Avoiding Panic

[diligaf]

There have been many good posts on last week’s tragic accident off Pompano Beach. Most post seemed to talk about panic and maybe Chad Carney summed up the accident best “Sounds like he took off his fins, and BC and left his weight belt on. Bad move, especially if over weighted. The weight belt should have been the first thing off.”

This has got me thinking we should start a thread on panic and how to avoid it. I hope everyone offers their thoughts on this subject because sooner or latter, if you do enough dives, bad situations are going to occur. Avoiding panic may be the difference between life and death.

Panic is a natural human tendency that we all have experienced. But, I think it is possible to control or avoid this emotion.

Assuming we are diving with properly maintained gear and have the proper training for the dive we are doing, avoiding panic starts on the boat before we get in the water.

First, take your time and do not let yourself be hurried by others. In my experience, most mishaps start out by hurrying on the boat and task overloading. Put your gear on in an orderly fashion. I always turn my air in when I pick up my tank; this is habit. After putting on my BC, I put my gear on from left to right, first I clip my instrument console to the BC, checking the amount of gas, then my catch bag on my bottom left D-ring, my fish lift bags on my left chest D-ring, my lobster net to the right chest D-ring, etc, etc. Now I know my gear is in order; no surprises.

Next, make sure you are emotionally and physically ready to enter the water. If you are out of breath, wait. If you are a little apprehensive, wait. Don’t get in the water until you feel ready. Some people like to visualize a dive before they get in. This helps them relax and go over any potential problems beforehand.

Generally when I get to the bottom, I do a quick gear check, get everything situated, make sure I feel good, and then go about my business. When you’re relaxed, you’ll encounter fewer problems and see more fish.

Now we all know, when you spear big fish, all hell can break loose. Sharks can be swarming, you can become entangle, get severely out of breath or a whole host of problems can occur. First and most importantly, take several deep breaths; fill the bottom half of your lungs with air (this is very important if you are out of breath). This will help you stay calm and access the situation.

Keep your mind focused. There is almost always a way out of every situation if your mind sticks to the task at hand. Keep in mind the deeper you go, the less time you have to react and the more important it is to avoid or control panic situations.

There are situations you must get out of the water quickly and with little or no safety stop. Keep in mind what you must do to stay alive. 1) Signal the boat 2) get on the boat, if you are a big person (such as myself), you might want to keep in mind that no one can lift you on the boat, so you better get on yourself 3) Have O2 ready and get on it. Most DCS problems will be avoided if you immediately get on oxygen.

And lastly, have a positive attitude and never give up. You will get out of every bad situation!

[Steel Shootin']

Panic potential can be removed by diving as frequently as possible with the gear you are going to use while hunting. Buddy dive w/o hunting until you have confidence in your gear, and it becomes a part of your natural routine. The more you dive, the more comfortable you will become.

Comfort is an interesting thing. If panic is at one end of the spectrum, comfort is at the opposite end. The more comfort or confidence you have, the less likely you are to panic, even when all hell breaks loose and you get entangled or around a bunch of sharks. Comfort, it could also be argued, is what can get you into trouble (i.e., when you pass the threshold of "cautious comfort").

If a golfer tends to get anxious everytime he winds-up in a sand trap, he'll spend hours hitting ball after ball out of the sand. It is even more important for a diver, because your life is on the line. Is there is some part of your "game" that is lacking, work on it. If you're not trimmed out right, then get it right, etc. I use to drive three hours to Blue Grotto with new gear that I wanted to try on. Very controlled, platforms, vis., etc. Better there than on a spearfishing trip.

The part about taking your time on the boat is an excellent point. There is a fine line between being organized and ready to drop without holding people up, and rushing yourself. If you dive with people better than you who get impatient on the boat and do not like waiting , either tell them hold on a minute or find new people to dive with. Most good shooters won't mind waiting, and will want you to be comfortable that you are set-up quickly. It does not come over night.

As stated, if the dive does not feel right, don't make it. That includes at the bottom. If you find yourself short of breath with palpatations swimming around, end the dive. You could be taking on too much C02 due to task loading or poor physical conditioning. In such a state, you are more pre-disposed to panic.

