Dan Was There For Me The Cavern Dive That Changed My Life

A serious case results in one DAN AP Member, a dive industry veteran of more than 30 years and a PADI Course Director, having to make the life-altering decision to stop diving.

- Allan Nash

MY INCIDENT

I was undertaking a long cavern dive with my new and never-been-dived-before rebreather with newly designed and neverbefore-used back counter lungs. During the dive I experienced cramps, so cut short what was going to be a two-kilometre expedition. Assuming I was dehydrated, I took a double dose of a rehydration product (thinking I was doing the right thing), which stopped the cramps.

I was on my fourth day and fourth dive. The plan was to complete a three-hour dive in the cavern system with the rebreather. I did all the usual pre-dive checks, including a pre-dive pre-breathing with the unit before descent. My buddy and I descended, checked our cells were working, and then switched to CCR. It took a few moments to orientate and get somewhat comfortable; but I never got completely comfortable and felt like I was struggling with the unit the whole dive. Something just didn’t feel right, and I put it down to:

1. A new CCR;

2. I had little time with a CCR since being certified two months before;

3. I had to spend time and work through each problem until I was comfortable. I had, over the past three dives, resolved a few small issues I was having.

At 55 minutes into the dive I seriously questioned if I could suffer three hours of this. After 60 minutes I started to inhale not only through my mouth but also uncontrollably through my nose. At 75 minutes I was so frustrated I had to do something; and that was to bail out of the dive. I bailed out to OC and almost immediately recovered normal breathing and felt better. I stayed on OC for a few minutes, and then knowing I was close to the exit, I switched back to CCR, and felt completely okay. We ascended and I was prepared to discuss with my buddy what had happened, with the intention of continuing the dive.