Nigel blows course big time.

OK I don't know why I did a panicked diver impression when
running smoothly into a simulated 20m stop after a mere 10
mins at 30m but it sure worried me let alone the instructor.

OK my OC twinset rig felt strange as it had been seriously hacked
about and I was diving a bit under my usual weight but with a 7L
steel stage to make it back up. I was using the suit for buoyancy
which has not been my choice but that's no excuse for turning into
the bulging eyed *I can't get enough gas out of this Apeks TX50*
monster. New dry suit and the neck is a bit tight. Diving air for the
first time for a while but ascending from 30 to 20m in excellent vis,
not cold, not dark and with a nice solid shot line in my hand!
Should be a total piece of cake. Even I can't be narked at 20m.

Answers on a post card....

Full story to those on Daniel's trip this weekend. Go easy on me.
I've seen a side of me I didn't like and I'm anxious not to see again.

nigelH

Surely everyone has a wee bout of panic now and again. I'd be lying if I
didn't admit to having a couple of scared shitless moments now and again,
even when everything was under control.

new suit with tight neck seal, using suit as bouyancy for the first time in
a while. All of these things are going to add stress anyway.

I don't have enough experience to judge, but I'm glad you made it safely
through it anyway, welcome back

Gareth


"Nigel Hewitt" <news@REMOVETHISnigelhewitt.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c8g9g2$njd$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> OK I don't know why I did a panicked diver impression when
> running smoothly into a simulated 20m stop after a mere 10
> mins at 30m but it sure worried me let alone the instructor.
>
> OK my OC twinset rig felt strange as it had been seriously hacked
> about and I was diving a bit under my usual weight but with a 7L
> steel stage to make it back up. I was using the suit for buoyancy
> which has not been my choice but that's no excuse for turning into
> the bulging eyed *I can't get enough gas out of this Apeks TX50*
> monster. New dry suit and the neck is a bit tight. Diving air for the
> first time for a while but ascending from 30 to 20m in excellent vis,
> not cold, not dark and with a nice solid shot line in my hand!
> Should be a total piece of cake. Even I can't be narked at 20m.
>
> Answers on a post card....
>
> Full story to those on Daniel's trip this weekend. Go easy on me.
> I've seen a side of me I didn't like and I'm anxious not to see again.
>
> nigelH
>
>

"Nigel Hewitt" <news@REMOVETHISnigelhewitt.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c8g9g2$njd$1@hercules.btinternet.com...

> Answers on a post card....

Not enough beer the night before

MarkW

nospam to scuba to reply

"Nigel Hewitt" <news@REMOVETHISnigelhewitt.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c8g9g2$njd$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> OK I don't know why I did a panicked diver impression when
> running smoothly into a simulated 20m stop after a mere 10
> mins at 30m but it sure worried me let alone the instructor.
>
> OK my OC twinset rig felt strange as it had been seriously hacked
> about and I was diving a bit under my usual weight but with a 7L
> steel stage to make it back up. I was using the suit for buoyancy
> which has not been my choice but that's no excuse for turning into
> the bulging eyed *I can't get enough gas out of this Apeks TX50*
> monster. New dry suit and the neck is a bit tight. Diving air for the
> first time for a while but ascending from 30 to 20m in excellent vis,
> not cold, not dark and with a nice solid shot line in my hand!
> Should be a total piece of cake. Even I can't be narked at 20m.
>
> Answers on a post card....
>
> Full story to those on Daniel's trip this weekend. Go easy on me.
> I've seen a side of me I didn't like and I'm anxious not to see again.
>
> nigelH
>
>

Nigel,

I think you're well respected within this group for your views and your
advice. Offering up your tale can only make you more respected - as you are
human, and as we all know, we all do things sometimes that makes us do a
double take.
Honesty - a wonderful thing. "Captain Fantastic" need not apply.


--

Cheers,

Wilbo.
remove ".nospam" to reply

>Answers on a post card....
>
>Full story to those on Daniel's trip this weekend. Go easy on me.
>I've seen a side of me I didn't like and I'm anxious not to see again.

It's an odd thing, panic. The thing that shocked me when I was close to losing
it on the Brothers was how strongly it can come on and how quickly you
understand all those reports that say a diver unexplainedly took off his
mask/rejected his equipment/bolted to the surface, etc. cos that was exactly
what I wanted to do! No idea why it happened to you, the only thing I can
think is that maybe at some point all of us are overwhelmed by instinct telling
us we're land mammals and shouldn't be there!

Anyway, glad you made it back safe, not a nice experience to go through though!

Rob F.

"Nigel Hewitt" <news@REMOVETHISnigelhewitt.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c8g9g2$njd$1@hercules.btinternet.com

> my OC twinset

I think we've just solved the conundrum... *grin*

Vic.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Nigel Hewitt" <news@REMOVETHISnigelhewitt.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c8g9g2$njd$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> OK I don't know why I did a panicked diver impression when
> running smoothly into a simulated 20m stop after a mere 10
> mins at 30m but it sure worried me let alone the instructor.

> Answers on a post card....

CO2 contamination can have this type of effect.

Phil S.

On Wed, 19 May 2004 19:02:34 +0000, Gareth wrote:

> Surely everyone has a wee bout of panic now and again. I'd be lying if I
> didn't admit to having a couple of scared shitless moments now and
> again, even when everything was under control.

Yes and no. I've experienced probably more than my fair share of "oh crap"
moments. I also did a trimix dive last year where the effort in kitting up
on a boat with not enough room led to what I thought later was almost
certainly a CO2 hit. I was narked with an END of about 25m. My heart was
racing even on the safety stop. Something wasn't right.

However, at 30m you've got a lot of time, and not that much nitrogen in
your system, if you get a problem. If you can't cope with a couple of
things going wrong at 30m, it's probably going to be fatal if it happens
at 70m. 45 mins to the surface is a long time and you need to think long
and hard about the risks you're taking before you do the dive. I suspect
most people don't and just do the dive anyway.

Jason

--
http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for Aussie diving reports including
the wrecks of the SS Yongala, Lady Bowen and the HMAS Swan

> Answers on a post card....

First up I echo the "glad you made it out OK" sentiment.

I can only assume (as I'm sure you are) that the combination of kit config
changes plus any apprehension about performance on the course was the most
likely cause.

However, I have had a few "more air! more air!" moments myself and the first
thing I check when I get one? The Venturi +/- switch on the reg - I'm very
guilty of just throwing the reg in my gob and chucking myself in, getting to
the bottom and thinking "This reg feels odd...", only to realise that it is
in "-" mode. I'd say all bar two have been this.

CAS
--
Temperature @ Stoney? Find it or share it @
http://stoneytemps.calumscott.me.uk/
"The measure of a man's wealth is the fewness of his wants" - Jack
Mullholand

"Jason" wrote

> However, at 30m you've got a lot of time, and not that much nitrogen in
> your system . . .

Studies have shown that all divers are measurably affected by narcosis when
breathing air at 90 feet or more. Most experienced divers are not seriously
imparied at that depth, but there are plenty of exceptions to prove the rule
that every diver is affected differently on each dive.

Lee