Thank you so much for sharing this! Almost a year ago, I had a pretty normal recreational dive but when I left the water, in a 40 degree Celcius Malta day, I started getting funny vision. Then I made it home, where I thought my skin was changing colour (my friends and SO could not spot it) and after I showered, I could not breathe properly. I calmly told my friends, who called DAN and the diving center we were with. They quickly drove to our place with Oxygen in hand, took me to the hospital and to the hyperbaric chamber. The amazing part of this all is that the doctor told me it was a heart defect. It's called PFO, apparently present in 25-30% of people, but normally mild enough to not matter. In my case, I was a very small percentage. Option 1 was to quit diving (HAH!). Option 2 was to quickly get it fixed. It was the easiest of procedures and now I am back in the water. But your mention of Symptom Denial was what took 3:30h for me to make it to the hospital (almost 3 to get oxygen). And also, I realised there are barely any mentions on how long it can take you to recover from DCS. I spent a month felt like I had been beaten up inside and out. Foggy brain and all. But I am sure if I had reacted faster, I would have recovered faster too, so that's on me. Worth sharing these experiences for sure! Glad you are okay and making awesome videos, as always!
PFO is a bit of a grey area now. A lot seem to be transitory. I tested positive for one both locally and at the specialist. Both times with a blatant bubble contrast. But when I went for the closure they couldn't physically find a hole.
I also got it with tec dive plan, which was flawless, I did the same thing double check my gear, my dive plan, my computer and data outputs, everything...so yes. This does happen...
My friend and dive buddy had the same thing happen. We were doing a shallow dive for fossils in a river on a hot day. Due to the shallow water we were down for nearly 3 hours. After getting out he didn't fell well. Later that night he had bubbles under the skin in his neck and other symptoms. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and later found out about PFO. Like you, he had this corrected and has not had an issue on any kind of dive we have done.
James, thank you for this. We in the Dive Industry do not talk about this enough. Symptom denial is a real thing and is probably the biggest factor for recreational divers getting more seriously injured than they should have done. I am a dive doctor, running the chamber in Bermuda, and I see people presenting late all the time. In fact when I had my DCS hit, (way before I became a Dive Physician- just saying!) I denied my symptoms completely and never went for help. You described beautifully the initiation and development of a neurological bend, had you not asked for help you could, potentially, have been really sick. So kudos to you for overcoming your symptom denial.
You must be Holly's Dad?! My wife and I dived with Holly and Mark in Bermuda this time last year and had them over for dinner here in Miami last November! Some of my favorite people in diving! Thanks for stopping by, Dr Dave!
This was a random RUclips suggestion and I'm glad I stopped to watch it. I thought the bends only happens when you push the limits, I had no idea there was such thing as an 'undeserved hit'. Thank you, this is a great lesson.
I don't know, why yt spilled this in my list of proposed videos. Never the less, it was a perfect fit, as I was hit by DCS exactly 3 years ago on a live aboard trip in Egypt. As James, I was in best hands and surrounded by great and adorable people from the very first minute until today. After a medical marathon I ended up being diagnosed with a PFO which was closed in the same year. I was back in the water 8 months later exactly with one of my favourite buddies which also did the dive with me, when I got bent. Despite Corona, I was able to continue diving continuously and finishing a next level of instructor's licence (diving is only a hobby). Thanks James, I subscribe to all your Lessons Learned without any doubt. Excellent video with a very serious message to all divers out there. Enjoy safe diving, do not mess with the risks, keep your eyes open and always be prepared.
PFO is a medical term for a hole in the heart that can lead to strokes. I do not know how it relates to or may impact a diver. Feel free to add more info if you know any. (Just mentioning, because I had to look up what PFO meant).
THANK YOU!! I got an undeserved hit in October and I’ve been embarrassed/nervous to get back in the water since. Everything you experienced, I experienced as well down to the symptoms and perfect execution of the plan. Didn’t have as nice of a chamber to sit in 🤣 but thank you for making this video. I feel so much better going back into dive season knowing I’m not crazy!
Writing this up as im currently in hospital bed in between two recompression sessions in Messina (Sicily). It’s super unfortunate the dive center i went with was so freaking irresponsible, a lesson learned for me is: when you start noticing series of questionable acts from the dive operator, abort! Very grateful for the Italian’s healthcare system though. I got picked up by a helicopter last night, at 2AM (1.5h post first symptoms and went in the local emergency room for pure oxygen), had series of preliminary checks before went into the chamber - all for free! They really made me feel like a human in need of help, rather than “we’ll help ya if you can pay the bill”. Thanks for sharing this James. This truly makes me feel less scared and yes, can vouch that denial bit exists, and we do need to identify that quickly knowing order to act. Can i ask quickly, did your symptoms linger for a little while post recompression treatment?
Can you expand a little on the "series of questionable acts"? Is this things like "don't worry about checking the EANx mix, it always comes out at 32%" or is it more sinister stuff than that?
Thank you mate. I recently got bent after my 10th dive. My main symptom was confusion (brain fog). I was so confused that I didn’t realise that I was confused. I didn’t go in to a hyperbaric chamber until about 50 hours after I surfaced. I am still recovering. Thank you for addressing the DCS stigma. I certainly felt it until I went to the ED. 🙏🏻
Ok, what does ED stand for here? There are so many acronyms that are being thrown around in these comments when sometimes it would be so easy and useful to also say what the acronym stands for (like he did in the video title). I already looked up the medical term PFO. But if I look up ED …. ummm, I think I’ll get a lot of irrelevant information, right? 😂
James thank you. I have had 2 undeserved hits and kept it a secret. It’s embarrassing and it’s terrifying. This video made me finally decide to get my shit together regarding the problem I pretended never existed. I have been diving with out DAN, getting that right now. I didn’t feel like I was in an environment where I could speak up about what was happening to me and I felt as if I would inconvenience everyone else by asking for emergency assistance. I’m speaking up about what happened now and everyone that I dive with would be right by my side if I had spoken up. It’s still extremely embarrassing that as an instructor myself I left my 2 cases untreated both times…. The takeaways from this video are great, and I also hope nobody has to use any of the knowledge in this video. Divers are very system oriented, check-list checkers who are well educated when it comes to diving. (Or at-least, we should strive to be that way and encourage proper education and safe habits) However, Im currently realizing something I wish was talked about more- the emotional aspect of being bent. I was too embarrassed to speak up about being bent and snuck off to suffer in my car alone. I could of died or been seriously injured because of this. So, How can I create an environment where other people would feel comfortable to speak up? The falsely perceived ego damage seems greater than the damage of being bent in the victims mind. What can we do so that every customer, buddy, and fellow diver will speak up? How many DCS cases are going unaddressed, potentially in the very divers around us? Developing a culture of safe diving practice is a lot harder than following checklists or reading up on diving to me. I want to optimize my interactions with others to make diving more safe and enjoyable. This seems to be something I struggle with and could do better on. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Just writing has eased the burden and the guilt and allowed me to move towards improving. To anyone who has read this far: I appreciate you, any ideas and comments will be well received.