There is a difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack. If you experience anxiety on a dive for any reason, control it while you can. Anxiety can be a symptom of C02 or just that you're not mentally comfortable. End the dive as calmly as possible. If it gets to the panic stage, it could be too late, because you are no longer in control.

[richhermes]

I know exactly what you guys are getting at. My brother is a pro at being the first in the water at any drop we get to. I try to beat him in the water but that just makes me out of breathe and then the dive never goes as well. Not really a panic situation, but I do suck thru the air and tend to forget stuff (stringer, flashlight, etc....)

So I pretty much take my time and get in the water when I know I'm ready.

[Chad Carney]

Good posts guys!

One of the things I love about drift diving...the "beat everybody into the water diver" has to wait until I put them on the site...not until the last diver is into the starting gate.

Chad

[diligaf]

Scott,

Great Post! I hope everyone reads your post a couple of times, the points will make us all better divers.

Rich, you brought up another great point. Divers tend to get competitive and want first crack at that big fish. I’ve always taken a different approach with my dive buddies. We work together as a team and try to make one another successful. Divers working as a team, tend to get a lot more fish, not to mention, they tend to be safer.

[f94gator]

Rich, if you ever want to beat John into the water, there is one simple accessory that will ensure you get in the water before him each and every time. Take Tamara along diving.

[Spearchucker]

You all can just bite me. Rich, you are slow, get over it. Hell, go out with D4B or Deepfish a few times and you will learn how to sprint to the bottom. I think I have gone from the surface to 120' in less than 30 seconds with those guys.

That does not make me unsafe, I certainly do not come up at that rate ;) and putting my gear together quickly and correctly is pretty much second nature.

[f94gator]

Oooh, a wee bit touchy, are we?
Christ, man, we're f*cking joking. Relax.

[Steel Shootin']

John, I don't think anyone implied that the ability to get ready quickly makes you or anyone else a dangerous diver. The posts were about divers who may not be ready getting in the water prematuraly, amongst other things.

As for the "race for the bottom" routine, you guys can have it. I think everyone needs to be content to wait until everyone else is ready. I know a lot of guys want to get to the bottom first; hell, I want to get to the bottom first. To be honest, though, that little accomplishment of beating the pack seems a lot less important to me lately.

I hope this thread can stay on topic, as I thought it was worthwhile. I think there is more that can be added to avoiding panic on dives. Any personal experiences?

[FredT]

WAAAYYY back in the dark ages my NAUI SCUBA instructor gave me this advice.

"When the world turns brown, as it does to all of us at some time or another, think the word PANIC!"

This will remind you what NOT to do. I've used this ploy underwater several times over the last 35 years. It works.

FT

[Lou Rector]

Panic is usually the last of a series of events. Prior to panic there are usually signs & symtoms such as increased, uncontrolled breathing, confusion, nervousness, etc. What I think is important is a self-awareness of ones internal functions & ability to exercise control of these functions in situations and enviourments that are presented.

The loss of control of the breathing for example, will actually trigger an uncontrolled reaction that triggers the bodys ubncontrolable functions and leads to the onset of panic. Most of us have experianced the early stages (and more) and learn to observe our internal behavior, which leads to becoming what we describe as "stronger" divers.

[Steel Shootin']

Originally posted by FredT
WAAAYYY back in the dark ages my NAUI SCUBA instructor gave me this advice.

"When the world turns brown, as it does to all of us at some time or another, think the word PANIC!"

This will remind you what NOT to do. I've used this ploy underwater several times over the last 35 years. It works.

FT EXACTLY! I have had one anxiety episode, and one only. I was on my 4th or 5th dive at around 95 ft. The current was absolutely ripping, and the jug was off the ledge. I got close to the bottom and had no idea where the ledge was, but suspected it was up-current, and started swimming as hard as I could for a few minutes looking for it. I was hell bent to find the ledge.

Suddenly, and without warning, I had the sensation that I couldn't breath. I just could not get air. I felt my heart pounding out of my wetsuit, and the anxiety started because I simply couldn't breath. I remember clearly what I told myself: PANIC IS NOT AN OPTION. From there, I just stopped what I was doing, and started a slow ascent. I got to about 30ft and felt fine, and did a safety stop.

