Diving and Pneumothrax

[Guest guest]

Hi Linda,

 

I don't have any advice of value to offer you or your husband .. because

I get the impression that he is an experienced .. perhaps maybe even a

commercial .. SCUBA diver. However ..

 

> My husband, Roger, had been feeling very unwell after a scuba dive on

> Sunday. There was a strong current and he had to battle that on a

> come-back line along with holding on to his dive camera and lights

> which weigh 3-4 kilos out of the water but underwater are virtually

> weightless: exception+ battling a current. We thought he may have

> strained his muscles decompressing after the 35 metre dive at 3

> metres with the assailing current. He had symptoms not particularly

> similar to and of nitrogen narcosis (a bend) but we were still

> concerned for 48 hours.

 

(Snipped)

 

> What the???? Any ideas please or similar experiences? I'm not sure

> what I can do on my end here.

 

I've been a PADI Open Water Master Class diver for 28 + years.

 

I can recommend to those who might now be or will soon be getting into

this fabulous and extremely safe sport .. its another world and when you

start you will become addicted. The older you are the more reason you

have to dive because it might be the only time you are not subject to

those aches and pains that come with age .. negative buoyancy can do

wonders for older folks. Get proper training and certification .. take

no short cuts and don't learn from non qualified instructors .. PADI

(Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is in my opinion

superior to NAUI.

 

Never Dive Alone.

 

Avoid dives that require decompression .. meaning .. no 35 meter (115

ft) dives. If you find a need to go to a depth that might require

decompression .. be sure that its not in an area or country that has no

decompression chambers. And watch your dive tables because its all

cumulative .. a number of relatively shallow dives can add up to a need

to decompress.

 

Professional divers often have reasons dive deep but there is no reason

for a Sport Diver to do this. In fact, I know of no ocean or sea in

the world (except the Red Sea) where dives that deep are fun because of

a lack of viz and critters .. neither is abundant at that depth.

 

The Red Sea between Acaba, Jordan and Elat, Israel is perhaps the best

diving in the world .. and the most dangerous .. because Europeans who

are used to bad viz can't get used to the idea that viz is still good at

100 feet in that sea. They bust their tables and get into big trouble.

 

I taught the instructors at the Acquamarina Hotel in Acaba many years

ago. Prior to my instruction .. they were giving lessons to tourists

and the instructors themselves had no qualifications. Demand to see

their professional qualification card .. either PADI or NAUI.

 

Two more things. Never Dive Alone .. and .. Never Dive Alone.

 

> Love

> Linda

> Australia

 

Y'all have a good one .. and keep smiling.

 

Butch http://www.AV-AT.com