It would need to change with drive instructors universally telling the students that if they have X symptoms, they MUST report it. It may sound too simple, and I have never gone scuba diving before, but I understand the process of learning and following that protocol as if that is what MUST be done. I know the dive instructors must already teach new divers about nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness. But do they hammer home the procedure to follow when getting symptoms in the same manner they ingrain in you what/how to do any other aspect of diving? That might help switch the mentality, where before one felt ashamed that it happened...now one feels they are following procedure as instructed. Create material that is universally used by dive instructors, I'm talking about a specific protocol to follow, say.. as in the manner of following protocol about preparing your tank. Do divers go against what they are taught about that? No, that's what's ingrained in them to do. Add numbers to it and symptoms, and it becomes a procedure that should be followed. If you are to experience X symptoms for X amount of minutes, you are report to X. You asked how it could be changed and that's one thing that I can think of. Everyone prides themself on following the correct protocol which is why they are ashamed to get decompression sickness in the first place, is what I'm understanding. Universally (that's important) set protocol on what to do when experiencing symptoms, a person may then see it as, they would be doing the wrong thing if they did NOT report it. The stigma is switched, and mentally it would feel embarrassing if others found out you didn't follow this procedure. Combine that with teaching that there are instances in which even experienced divers get decompression sickness through no fault of their own, and over time it will change the mentality of the dive community.
Thanks for sharing James! One of my dive buddies said "you never know how close you are to being bent until it's too late". Every dive we could be so close to being bent but don't know because we don't get any symptoms until we get bent. You made me get dive insurance! Thank you (and it's really cheap too!)
First and foremost, I hope everything went smoothly and without any issues. I'm a dive instructor from Morocco, and I truly appreciate the valuable content you share. Thank you for your invaluable advice. I never imagined it was possible to get the bends even when strictly following the dive plan and decompression guidelines. Thanks again for your work.
My instructor got bent during my wreck certification. He did everything correctly but still got a cramp that spread. He was put on O2 and sent to the hospital. He ended up being okay, as it was a mild case. This made me exceptionally cautious for my next dives, and I set my computer to the most conservative setting.
I have seen so much bad diving, ignoring decompression stops, smoking immediately after dive, dive intoxicated, etc, etc. I'm quite sure none of those would have admitted doing anything wrong, if they would got bent. Thus we need to see stories like yours for the balance.
Great information as always. I have had D.A.N. insurance since the mid 90's and would not dive or travel without it. It is always offered to my students in any class I teach. Your story just reinforces that it can happen to anyone at anytime. Glad you are well and fully recovered.
Have you been checked for a hole in the heart. Very common. Happened to one of our main instructors with about 5000 dives. It was a 110m dive executed perfectly. Went for a bubble check and turned out he had a hole in the heart. 1 in 4 of us have it and easily fixed with a non invasive operation.
Thank you for sharing, James. Glad you are OK and back on the horse. This event is rare, so hearing from someone who went through it is valuable to all of us. I will henceforth ask dive operators if they have oxygen ready if they don’t mention it on the dive briefing.
Thanks for sharing James. I also got hit in March if this year, spent 3 days in the hospital and took two rides in the chamber. I was hardheaded and never got DANs. Every time I went to get it I got sidetracked and didn’t have it when it was needed unfortunately. That 3 day stay was a very hard hit being 45k plus. I can assure you, I preach to all new divers now about Dans and what it could have done for me. Like you I’ll smile every year I renew from now on.
Wow.... I've been diving for over 15 years and as a DM I'm wondering what happened. I don't believe I truly realized you can get the bends even following the safety steps 100% thank you.
Happy to hear you are well. Thank you for sharing this so openly, directly and clearly. It's always great to hear from first-person experience, even if we all read the books, had the trainings, etc. etc.
Great video James! Thanks for sharing your story. In Israel where I dive, no dive club will rent you equipment or a cylinder without proof of diving insurance. Worth every penny. Glad you are ok!
Hi James, I’m sorry you had this experience, it must have been very worrying for you. I’m just glad you are okay. Sadly someone in our club got bent and needed treatment recently so your video is timely - and very helpful. It’s quite possibly the most important video that you have published. I will share with my fellow divers. Thank you, James. I appreciate your candour.
Thanks for sharing your story. As a diver we all need face the fact that WE ALL GET BENT, EVERY DIVE. Its just a matter of how we react to it and how severe. Micro bubbles are always there, they sometime group into larger bubbles and although may not be perceived it still happens. I rode the chamber with inner ear DCS and it changed how I look at diving. I still dive Tech and actually turned near every dive into tech as I have a 35/70 GF. Learn to stay clear of the M value, learn to take your time at shallow stops and not just a safety stop. If diving Shearwater (or other comps that show this) learn the surf GF value and watch it (not just the "clear" indicator) base your surface on your activities prior, food intake, sleep, etc. Really will help expand your knowledge of gas loading and taking things safe. :) Thanks again for sharing!
I got it (level 2/6) in a dive in Salamis, Greece back in 2017. Started about an hour or so after the dive with a terrible itch on my belly. I wanted to scratch my skin out. Then the headaches and the thriller feeling came on. I denied it for 2 days until I could barely walk or breathe. Did 6 sessions in the chamber and got rid of it. Was too scared to go back diving for 3 years. I now take pride in it. Feel old salt. A nice quote from the cardiologist I saw then: "diving is like sitting and enjoying a great feast with delicious food at an expensive restaurant. The charge, though, comes at the end." I now stay at 20 meters and do not exceed 45'.
I got an undeserved hit too. Everything uneventful and to plan. Denial is a real too. Wheel chair into the chamber and walked out. Get onto the O2 ASAP!!! In fact I still use my case as a teaching example to my Rescue Diver students .
I just found this video. Very well done. Truthful and not sensational. Symptom denial is a very big problem in many medical conditions, but with DCS the clock is ticking and wasted time could mean more damage. So glad you are back to full steam!
I'm an instructor too,.. and we both were taught all of the factors that can contribute to DCS. Please take care of your health,.. every aspect of your health and dive on. Good on you for recognizing you had a problem,. not sure I would have made the same assessment as quickly.
Great advice re: diver's accident insurance. People (myself included) have often criticized the notion of insurance as paying for something you hope you never use. "Use" of insurance is conflated with actually filing a claim. The fact is you are absolutely using the service the whole time--silently enjoying that it is there to back you up should you ever need the support. It being there all along, in the background so to speak, is indeed the service. Great video and so very glad that you're okay.
You don't realize how important this video is. I went on a textbook 60ft double dive with 2 friends. Everything went perfect. Safety stops and all. That night, I woke up with pain in my shoulder. I tried to rationalize it saying I must have slept on it wrong but then I remember this very video. I got up, called Dan and went over my dive profile with them. Ended up going to the ER and into the Chamber a few hours later. What long term damage could have happened if I would have remained in Denial? So thank you! Thank you for sharing this video. It's helped more than you'll know.
Thank you for sharing your experience! It just goes to show that your fourth learning point is absolutely true, and that even the best and most experienced of us shouldn't get complacent. Glad to hear that you are back to normal and out diving again.
This is such an important video and it sets a great precedent. More experienced divers should be more open about DCS hits in the interest of sharing the lessons learned.
I watched your video about DAN. I immediately signed up and got the insurance as well(middle of the road plan). As a new diver, that peace of mind is worth its weight in gold. Thanks for sharing your experience about getting bent - even if we make perfect dive plans, there’s things beyond our control.