I have been caught up in fishing line, and had things go wrong, but always felt in control. Not being able to breath is a different story. I went ahead and got checked out by an MD a week later, because at the time I was having some acute bronchitis symptoms and should not have been diving anyway. I was overbreathing my reg.

[Marcus]

You all can just bite me.

Whoa, John. I think you might be having one of those anxiety attacks. Relax, take a couple deep breaths. If it gets to the panic stage, it could be too late, because you are no longer in control. :D

You guys brought up a good topic. When ever I'm down there and get into a bad situation like getting entangled in fishing line. I take the offense. First thing I do is start twisting around like a washing machine to try and break myself free. If that doesn't work I backup and swim as hard as possible in order to snap the lines. If I'm still hung up, I then flail my arms and legs around until something breaks. That usually does it. (Note sarcasm)
I sure am glad there's a forum like this so we can share our knowledge to help other people. :D

Seriously though, you are your worst enemy down there. If something doesn't go right and you see the needle on your air gauge moving everytime you take a breath, first order of business is to get your mind right. Relax, breath deep and slow, be methodical in your actions, and sing that song in your head "Don't worry, be happy". ;)

[richhermes]

Originally posted by Marcus
You guys brought up a good topic. When ever I'm down there and get into a bad situation like getting entangled in fishing line. I take the offense. First thing I do is start twisting around like a washing machine to try and break myself free. If that doesn't work I backup and swim as hard as possible in order to snap the lines. If I'm still hung up, I then flail my arms and legs around until something breaks. That usually does it.
I sure am glad there's a forum like this so we can share our knowledge to help other people. :D

Now I would take a different approach to getting fouled in mono. I would stop in my tracks and take it slow (for fear of getting fouled even more) with my knife and cut myself free.

[Prater]

I am pretty new to diving with only 41 dives since getting certified in 2000.(not much to dive here in Oklahoma). On my 26th dive in Panama City on the jetties I decended through an algea bloom loosing my visibility while also having a left ear clearing problem. I lost sight of my buddy but knew he was below me by about ten feet as I was decending slow with my ear issue. I developed my first case of virtigo. It was a frieghtening at first, but I kept control of my breathing and was really used to not having any visibility from diving the Oklahoma lakes(Lucky if we have 5ft vis) I did not realize it was vertigo at first, I thought that a current had picked me up and was spinning me around uncontrolably. I tried to gain control of my spinning and then realized my problem. I took about a minute to keep myself calm, got my ear cleared and then started the decent again. I felt the vertigo all the way down until I reached the bottom of the bloom and could focus on the rocks. The vertigo immediately went away and I finished the dive. I had never been in that situation before and really think panic could have become a factor if I had not kept my breathing control in check. Hope it never happens to myself or anyone else again. I always think of this while diving and I tell myself that if something does happen just stop and concentrate on breathing, take a minute and then decide the solution to the problem.

[Brad B]

Although it was second hand I got to see the results of panic last time I dove. I have been lucky to have been able to dive with very experienced spearos since I started this hobby and was always the newbie. This time I was diving with a guy who had way more dives than me but mainly pussy dives. We were diving Pelican Flats out of Canaveral. I knew it was going to be tough when I saw the jug doing its best imitation of a Rapala fishing lure, vibrating rapidly and occasionally diving under. The current was ripping. We also knew vis was not gonna be good. The guy I was diving with wanted to do a real buddy dive, which was cool as far as I was concerned. I told him on the descent do not lose me and do not lose the jug line. I knew with the current and vis it would be hard enough to stay with the line without keeping a constant view of him.Hit the water with empty BC's and had to swim like a fish to stay with the line. He was with me until about 30' off the bottom where we hit an absoluteltly BLACK layer. I saw it coming, checked that he was with me and pushed through it. It was only about 15' wide and once through it vis was OK. I hit bottom and started looking for my buddy. He was a no show. After working that hard to get to the bottom I did my dive,shot a grouper and bagged a bug. Got back on the boat and found out he had totally freaked out. Hit the black layer and felt he could not breath, dumped everything including a brand neww SS gun he had never even cocked and did the proverbial Polaris ascent. He hit the surface screaming "I am drowning".What was scary was this guy is 15 years younger than me and is in way better physical condition than me. I checked his reg sand they were working great. The mind is a scary thing if you do not know how to use it.

