other words YOU may be more relaxed on the second dive.
I kinda suspect salt water ingestion, but you would know if that's it.
As far as what not to eat, just imagine all the foods that might give you acid reflux if you ate them. If in doubt TUMS it out!
Avoid anything with a lot of carbs (sugar). You want to eat something with a lot of protein and perhaps a little fiber.
Now I just gotta figure out my queasiness. I've actually thrown up after my first dive of the day a couple times...once in training and once on a recreational dive. Shallow, easy dives...like 5 meters. I start feeling sick by the end of the first tank, and i actually threw up during my safety stop. Still felt kinda queasy on the boat, but as soon as we went back down for the second dive I felt 100% better and after the second dive was over I felt great. Not sure what it is...maybe I gotta work out what to eat, or what NOT to eat before I dive.
Can be a problem the other way as well if you have wide face. I don't know that my face is unusually wide, but we had this Oceanic mask in the diveshop that they used to call "the fat head mask" xD. It did have increased volume so that was a downside but it also had a huge outlook - I loved that mask but it got stolen too and I haven't come across one like it since.
But honestly I think a low volume mask may actually allow for a similar field of vision in terms of the angles, because it's closer to the face. It just FEELS a little more confined because the space is small.
So I was clearing my mask CONSTANTLY...got TONS of practice at that particular skill. First thing I did after getting my cert was go out and buy a mask that actually fit me. Oceanic Cyanea - has a really nice elastic strap like a ski mask. Love it!
While I completely agree that water in the mask or a fogged up mask should be considered routine matters to deal with, and nothing to seek to avoid out of fear - I must also disagree a bit. Yes you can find a mask, that if you treat it right will only let water in very rarely. One should not consider a flooded mask a problem, that is for damn sure - but all of my masks work for me very well, unless I make specific mistakes in handling - which is then not a gear issue. However - treated right a mask should NOT fog up. I could lecture at length on how to avoid this - but the point is that this is more or less completely avoidable. I never have this issue - again unless I personally make one of a number of identifiable mistakes that can be easily avoided through proper procedures.
Always remember to rotate your compass bezel the right way, kiddies.
Weird that the husband being an instructor didn't realise she was off limits, are not all OWI rescue divers first? I do hope she ventured again, now properly trained ad nauseum to help enjoy the experience.
I just got my certification with PADI and I am no expert but through the few dives I have taken I had to clear out my mask periodically. There is no perfect mask, and the water will sip through, the mask will fog up or whatever. Sometimes you'll have to take it completely off and clear it if it is fogged up.
Freaking out about something so trivial is a big no no, what if there is a more serious situation, that person will put to danger not only herself but even her dive buddy.
100. comment for Montego Bay Scuba Dive 3 of 6 - Active panic in open water diver
take care,good dives :)
Depending on your Training and/or Organization you may dive as deep 40m (ca 130 ft) on air.
Every time I go swimming and go more than 10ft under water my ears feel like there ganna burst?
There are other ways as well, but I will leave that for you to learn while you get certified!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver
Oh, NAUI vs PADI?! What say you all?!
Hindsight is 20/20, and is a great point made.
That said I love diving and wished I lived somewhere where I could dive at least a few times a month.
My discover in the Caribbean took me to 90' when it should only be 40'.
I would find a reputable dive shop which stresses moving on when you are ready for it. Spend as much time in the pool as you need and only move on when you have mastered the skill and are comfortable.
Now imagine a beginner, scared somewhat, then on an open water dive to get certified, 20' down a barracuda swims between your legs or you spot a shark. Panic, would be the next step or someone like me, heart rate might go up a little, but no biggie. For the record, I hate Barracudas, they swim in diamond patterns sometimes. One second you see nothing, next 4 in a diamond 4 feet from you staring, teehe. 200 dives I have.
Freshwater story- I went underneath a rock in about 20' and about a 25# catfish hit me square in the chest because I startled it. I screamed underwater for a second and then started laughing. That is what it takes to scuba, expect the unexpected and not losing it. Dove twice more that day.
That being said, It will also take pictures while it is taking video which was pretty cool. I used it on a pole, and brought it on site seeing as well and worked out well with the wifi remote attachment to the cell phone.
Do you want to film the entire dive?
Do you want to be able to take photo and video?
I trained to dive in the Military and we got extensive training in environmental conditions. We also in increments built up our skills.
Even with the experience you know have I would recommend you still carry out more research and try to prepare in greater detail with your skills.
my maximum dive depth was 200 ft. But today i do most of my dives at about 60 ft as a maximum. I tend to favor shallow clear dives.
Do yourself a favor and take it slow. Only dive deeper when you have the experience at 60 feet and the classroom experience understanding the effects of deep diving.
Get into the habit of equalizing at regular intervals so that it becomes part of your behavior.
Most sharks will ignore you if left alone. During my open water checkout dives in Freeport Bahamas, my first open water dive was in 40' with about 15 sharks circling at the bottom. Very scary the first time you see it.
I do believe any shop which operates needs to make sure each skill is mastered before moving on and the person is completely comfortable with doing them.
On the other hand, some of the instructors are set within the rules and will not deviate what so ever. OW to 60ft max, not moving on in class until the skill is mastered...
There are poor instructors in every organization.
The only difficulty is the sudden change in pressure you feel in your nose when taking mask off. When you have mask on there isn't enough air to breath in through your nose, so you are forced to breath in through your mouth. Some people have so strong instinct to breath through their nose, that when there suddenly is a possibility, they instinctivly try to do so, and in result inhale a bit of water into their nose, which is rather unpleasant and panic inducing, and possibly what happened in video. So the trick to changing mask underwater is to control oneself and not panic - pretty much the same as everything else scuba related.
I went on a drift dive in the Maldives in January with a couple who had been roped into getting their AOW right after their OW. We needed to submerge immediately after jumping in and yet the couple paused for a long time to simply get into the water. Furthermore, the woman was panicking within 5 metres of the surface. And when we got to the bottom, they were both thrashing around sucking up air incredibly quickly. They ran out of air within 15 minutes at 25 metres. They did not deflate their BCDs so while we all ascended holding hands, they tanked our ascent rate because their BCDs were filling up like balloons. Seriously, the husband ascended vertically upside down! All of our watch alarms were going off and I was trying my best to slow our ascent. We went from 25 metres to the surface in less than 2 minutes. Near the surface I let go of the group and completed my 3 minute safety stop by myself. I'm not letting that inexperienced bitch (which she is for endangering all of us) put my life in danger.
The dive master made SO many mistakes. 1) letting that woman and her husband do a drift dive when they weren't ready 2) choosing a small reef with a strong current 3) Not stopping the dive when she was freaking out at 5 metres or at the bottom 4) Letting their panic send the whole group into an uncontrolled ascent 5) Not addressing their BCD problems earlier during the ascent and 6) Thinking that people who have just finished their OWs are ready for AOWs.
Other than that one dive, the trip was fantastic.
I did a drift dive in Kona - we were down for about 90 mins - one of the best dives ever - It was with a dive master, and another guy doing his last dive to get his master diving and myself (finishing up my AOW)
Spoiled dive or not, we all now can dive another day.
And on a sidenote, you should try to have your gopro on some kind of tray or stick so you don't get all the bubbles in the video and audio. Also the video tends to be a lot smoother when you hold on to the camera, preferably with two hands.