First of all, I’m so glad you’re ok, and I’m so glad you listened to your body and you had good people around you who also looked out for you. Thanks so much for sharing, and being so real about your experience. I’ve only just started diving, but I’ve fallen in love with it so I’m getting out in the water as much as I can - I never even thought about DAN insurance. I want to travel this year with my diving (funny, I never cared much about travel before but now I feel like I have a reason to), so thank you for the reminder. Also, for addressing the fact that people can experience dcs without even doing anything wrong, and even if they do, they should be met with care - because the last thing you’d want is people trying to cope through the initial symptoms due to shame, and not get the medical care they need asap. Last thing - thanks for pointing out about using credible dive charters. I know this should be common sense, but for a newbie, I’ve so far just put my trust in any club or charter I’ve been with, so from now on I’ll make sure to check things out.
So glad you are OK…THANK YOU for sharing. I am a recreational diver who is rescue certified. My initial certification was in 1990. I don’t dive as much as I would like and had forgotten just how dangerous, and real, the possibility is of DCS. This is the probable the most important video you have put out and will be shared with everyone I know who dives. I took so much away from this video. Thank you again! You are a true professional.
Hi James, thanks for this wonderful and Frank video. I had a small skin DCS on a shore dive in Egypt, I had symptoms on the rest between dices and was in denial for about 5 minutes, my guide realised what the problem was and was on the phone to the dive centre and spin up the chamber before I could even object. Like yourself I had DAN insurance and when I got to the chamber there was no problem and the doctor called them while I was in the chamber. They had sorted all the paperwork by the time my chamber ride was over. They were so good in contacting me and arranging anything I needed. The best money I've ever spent. Glad your well. On the plus after the chamber ride the dive centre I was at asked me to talk to all their guests and students and tell them of my experience so they might spot the signs . Keep up the good work.
For the majority of us being recreative divers woth only tenth to some hundrets of dives vs your thousands, it is of even higher value that and how you shared all this with us. Happy that nothing major happened and so important that dive centers remember themselves of their responsibility in regards to equipment, its functionality and staff cualification to know how to apply all. Muchas gracias and saludos from Barcelona, Spain.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience James. I enjoy all your videos as the are very educational and fun to watch! Peace and Love… stay safe and stay wet ~Tom
James , I really appreciated this video thank you, I watched it about a month or so ago and this weekend after two dives with no incidents my wrist started to hurt, if I hadn’t have seen your video I would have just ignored it and assumed I must have bashed it or something, but thanks to your timely video I didn’t , I called one of the UK dive doctors and we had a conversation, they called me in for tests and I was in a recompression as soon as they had cleared the dive that was currently in process. I have one more dive today and I should be clear. I just wanted to thank you, your videos are great and make a difference.
Thank you James, thanks to you I got my family diving insurance, and I just came back from my first session at the chamber. Hours after an uncontrolled ascent, I had some headache, wrist pain, numbness on my fingers and chest pain. Thanks to you, I learned that symptom denial is real. The doctor sent me to me to the chamber, and I couldn’t stop thinking of your video while being there. I’m eternally grateful!
So glad you're ok James! Thanks again for always being honest and helping the way you do!I I met you once on a dive in Ft. Lauderdale FL, I think it was with Sea Experience.
I am fascinated about diving & looking foward getting certified. I like that you straight foward & honest. If you had a school I would get certified with you .!! I am glad you are ok. Thank you ! You are my hero🙌
Glad you are alright. A few years ago a guy ended up in the chamber in Liverpool. He'd been diving in Caperwray. They worked it out that during his dive he went up and over a container that is used fir swim throughs. This affected his deco, resulting in his bent. Sometimes it doesn't take a lot.
Quarry called Dorothea not far from you has a really steep footpath. A lot of bends there come from walking the hill post dive rather than the dive itself.
James. After watching this episode it really got the wheels rolling in my head. When I went to our local dive store I asked him about DAN and he shared a first hand story about DAN in action about a diver in their party who got bent. His story was almost word for word the same experience as yours. I got their DAN number and my wife and I are now both insured divers. Thanks for the great content. Your channel helps alleviate long surface intervals Rob in Germany from Louisiana
Great video , I operate and work inside of a Multiplace Hyperbaric chamber and have been doing that for about 14 years with over 2000 runs working inside the chamber. Although we prefer no one gets hurt, divers are our favorite because they tend to not be absolute train wreck in most cases . I am glad you had resolution with your treatments and I would say DAN insurance is a must it is worth noting that I believe DAN is a rider off of a primary insurance. Safe Diving
Thank you for sharing this. Even as new divers, I know that my wife and I are concerned about recognizing these symptoms for ourselves. And thanks for the words about the insurance.
James, awesome video as a fellow diver and DCS bent club everything you shared is awesome. I wish I put together that my bend was what it was as it took 6 months to regrow the nerves lost/pinched. Saw medical doctor about 24-36 hours after just feeling like my left arm fell asleep. But didn’t have any Indication until waking up the next morning. (Night dive, 20min drive home) . I read the whole navy dive manual a couple times trying to figure out the why….. the fun part is watching the medical science still explore those theories now. Keep diving and sharing
First, really glad you are ok. Also, am really glad you shared your experience, and everything you talked about here is super helpful, so thank you for this.
Great video - I had a DCS hit last October.... after 6 hours in the chamber at Aberdeen I can agree it is boring - most exciting bit was getting blue lighted from Edinburgh to Aberdeen at 2am !... lucky to have the NHS in the UK, but I have DAN for holidays abroad... money well spent!
Brilliant video. Makes me more certain that it's worthwhile asking for a quick overview of an operator's green bag before a dive just in case it's me that needs to help the dive instructor. Their response says a lot about them, I think.
Thank you for your insites. I am currently at the border from fun diveing entering the technical area. Actually all of what you said makes totally sense but most of the time is theory, thanks for giving the insight that theory can get reality to everyone no metter how experienced you are. That video will make my time diving much safer in future just by giving awareness
aaaahh! The camera! That was the root of the problem. The missing camera. Never dive without it! 😁 I'm glad You're 100% well! ❤Thank You for sharing so we can learn from it! Keep on keeping on!
