Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
Reply to: RE>Rebreathers and Hypercapnia Experience Hi Kevin, <snip> >I should mention that the surface temp of the >water was about 70 degrees, but there was a rather harsh thermocline at >about 200 that dropped the temp to 50 degrees. I was wearing my SSI >Titanium wet suit, since the drysuit I bought recently leaked badly, and >was useless. What were you thinking before you got in the water????? I know it is summertime here and the surface temp makes for nice stops, (with the first thermoclime about 30 ft) but a wetsuit at 240-275????? Ballsy....... I suppose John brought his drysuit....... >As I followed John on the line, I noticed that I had a lot of "gurgling" in >my hoses, what I didn't know is that I (once again, for you devoted readers >of my posts) had flooded my cannister). The amount of water that had >soaked my scrubber was enough to begin reducing its CO2 removal properties. That was your blood gurgleing from the COLD water ;-) >Combined with other factors (which I'll explain later), the net result was >that I started having a severe feeling of not being able to "catch my >breath". When we got to the end of John's line, he handed me his reel, and >continued on. I stood there (like a dummy) for a second, before I asked >him (over our comm units) what the hell he thought he was doing, handing me >his empty reel. (John loves to mess with me like that, since I am so >serious underwater, unlike on dry land). Did you realize that you were having a CO2 buildup at the time? >When I did that, my breathing rate shot through the roof. I was literally >starving for a fresh breath, and felt like if I didn't get one good breath >I was going to die. >We already had a fair amount of time at depth, so bolting for the surface >was not an option. Nicely done keeping your composure. Given that you had a 23 Cuft bailout bottle, will this experience cause you to increase the size given the deco obligation that you built up? The flooded canister is one thing, but it sounds like for the depth you were at you did not have enough bailout..... >I then closed my eyes to calm down, and keep myself cool so I could proceed >with my regular deco. John thought I was about to pass out, and reached >over, and twisted my DSV to open circuit. You own him a brew........(or two) >I was carrying a composite bailout bottle with compressed air, for our >planned gas switch at 120' - when he did that, I shot him a dirty look, >since I only had 23 cu. ft of gas in that bailout, and also in my present >stressed-out-to-the-max condition, the last thing I needed as a narcosis >hit at 260' of water. Felt good, huh? >I elected to go with one of the four deco tables we had worked out on the >surface that I carried with me, and began to do my stops. I had 60 minutes >of decompression to go through, all the while feeling like I couldn't >breathe, my brain screaming for me to shoot to the surface, and shaking >like a leaf from the cold water. A friend of mine tried a dive in San Diego (in summer) using only his wetsuit. Within 5 minutes he was COLD and (i knew he was cold but the testosterone took over and it was 30 minutes before he would indicate to me that he was not alright, after we had racked up some deco) he said that after 90 minutes of suffering that it was one of the most miserable dives he ever had. >The small part of my brain that could still think did some quick >calculations, and determined that I could have 2 breaths of open circuit >every minute, and use the 17 cu. ft. of the diluent mix to purge the >counterlung every three minutes. >I can't tell you what kind of hell that 60 minutes was, I really can't. I >don't wish that kind of pain on anyone. Once I finished my deco >completely, I swam back to the ladder on the boat, and couldn't even climb >up with my gear on. I watched my buddy go through this (he did not have a rebreather, so did not have the task loading you did) but it was pain all the same. He sat on the surface for ten minutes to warm up and was able to get back on the boat. Excellent story Kevin. One would almost think it was one of your classics;-) Steve
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]