[diligaf]

Sheri’s post in the “Chunder Down Under” thread reminded me of a tragic accident that happened many years ago. I’m a little reluctant to tell the story, but it is a classic case of panic, that had a very tragic ending. Hopefully, by telling the story, it may help others avoid a panic situation.

Ten years ago was a different time in diving. IANTD was in is infancy, and TDI was just about to get started. In those days it was common for hardcore divers to do 300’air dives without any real training. A few died. This is the story of one of those old hardcore, but untrained divers.

Carlos was good looking young man that came from a wealth family; he loved the ocean and the adventures it had to offer. In fact Carlos was with Harley the day he speared the giant Warsaw(Carlos didn’t spearfish, but loved to help Harley out)http://www.spearboard.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4132. I’ve always left that part of the story out, because I didn’t want to explain what happened to Carlos several weeks latter. But since we are talking safety, I’ll go ahead and tell the story. Maybe it will convince someone to get trained or help others to avoid panic.

Carlos and two friends (Harley and I were NOT on the boat) set out to do Papa’s wreck in 280’ off Pompano Beach. They anchored up and all three went in water, no one was left topside. All three were diving air, doubles with manifolds, and had an O2 deco bottle. For safety they left a 72 full of air tied off by the anchor.

On air, with your O2 clock running, it was standard at the time to only do a 10-minute bottom time. At some point during the planned 10 minutes, Carlos’s regulator started free flowing. At 280’, your air goes in a hurry. Carlo’s signaled to his dive buddy that he had a problem and they swam back to the anchor line. He should have known to shut down the problem regulator and switch to the backup. They reached the anchor line with the 72. Carlos indicated he was OK and diver 1 went to tell diver 2 they were going up. During this time something caused Carlos to panic. Most likely the free flowing regulator emptied his tanks much quicker than he expected. He bolted for the surface, leaving the full cylinder of air and failing to stop at a safe depth and use his O2 bottle.

He surfaced and had the presence of mind to radio the USCG. Shortly after the radio call he passed out on his back, vomiting, and inhaling the vomit. It took about 20 minutes for the Coast Guard and FMP to locate the vessel and begin the medical process. They did an outstanding job under the circumstances.

Carlos lived for about two weeks in and out of consciousness. He might have recovered from the severe DCS hit, but could not survive the lung infection caused be the amount of vomit he inhaled. The doctors said he must have eaten a very large breakfast before diving.

I feel for his dive buddies who could hear the activity above, knowing their friend was in trouble and unable to help because of their lengthy deco obligation. That must have been an awful feeling.

I don’t know how to close this out, but I hope we can learn a few things from Carlos’s mistakes to make us all a little safer.

[Steel Shootin']

That was really a sobering story about Carlos. At 280' on air I would imagine that issues easily solved or non-problematic in shallow water could become very difficult to troubleshoot, given the Nitrogen Narcosis that has got to be involved.

Thanks for telling us about that. There is no doubt that real life examples are more compelling than hypotheticals.

[Vandolin]

People have different thought patterns and think differently in emergency situations. Some are better in these situations than others. Not better in general, just in panic situations. Men tend to be better in these situations (generally) due to the brain patterns and functions that limit the male to one side of the brain at a time. This little difference between the male and female brain functions have ups and downs for us males. Now I am speaking in generalities only and should not be misunderstood as being sexist. The woman's ability to access both a logical and emotional brain response has valuable advantages of their own. Men and women are perfect compliments.
Knowing your tendencies and weaknesses ahead of time is invaluable. Likewise, having confidence in our strengths is equally important. I, for example, gain a great deal of confidence in knowing that I come "loaded for bear". I want at least two knives in strategically place positions in case I'm inhibited in some way. I want PH's.(plural) I want a "plan B" for everything I can handle. This might sound ridiculous to a Purist or minimalist, but I need to know that I can get to everything possibly needed with either hand. This means doubling up on some equipment of course. If I can take it, I will. One day I may be glad and alive for it. This preparation of mine will help me stay cool when the defecation hits the rotary oscillator. My excessiveness brings me peace of mind and it is worth all the shit I might have to put up with from the guys/gals in the boat any day. That's my $20 worth.