Excellent video. In my opinion it should be a must watch for all divers. One thing I tell people is the second symptom on a DCS (DCI in UK) is denial. And when you've been on O2 on the boat and you get better, you're not cured, you still need the treatment. I've booked boats who say they have O2 on board but where you get there, they've forgotten to bring / fill their cylinder. So as a club we always take out own O2 set. My experience UK BSAC diver for nearly 20 years. Qualified to 50m (150'). I always dive in a Drysuit, with twinset and a 50% stage. Keep safe
Good to hear that you fully recovered James. I had a similar experience this week. Over 50 years and 1500 dives I got bent for the first time. I completed 4 dives in a day. The deepest was 75 feet, the other 3 to 60 feet. Each had a bottom time of approx 60 min. But the last 30 min or so of each was 40 ft or shallower. I had planned to dive nitrox. But the system was being repaired, forcing us to dive on air. However, I reset my computers and stayed withing NDL. I completed the last dive around 3pm. I had no symptoms going to dinner at 6pm. After diner my stomach felt very uncomfortable. But I thought it was simply indigestion from overeating. I went to bed around 9pm. But I awoke at 10:30. Most of my stomach discomfort had gone. But I had pains on both sides of my chest. I called DAN. I was on oxygen 30 minutes later. And in the chamber before mid night. It had two sessions of table 6. I never did feel any pain in my joints. The hospital tested me for POF. Apparently, I have a very small hole. My options are surgery, or accept some diving restrictions. As I'm nearing 70 the restrictions probably make sense anyway. I'll probably skip the surgery. Bottom line. I fully support your comments regarding amazing DAN organization. Also, if in doubt call them. The dive operator is good - Prodive in Cozumel. But they were closed for the night. It would have been very easy to dismiss the symptoms as related to overeating, especially in the absence of joint pains. Like you I'm fully recovered without any residual effects. But I still have 3 weeks before I can dive again. Not a big issue as I'll be home in Colorado tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your story. It encouraged me. Hopefully, this will remind divers that the symptoms of DCS can be varied and subtle.
Thanks for setting a great example. We, as a community would all be better off if more cause evaluations were done for every close call or incident and it was shared throughout the community. Even though there was no direct or apparent cause, the lessons learned for symptom recognition and treatment will have a positive impact from sharing. True leadership.
Thanks for sharing. Ive been diving since 1998 and i have never heard anyone say you could get bent for no reason. This is big news to me. All the time I've wasted watching your chanel has finally paid off. Just kidding, i love your chanel. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, will definitely spread the word.
This is an extremely important and direct video. Thank you for posting it! I got "hit" several times and I denied the symptoms, and suffered through them. It was during my week of Advanced Diving Training and when I did bring it up to my dive instructor, he said there was no possible way I had the bends. Well, I finally went to a Dive Doctor in Belize who confirmed I had been getting the Skin Bends and thankfully fully recovered. And yes, anyone I tell this story to, immediately assumes I did not dive per the safety standards. I absolutely followed the safety standards AND even added deco time to every dive. We have DAN insurance now and will always while my husband and I are diving. I didn't dive the Spiegel because it was over 60 feet deep, even though I really wanted to! I stay away from deep dives these days. We are leaving tomorrow for a liveaboard and your video has encouraged me to Speak Up if I get any symptoms! Thank you.
Thanks for sharing. This is a complete opposite to the divetalk guys who encountered dcs recently and were just making a bunch of excuses on how they handled the situation.
I actually dove with your group last summer on the Spiegel. I wish I had introduced myself, but I recognized you immediately from your videos when we were on the boat together. Glad you recovered from this experience.
Glad to hear you are better now. Pretty scary that it happened based on circumstances surrounding the dive. BTW- great video from morning dive! I so want to get down to dive the Spiegel! As afar as DAN insurance is concerned, I am like you I gladly fork over the premium every year. It is so cheap, compared to the costs if you ever need to use it.
Excellent video! Shared it with my son and best friend. I’m a second generation diver and hope to dive with future grandkids. Information like this is crucial. Thanks so much for sharing!
James, we agree on Gareth Locke's safety material. Crucial. When I saw the title for this video, my first thought was, "Bravo James for honesty!" You're a model for Just Culture. Glad you are OK and glad you're already back to diving. The tips were great!
Thank you James for sharing this video. You are the second instructor I have heard of having an undeserved dcs hit. One of my friends got to spend New Years Eve in a chamber because of one. His was a no decompression dive on the Benwood. This of course was a couple decades ago, and unfortunately it scared him so bad he only taught for about another year after that. And you are absolutely correct about the important of DAN insurance. It has saved me from the expense of two trips to Mariners Hospital from issues other than decompression illness. So it may be a good idea to let folks know that it is for any dive accident, not only decompression illness. There is the opportunity for other accidents on boats like scuba tanks or weights breaking toes and feet etc. etc.
Hi James and thank you so much for posting this! I have all of 31 dives under my belt and just finished my AOWD - I've been following your channel for a while but that just might have been the most important video you have posted thus far. So great to hear from you sharing your own experiences and educating about the inherent risks to scuba diving. THANK YOU!
Long time ago I was diving off Catalina Island (California) and my dive buddy refused to surface when our down time was up. We were at 80ft and had been diving all day off a commercial dive boat. I returned to my bunk. 30 minutes later the dive master asked where my dive buddy was and I told him I hadn't seen him. The look on his face said it all. Just then he crawled up the ladder and collapsed on deck. The dive master ran up to him and gave him a choice of a flight to the chamber in Avalon or take him down and re-decompress him. Instead he cussed out the dive master and crawled down to his bunk and curled up. He told me later how painful it was and that he was grateful he wasn't permanently injured.
Re-decompress? I thought you were not supposed to go back down and ascend more cautiously (which is what I assume re-decompress means). I am no expert, but that’s what they said in my first course.
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Thank you so much for sharing this! Almost a year ago, I had a pretty normal recreational dive but when I left the water, in a 40 degree Celcius Malta day, I started getting funny vision. Then I made it home, where I thought my skin was changing colour (my friends and SO could not spot it) and after I showered, I could not breathe properly. I calmly told my friends, who called DAN and the diving center we were with. They quickly drove to our place with Oxygen in hand, took me to the hospital and to the hyperbaric chamber.
The amazing part of this all is that the doctor told me it was a heart defect. It's called PFO, apparently present in 25-30% of people, but normally mild enough to not matter. In my case, I was a very small percentage. Option 1 was to quit diving (HAH!). Option 2 was to quickly get it fixed. It was the easiest of procedures and now I am back in the water.
But your mention of Symptom Denial was what took 3:30h for me to make it to the hospital (almost 3 to get oxygen). And also, I realised there are barely any mentions on how long it can take you to recover from DCS. I spent a month felt like I had been beaten up inside and out. Foggy brain and all. But I am sure if I had reacted faster, I would have recovered faster too, so that's on me.
Worth sharing these experiences for sure! Glad you are okay and making awesome videos, as always!
Thank you so much for sharing your story Marina! I'm pinning this comment to the top of the thread! So important!
PFO is a bit of a grey area now. A lot seem to be transitory. I tested positive for one both locally and at the specialist. Both times with a blatant bubble contrast. But when I went for the closure they couldn't physically find a hole.
I also got it with tec dive plan, which was flawless, I did the same thing double check my gear, my dive plan, my computer and data outputs, everything...so yes. This does happen...
Simon Pridmore talks a bit about PFOs in his Scuba Exceptional book - highly recommend it1 Next on my list is his book Scuba Physiological
My friend and dive buddy had the same thing happen. We were doing a shallow dive for fossils in a river on a hot day. Due to the shallow water we were down for nearly 3 hours. After getting out he didn't fell well. Later that night he had bubbles under the skin in his neck and other symptoms. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and later found out about PFO. Like you, he had this corrected and has not had an issue on any kind of dive we have done.
James, thank you for this. We in the Dive Industry do not talk about this enough. Symptom denial is a real thing and is probably the biggest factor for recreational divers getting more seriously injured than they should have done. I am a dive doctor, running the chamber in Bermuda, and I see people presenting late all the time. In fact when I had my DCS hit, (way before I became a Dive Physician- just saying!) I denied my symptoms completely and never went for help. You described beautifully the initiation and development of a neurological bend, had you not asked for help you could, potentially, have been really sick. So kudos to you for overcoming your symptom denial.
You must be Holly's Dad?! My wife and I dived with Holly and Mark in Bermuda this time last year and had them over for dinner here in Miami last November! Some of my favorite people in diving! Thanks for stopping by, Dr Dave!
This was a random RUclips suggestion and I'm glad I stopped to watch it. I thought the bends only happens when you push the limits, I had no idea there was such thing as an 'undeserved hit'. Thank you, this is a great lesson.
As soon as I saw the title I thought, “another Gareth Locke fan”. Mad respect for telling the story. More people need to do this.
I don't know, why yt spilled this in my list of proposed videos. Never the less, it was a perfect fit, as I was hit by DCS exactly 3 years ago on a live aboard trip in Egypt. As James, I was in best hands and surrounded by great and adorable people from the very first minute until today. After a medical marathon I ended up being diagnosed with a PFO which was closed in the same year. I was back in the water 8 months later exactly with one of my favourite buddies which also did the dive with me, when I got bent. Despite Corona, I was able to continue diving continuously and finishing a next level of instructor's licence (diving is only a hobby). Thanks James, I subscribe to all your Lessons Learned without any doubt. Excellent video with a very serious message to all divers out there. Enjoy safe diving, do not mess with the risks, keep your eyes open and always be prepared.
PFO is a medical term for a hole in the heart that can lead to strokes. I do not know how it relates to or may impact a diver. Feel free to add more info if you know any.
(Just mentioning, because I had to look up what PFO meant).
THANK YOU!!
I got an undeserved hit in October and I’ve been embarrassed/nervous to get back in the water since. Everything you experienced, I experienced as well down to the symptoms and perfect execution of the plan. Didn’t have as nice of a chamber to sit in 🤣 but thank you for making this video. I feel so much better going back into dive season knowing I’m not crazy!
Thank YOU so much Joshua! Glad you're doing better! Come on in! The water misses you!
Did you get over your fear?
Writing this up as im currently in hospital bed in between two recompression sessions in Messina (Sicily). It’s super unfortunate the dive center i went with was so freaking irresponsible, a lesson learned for me is: when you start noticing series of questionable acts from the dive operator, abort!
Very grateful for the Italian’s healthcare system though. I got picked up by a helicopter last night, at 2AM (1.5h post first symptoms and went in the local emergency room for pure oxygen), had series of preliminary checks before went into the chamber - all for free! They really made me feel like a human in need of help, rather than “we’ll help ya if you can pay the bill”.
Thanks for sharing this James. This truly makes me feel less scared and yes, can vouch that denial bit exists, and we do need to identify that quickly knowing order to act.
Can i ask quickly, did your symptoms linger for a little while post recompression treatment?
Can you expand a little on the "series of questionable acts"? Is this things like "don't worry about checking the EANx mix, it always comes out at 32%" or is it more sinister stuff than that?
Thank you mate. I recently got bent after my 10th dive. My main symptom was confusion (brain fog). I was so confused that I didn’t realise that I was confused. I didn’t go in to a hyperbaric chamber until about 50 hours after I surfaced. I am still recovering. Thank you for addressing the DCS stigma. I certainly felt it until I went to the ED. 🙏🏻
Ok, what does ED stand for here? There are so many acronyms that are being thrown around in these comments when sometimes it would be so easy and useful to also say what the acronym stands for (like he did in the video title). I already looked up the medical term PFO. But if I look up ED …. ummm, I think I’ll get a lot of irrelevant information, right? 😂
James thank you. I have had 2 undeserved hits and kept it a secret. It’s embarrassing and it’s terrifying. This video made me finally decide to get my shit together regarding the problem I pretended never existed.
I have been diving with out DAN, getting that right now. I didn’t feel like I was in an environment where I could speak up about what was happening to me and I felt as if I would inconvenience everyone else by asking for emergency assistance. I’m speaking up about what happened now and everyone that I dive with would be right by my side if I had spoken up. It’s still extremely embarrassing that as an instructor myself I left my 2 cases untreated both times….
The takeaways from this video are great, and I also hope nobody has to use any of the knowledge in this video.
Divers are very system oriented, check-list checkers who are well educated when it comes to diving. (Or at-least, we should strive to be that way and encourage proper education and safe habits) However, Im currently realizing something I wish was talked about more- the emotional aspect of being bent.
I was too embarrassed to speak up about being bent and snuck off to suffer in my car alone. I could of died or been seriously injured because of this.
So,
How can I create an environment where other people would feel comfortable to speak up? The falsely perceived ego damage seems greater than the damage of being bent in the victims mind. What can we do so that every customer, buddy, and fellow diver will speak up? How many DCS cases are going unaddressed, potentially in the very divers around us?
Developing a culture of safe diving practice is a lot harder than following checklists or reading up on diving to me. I want to optimize my interactions with others to make diving more safe and enjoyable. This seems to be something I struggle with and could do better on.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Just writing has eased the burden and the guilt and allowed me to move towards improving. To anyone who has read this far: I appreciate you, any ideas and comments will be well received.
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I’m glad you’re ok, and I’m glad you’ve taken positive action.
It would need to change with drive instructors universally telling the students that if they have X symptoms, they MUST report it. It may sound too simple, and I have never gone scuba diving before, but I understand the process of learning and following that protocol as if that is what MUST be done.
I know the dive instructors must already teach new divers about nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness. But do they hammer home the procedure to follow when getting symptoms in the same manner they ingrain in you what/how to do any other aspect of diving? That might help switch the mentality, where before one felt ashamed that it happened...now one feels they are following procedure as instructed.
Create material that is universally used by dive instructors, I'm talking about a specific protocol to follow, say.. as in the manner of following protocol about preparing your tank. Do divers go against what they are taught about that? No, that's what's ingrained in them to do. Add numbers to it and symptoms, and it becomes a procedure that should be followed. If you are to experience X symptoms for X amount of minutes, you are report to X.
You asked how it could be changed and that's one thing that I can think of. Everyone prides themself on following the correct protocol which is why they are ashamed to get decompression sickness in the first place, is what I'm understanding. Universally (that's important) set protocol on what to do when experiencing symptoms, a person may then see it as, they would be doing the wrong thing if they did NOT report it. The stigma is switched, and mentally it would feel embarrassing if others found out you didn't follow this procedure. Combine that with teaching that there are instances in which even experienced divers get decompression sickness through no fault of their own, and over time it will change the mentality of the dive community.
@@jessicalynn6285Agreed: flipping it so it is embarrassing to NOT follow a protocol of reporting is an important shift and emphasis.
Thanks for sharing James!
One of my dive buddies said "you never know how close you are to being bent until it's too late". Every dive we could be so close to being bent but don't know because we don't get any symptoms until we get bent.
You made me get dive insurance! Thank you (and it's really cheap too!)
Thanks Drew! I'm happy to hear it!
First and foremost, I hope everything went smoothly and without any issues. I'm a dive instructor from Morocco, and I truly appreciate the valuable content you share. Thank you for your invaluable advice. I never imagined it was possible to get the bends even when strictly following the dive plan and decompression guidelines. Thanks again for your work.
First…so glad that you’re ok. Second…best, and most important video to date. Such an important message for all divers.
This video needs to be used in every open water class. Thank you for posting and being open to sharing.
My instructor got bent during my wreck certification. He did everything correctly but still got a cramp that spread. He was put on O2 and sent to the hospital. He ended up being okay, as it was a mild case.
This made me exceptionally cautious for my next dives, and I set my computer to the most conservative setting.
I have seen so much bad diving, ignoring decompression stops, smoking immediately after dive, dive intoxicated, etc, etc. I'm quite sure none of those would have admitted doing anything wrong, if they would got bent. Thus we need to see stories like yours for the balance.
Glad your back and healthy James! Safe Diving 🌴🌅🌊
Thanks Eamon!
Great information as always. I have had D.A.N. insurance since the mid 90's and would not dive or travel without it. It is always offered to my students in any class I teach. Your story just reinforces that it can happen to anyone at anytime. Glad you are well and fully recovered.
Thanks so much James!
Have you been checked for a hole in the heart. Very common. Happened to one of our main instructors with about 5000 dives. It was a 110m dive executed perfectly. Went for a bubble check and turned out he had a hole in the heart. 1 in 4 of us have it and easily fixed with a non invasive operation.
Thank you for sharing, James. Glad you are OK and back on the horse. This event is rare, so hearing from someone who went through it is valuable to all of us. I will henceforth ask dive operators if they have oxygen ready if they don’t mention it on the dive briefing.
Thanks for sharing James. I also got hit in March if this year, spent 3 days in the hospital and took two rides in the chamber. I was hardheaded and never got DANs. Every time I went to get it I got sidetracked and didn’t have it when it was needed unfortunately. That 3 day stay was a very hard hit being 45k plus. I can assure you, I preach to all new divers now about Dans and what it could have done for me. Like you I’ll smile every year I renew from now on.
Joseph, sorry to hear about your hit. Thanks for posting that 45k figure. Really puts the cost of DAN coverage in perspective.
Wow.... I've been diving for over 15 years and as a DM I'm wondering what happened. I don't believe I truly realized you can get the bends even following the safety steps 100% thank you.
You are so welcome! Dive safe.
Happy to hear you are well. Thank you for sharing this so openly, directly and clearly. It's always great to hear from first-person experience, even if we all read the books, had the trainings, etc. etc.
Great video James! Thanks for sharing your story. In Israel where I dive, no dive club will rent you equipment or a cylinder without proof of diving insurance. Worth every penny. Glad you are ok!
I just signed up to DAN for myself and my wife. You have just 100% justified our purchase. Keep up the great videos.
Hi James,
I’m sorry you had this experience, it must have been very worrying for you. I’m just glad you are okay. Sadly someone in our club got bent and needed treatment recently so your video is timely - and very helpful. It’s quite possibly the most important video that you have published. I will share with my fellow divers. Thank you, James. I appreciate your candour.
Thanks for sharing your story. As a diver we all need face the fact that WE ALL GET BENT, EVERY DIVE. Its just a matter of how we react to it and how severe. Micro bubbles are always there, they sometime group into larger bubbles and although may not be perceived it still happens. I rode the chamber with inner ear DCS and it changed how I look at diving. I still dive Tech and actually turned near every dive into tech as I have a 35/70 GF. Learn to stay clear of the M value, learn to take your time at shallow stops and not just a safety stop. If diving Shearwater (or other comps that show this) learn the surf GF value and watch it (not just the "clear" indicator) base your surface on your activities prior, food intake, sleep, etc. Really will help expand your knowledge of gas loading and taking things safe. :) Thanks again for sharing!
I got it (level 2/6) in a dive in Salamis, Greece back in 2017. Started about an hour or so after the dive with a terrible itch on my belly. I wanted to scratch my skin out. Then the headaches and the thriller feeling came on. I denied it for 2 days until I could barely walk or breathe. Did 6 sessions in the chamber and got rid of it. Was too scared to go back diving for 3 years. I now take pride in it. Feel old salt. A nice quote from the cardiologist I saw then: "diving is like sitting and enjoying a great feast with delicious food at an expensive restaurant. The charge, though, comes at the end." I now stay at 20 meters and do not exceed 45'.
I got an undeserved hit too. Everything uneventful and to plan. Denial is a real too. Wheel chair into the chamber and walked out. Get onto the O2 ASAP!!! In fact I still use my case as a teaching example to my Rescue Diver students .
Too right, Keith! Thanks so much
I just found this video. Very well done. Truthful and not sensational. Symptom denial is a very big problem in many medical conditions, but with DCS the clock is ticking and wasted time could mean more damage. So glad you are back to full steam!
Jeebus Bloke, I'm kinda glad you made it through. Goes to show, it can happen to anyone at any time. YAAAAY for DAN insurance
Thanks John!
Finally a honest video about DCS! It was about time time that someone talks about it.
Glad to hear that you are well again. All the best from Germany.
Honesty is the best….man I never heard of the “undeserved hit” happen with with getting bent….you gave me a mental upgrade, big thanks!
So glad you talked about DCS Stigma. Great points thanks for all your videos but especially this one!
Thanks Joshua!
I'm an instructor too,.. and we both were taught all of the factors that can contribute to DCS. Please take care of your health,.. every aspect of your health and dive on. Good on you for recognizing you had a problem,. not sure I would have made the same assessment as quickly.
Very humble, not afraid telling the truth and learning from the situation.
You have good friends. They came at the first signs of trouble. And knew exactly how to help you. Glad you made it through. Godspeed.
Thanks for watching! Dive safe.
Great advice re: diver's accident insurance. People (myself included) have often criticized the notion of insurance as paying for something you hope you never use. "Use" of insurance is conflated with actually filing a claim. The fact is you are absolutely using the service the whole time--silently enjoying that it is there to back you up should you ever need the support. It being there all along, in the background so to speak, is indeed the service. Great video and so very glad that you're okay.
Glad you are ok. Thanks for the talk. Safe diving!
Glad that you are doing great. Horizon Divers are a good diving shop, they are professional and clean.
Brilliant video! Awesome how quickly the operator reacted and got you the O2!
Absolutely!
Great team, Thanks Dan Dorson safety first 👏 DCS lesson learned 🥰 thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching! Dive safe.
You don't realize how important this video is. I went on a textbook 60ft double dive with 2 friends. Everything went perfect. Safety stops and all.
That night, I woke up with pain in my shoulder. I tried to rationalize it saying I must have slept on it wrong but then I remember this very video. I got up, called Dan and went over my dive profile with them. Ended up going to the ER and into the Chamber a few hours later. What long term damage could have happened if I would have remained in Denial?
So thank you! Thank you for sharing this video. It's helped more than you'll know.
Thank you for sharing your experience! It just goes to show that your fourth learning point is absolutely true, and that even the best and most experienced of us shouldn't get complacent. Glad to hear that you are back to normal and out diving again.
Thanks so much Austin!
I am so glad you are okay. Thanks for sharing your experience. Can’t wait to see you and Karina in July!
Thanks Robin! Roll on July! In the meantime, put it all on red.... LOL
Amazingly candid video. Thank you for the experience.
Thanks so much
This is such an important video and it sets a great precedent. More experienced divers should be more open about DCS hits in the interest of sharing the lessons learned.
Really interesting watch, thank for sharing James 👍🏻
Glad you are well now. Loving your channel and always watch!
Thanks Wayne!
Thanks for sharing, all good knowledge to help us spot the signs - love the honesty and integrity of your videos
I watched your video about DAN. I immediately signed up and got the insurance as well(middle of the road plan). As a new diver, that peace of mind is worth its weight in gold.
Thanks for sharing your experience about getting bent - even if we make perfect dive plans, there’s things beyond our control.
James, thanks for sharing your experience. Take good care of yourself.
Thanks for your support! Dive safe.
First of all, I’m so glad you’re ok, and I’m so glad you listened to your body and you had good people around you who also looked out for you. Thanks so much for sharing, and being so real about your experience. I’ve only just started diving, but I’ve fallen in love with it so I’m getting out in the water as much as I can - I never even thought about DAN insurance. I want to travel this year with my diving (funny, I never cared much about travel before but now I feel like I have a reason to), so thank you for the reminder. Also, for addressing the fact that people can experience dcs without even doing anything wrong, and even if they do, they should be met with care - because the last thing you’d want is people trying to cope through the initial symptoms due to shame, and not get the medical care they need asap. Last thing - thanks for pointing out about using credible dive charters. I know this should be common sense, but for a newbie, I’ve so far just put my trust in any club or charter I’ve been with, so from now on I’ll make sure to check things out.
Thanks so much Sam Co!
So glad you are OK…THANK YOU for sharing. I am a recreational diver who is rescue certified. My initial certification was in 1990. I don’t dive as much as I would like and had forgotten just how dangerous, and real, the possibility is of DCS. This is the probable the most important video you have put out and will be shared with everyone I know who dives. I took so much away from this video. Thank you again! You are a true professional.
Hi James, thanks for this wonderful and Frank video. I had a small skin DCS on a shore dive in Egypt, I had symptoms on the rest between dices and was in denial for about 5 minutes, my guide realised what the problem was and was on the phone to the dive centre and spin up the chamber before I could even object. Like yourself I had DAN insurance and when I got to the chamber there was no problem and the doctor called them while I was in the chamber. They had sorted all the paperwork by the time my chamber ride was over. They were so good in contacting me and arranging anything I needed. The best money I've ever spent. Glad your well. On the plus after the chamber ride the dive centre I was at asked me to talk to all their guests and students and tell them of my experience so they might spot the signs . Keep up the good work.
Glad you're ok mate, and glad to hear that DAN (and Dan) took care of everything.
For the majority of us being recreative divers woth only tenth to some hundrets of dives vs your thousands, it is of even higher value that and how you shared all this with us.
Happy that nothing major happened and so important that dive centers remember themselves of their responsibility in regards to equipment, its functionality and staff cualification to know how to apply all.
Muchas gracias and saludos from Barcelona, Spain.
Thanks for sharing in such sincere way. This single lesson worth more than a full training.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience James. I enjoy all your videos as the are very educational and fun to watch! Peace and Love… stay safe and stay wet ~Tom
James , I really appreciated this video thank you, I watched it about a month or so ago and this weekend after two dives with no incidents my wrist started to hurt, if I hadn’t have seen your video I would have just ignored it and assumed I must have bashed it or something, but thanks to your timely video I didn’t , I called one of the UK dive doctors and we had a conversation, they called me in for tests and I was in a recompression as soon as they had cleared the dive that was currently in process. I have one more dive today and I should be clear. I just wanted to thank you, your videos are great and make a difference.
Thank you James, thanks to you I got my family diving insurance, and I just came back from my first session at the chamber. Hours after an uncontrolled ascent, I had some headache, wrist pain, numbness on my fingers and chest pain. Thanks to you, I learned that symptom denial is real. The doctor sent me to me to the chamber, and I couldn’t stop thinking of your video while being there. I’m eternally grateful!
So glad you're ok James! Thanks again for always being honest and helping the way you do!I I met you once on a dive in Ft. Lauderdale FL, I think it was with Sea Experience.
Thanks Bart!
I am fascinated about diving & looking foward getting certified. I like that you straight foward & honest.
If you had a school I would get certified with you .!! I am glad you are ok.
Thank you ! You are my hero🙌
Very happy to hear you are doing great ... Awesome video ...Thanks for the info on DCS Stigma and your experience...
Great Video and lots of good information!! I have DAN insurance and while I haven't had a need to use it, I'm like you, I won't dive without it!
Thanks so much
I'm glad you are OK James! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you are alright.
A few years ago a guy ended up in the chamber in Liverpool. He'd been diving in Caperwray. They worked it out that during his dive he went up and over a container that is used fir swim throughs. This affected his deco, resulting in his bent. Sometimes it doesn't take a lot.
Too true! I wish I knew!
Quarry called Dorothea not far from you has a really steep footpath. A lot of bends there come from walking the hill post dive rather than the dive itself.
James. After watching this episode it really got the wheels rolling in my head. When I went to our local dive store I asked him about DAN and he shared a first hand story about DAN in action about a diver in their party who got bent. His story was almost word for word the same experience as yours. I got their DAN number and my wife and I are now both insured divers. Thanks for the great content. Your channel helps alleviate long surface intervals
Rob in Germany from Louisiana
Great video , I operate and work inside of a Multiplace Hyperbaric chamber and have been doing that for about 14 years with over 2000 runs working inside the chamber. Although we prefer no one gets hurt, divers are our favorite because they tend to not be absolute train wreck in most cases . I am glad you had resolution with your treatments and I would say DAN insurance is a must it is worth noting that I believe DAN is a rider off of a primary insurance. Safe Diving
Thank you for sharing this. Even as new divers, I know that my wife and I are concerned about recognizing these symptoms for ourselves. And thanks for the words about the insurance.
James, awesome video as a fellow diver and DCS bent club everything you shared is awesome. I wish I put together that my bend was what it was as it took 6 months to regrow the nerves lost/pinched. Saw medical doctor about 24-36 hours after just feeling like my left arm fell asleep. But didn’t have any Indication until waking up the next morning. (Night dive, 20min drive home) . I read the whole navy dive manual a couple times trying to figure out the why….. the fun part is watching the medical science still explore those theories now. Keep diving and sharing
First, really glad you are ok. Also, am really glad you shared your experience, and everything you talked about here is super helpful, so thank you for this.
Thanks so much
Great video - I had a DCS hit last October.... after 6 hours in the chamber at Aberdeen I can agree it is boring - most exciting bit was getting blue lighted from Edinburgh to Aberdeen at 2am !... lucky to have the NHS in the UK, but I have DAN for holidays abroad... money well spent!
Dear James, thank you for sharing your experience. Only respect.
Thanks Erik
Brilliant video. Makes me more certain that it's worthwhile asking for a quick overview of an operator's green bag before a dive just in case it's me that needs to help the dive instructor. Their response says a lot about them, I think.
Thanks for sharing James! Sorry it happened, but great information. I might wait awhile before showing my wife this video... She still new! :-)
Thank you for your insites. I am currently at the border from fun diveing entering the technical area.
Actually all of what you said makes totally sense but most of the time is theory, thanks for giving the insight that theory can get reality to everyone no metter how experienced you are.
That video will make my time diving much safer in future just by giving awareness
This is phenomenal information for all skill levels. Thanks for the walk through and I won’t cry about my DAN bill when it comes back up!
aaaahh! The camera! That was the root of the problem. The missing camera. Never dive without it! 😁
I'm glad You're 100% well! ❤Thank You for sharing so we can learn from it! Keep on keeping on!
Excellent video. In my opinion it should be a must watch for all divers.
One thing I tell people is the second symptom on a DCS (DCI in UK) is denial. And when you've been on O2 on the boat and you get better, you're not cured, you still need the treatment.
I've booked boats who say they have O2 on board but where you get there, they've forgotten to bring / fill their cylinder. So as a club we always take out own O2 set.
My experience UK BSAC diver for nearly 20 years. Qualified to 50m (150'). I always dive in a Drysuit, with twinset and a 50% stage.
Keep safe
Good to hear that you fully recovered James.
I had a similar experience this week. Over 50 years and 1500 dives I got bent for the first time.
I completed 4 dives in a day. The deepest was 75 feet, the other 3 to 60 feet. Each had a bottom time of approx 60 min. But the last 30 min or so of each was 40 ft or shallower.
I had planned to dive nitrox. But the system was being repaired, forcing us to dive on air. However, I reset my computers and stayed withing NDL.
I completed the last dive around 3pm. I had no symptoms going to dinner at 6pm. After diner my stomach felt very uncomfortable. But I thought it was simply indigestion from overeating.
I went to bed around 9pm. But I awoke at 10:30. Most of my stomach discomfort had gone. But I had pains on both sides of my chest. I called DAN. I was on oxygen 30 minutes later. And in the chamber before mid night.
It had two sessions of table 6. I never did feel any pain in my joints.
The hospital tested me for POF. Apparently, I have a very small hole. My options are surgery, or accept some diving restrictions. As I'm nearing 70 the restrictions probably make sense anyway. I'll probably skip the surgery.
Bottom line. I fully support your comments regarding amazing DAN organization. Also, if in doubt call them. The dive operator is good - Prodive in Cozumel. But they were closed for the night. It would have been very easy to dismiss the symptoms as related to overeating, especially in the absence of joint pains.
Like you I'm fully recovered without any residual effects. But I still have 3 weeks before I can dive again. Not a big issue as I'll be home in Colorado tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing your story. It encouraged me. Hopefully, this will remind divers that the symptoms of DCS can be varied and subtle.
Thanks for setting a great example. We, as a community would all be better off if more cause evaluations were done for every close call or incident and it was shared throughout the community. Even though there was no direct or apparent cause, the lessons learned for symptom recognition and treatment will have a positive impact from sharing. True leadership.
Thanks for sharing.
Ive been diving since 1998 and i have never heard anyone say you could get bent for no reason. This is big news to me. All the time I've wasted watching your chanel has finally paid off. Just kidding, i love your chanel. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, will definitely spread the word.
This is an extremely important and direct video. Thank you for posting it! I got "hit" several times and I denied the symptoms, and suffered through them. It was during my week of Advanced Diving Training and when I did bring it up to my dive instructor, he said there was no possible way I had the bends. Well, I finally went to a Dive Doctor in Belize who confirmed I had been getting the Skin Bends and thankfully fully recovered. And yes, anyone I tell this story to, immediately assumes I did not dive per the safety standards. I absolutely followed the safety standards AND even added deco time to every dive. We have DAN insurance now and will always while my husband and I are diving. I didn't dive the Spiegel because it was over 60 feet deep, even though I really wanted to! I stay away from deep dives these days. We are leaving tomorrow for a liveaboard and your video has encouraged me to Speak Up if I get any symptoms! Thank you.
A must see video for any diver. Raw, honest and straight to the point.
Always the best videos. Thank you for the valuable info and really glad that you are OK.
That must have been a scary day. Hope you’re doing ok now and there is nothing keeping you out of the water!
Thanks Jassen! I'm back to full strength!
Glad to hear your doing well.
Thanks for sharing. This is a complete opposite to the divetalk guys who encountered dcs recently and were just making a bunch of excuses on how they handled the situation.
I actually dove with your group last summer on the Spiegel. I wish I had introduced myself, but I recognized you immediately from your videos when we were on the boat together. Glad you recovered from this experience.
Rock on!
Glad to hear you are better now. Pretty scary that it happened based on circumstances surrounding the dive. BTW- great video from morning dive! I so want to get down to dive the Spiegel! As afar as DAN insurance is concerned, I am like you I gladly fork over the premium every year. It is so cheap, compared to the costs if you ever need to use it.
Thanks so much Thomas!
Excellent video! Shared it with my son and best friend. I’m a second generation diver and hope to dive with future grandkids. Information like this is crucial. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you man for sharing this knowledge with us total respect to you and glad you went through it quickly and harm free
Catching up on your videos, good you ok and thank you for sharing J.
Thank you!, Welcome Back!
Thank you for this transparency and honesty to educate and keep us safe 🙏🏽
James, we agree on Gareth Locke's safety material. Crucial. When I saw the title for this video, my first thought was, "Bravo James for honesty!" You're a model for Just Culture. Glad you are OK and glad you're already back to diving. The tips were great!
Thank you James for sharing this video. You are the second instructor I have heard of having an undeserved dcs hit. One of my friends got to spend New Years Eve in a chamber because of one. His was a no decompression dive on the Benwood. This of course was a couple decades ago, and unfortunately it scared him so bad he only taught for about another year after that.
And you are absolutely correct about the important of DAN insurance. It has saved me from the expense of two trips to Mariners Hospital from issues other than decompression illness. So it may be a good idea to let folks know that it is for any dive accident, not only decompression illness. There is the opportunity for other accidents on boats like scuba tanks or weights breaking toes and feet etc. etc.
Thanks for sharing! Dive safe.
Thank you for sharing.. really thoughtful reflections and great learning points.. thank you i really liked yr section on symptom denial..
Glad to help! Dive safe.
Hi James and thank you so much for posting this! I have all of 31 dives under my belt and just finished my AOWD - I've been following your channel for a while but that just might have been the most important video you have posted thus far. So great to hear from you sharing your own experiences and educating about the inherent risks to scuba diving. THANK YOU!
Glad all worked out for you & you were able to use this to educate others. 😊
Long time ago I was diving off Catalina Island (California) and my dive buddy refused to surface when our down time was up. We were at 80ft and had been diving all day off a commercial dive boat. I returned to my bunk. 30 minutes later the dive master asked where my dive buddy was and I told him I hadn't seen him. The look on his face said it all. Just then he crawled up the ladder and collapsed on deck. The dive master ran up to him and gave him a choice of a flight to the chamber in Avalon or take him down and re-decompress him. Instead he cussed out the dive master and crawled down to his bunk and curled up. He told me later how painful it was and that he was grateful he wasn't permanently injured.
Re-decompress? I thought you were not supposed to go back down and ascend more cautiously (which is what I assume re-decompress means). I am no expert, but that’s what they said in my first course.