Scary or embarrassing moments

[deeptechgnome]

Has anyone had any scary moments or embarrassing moments whilst diving ?

I will get the ball rolling embarrassing moment was jumping into the water whilst assisting on an open water course with out my fins on to this day i still get ribbed about it.

The most scary moment to date was a few years ago after passing my exstended range course I desended down the shot line to 55m and stared my dive about 5 mins into the dive I got my first ever freeflow was quiet stressful but is nice to know I could keep it together in a stressful situation.

[scubapro25]

Was recently diving the submerged Canadian warship Yukon at 100 ft., here in San Diego, recently--at night.

There are strong winter currents that sweep over and through the ship during all hours of the day and night here.....and I was passing one of the cut-out areas in the superstructure [cut-outs made for divers to enter], when a sudden 'updraft' sucked me into the ship about 6 ft. [ a couple meters], followed by an equally strong 'downdraft' which promptly 'spat' me out.

This is quite common on this wreck, by the way.

Only problem was, on my undignified way out, my fin strap caught on a metal flange in the opening, preventing me from fulling exiting and unfortunately, the power of the downwelling current rushing by me prevented me from from reaching over to my fin to un-stick it.

I was stuck there, in the cold and dark, for a scary couple of minutes, caught like a bug in amber , before the current finally 'released me' and let me go on my way.

Luckily, my dive buddy was close by and had been watching the whole thing, so I was in no 'real' danger......but, you know: in diving danger is 50% what you perceive it to be......and those were a couple uncomfortable moments, I can tell you.

Next!

[Zero]

Ok ill go for the embarrassing one.
Got a drysuit and took it away and through the trip felt like i could use a bit of relief but being a drysuit had to plug it. Came home from the trip with a shiney new pee valve and had it fitted. Went out got the external catheters and everything was set for a weekend livaboard trip.
Got up on the first morning and decided i was gunna test it out for all its worth. Started drinking heaps of water early so i was well hydrated and brimming. Got all fitted up and suited up and thought why not id have a coke just to make me pee a bit more. About 30 minutes into the dive i got the urge so undid the little screw and went. Noticing the little bubbles that came out of the hose that connects everything made me feel safe that everything was indeed connected. Went a few more times as the dive progressed and all felt good. Got out after the dive for a quick surface interval so didnt even undo the suit just lazed about at the back of the boat and had another big drink. Got in for the second dive and all was going well on the same plan until i thought my foot felt a bit squishy. Now comes the embarrassing bit. I decided to find out why it was squishy and how much by inverting myself. My feet all of a sudden felt airy but there was something running down the legs of my undersuit and my neck felt a bit warmer all of a sudden. Alas to say i was diving in my own pee. And not just one little trickle. I decided to call the dive at this stage. I got out and undressed and then unzipped the suit. The stench was bad so i got out very quick. I dont know if luck was with me or against me but the undersuit had soaked most of it up so there was only about a cup full to tip out of my notsodrysuit.
Embarrassing enough? Whos next?

Matt

[Ascend]

I had my first real scare diving yesterday at a place here in Saipan called Lau Lau Bay. We went out with some very cautious and experienced Russian divers who were wonderful company. Prior to this dive, the deepest we had gone was 90 feet. We were out in search for a World War 2 gas tank.

We found it and it was 140 feet below the surface. Our party of 5 descended to the tank where we had 4 minutes of air to use. I started to feel a bit looney right away but it was taking me a very long time to process any information that my mind was taking in. I signaled to my husband that I felt "crazy" and the next thing I knew, my eyes rolled back and I passed out at 140 feet.

It was probably the scariest thing that has ever happened to my husband and we ascended immediately and as we did, I came to and had no knowledge of ever passing out as it only lasted a few seconds. I suppose since I was pretty much confused the whole time, it was scariest for my husband more than it was for me!

Needless to say, we know our limits now as they always say to dive within your own limitations.

As for an embarrassing story... probably when we were getting certified in Mexico in the winter season. The water was so cold to me that I had to wear two wetsuits and could barely pick up my own legs! I looked pretty ridiculous!

Jamieleigh

[Zero]

WOW pretty scarey stuff and a bad way to find your limits but good all the same that you did find them without to much hurt.

Matt

[scubapro25]

I had my first real scare diving yesterday at a place here in Saipan called Lau Lau Bay. We went out with some very cautious and experienced Russian divers who were wonderful company. Prior to this dive, the deepest we had gone was 90 feet. We were out in search for a World War 2 gas tank.

We found it and it was 140 feet below the surface. Our party of 5 descended to the tank where we had 4 minutes of air to use. I started to feel a bit looney right away but it was taking me a very long time to process any information that my mind was taking in. I signaled to my husband that I felt "crazy" and the next thing I knew, my eyes rolled back and I passed out at 140 feet.

It was probably the scariest thing that has ever happened to my husband and we ascended immediately and as we did, I came to and had no knowledge of ever passing out as it only lasted a few seconds. I suppose since I was pretty much confused the whole time, it was scariest for my husband more than it was for me!

Needless to say, we know our limits now as they always say to dive within your own limitations.

As for an embarrassing story... probably when we were getting certified in Mexico in the winter season. The water was so cold to me that I had to wear two wetsuits and could barely pick up my own legs! I looked pretty ridiculous!

Jamieleigh

Jamieleigh:

That's a pretty serious incident, in addition to being scary.

Any time you have a loss of consciousness at depth, I would recommend having a complete physical exam by a doctor knowledgeable in diving medicine.

You were lucky to have survived and don't want to take a chance on that happening again, when you might not be so lucky.

Please.....take my advice. That's nothing to mess around with.

Mikey

:-|

[deeptechgnome]

I agree with mikey you really should go and see a diving dr to give you the ok

[santelmo]

embarrassing:

jumped out of the boat and suddenly realized that the boat man had closed my tank/air. i had to ask a new found friend who just came along for snorkeling to open my valve. and to think the other divers were already submerged.

scary:

1: got lost during compass navigation. all i could see is green...murky green...when i looked at my dive computer i was sinking/descending deeper and deeper 50feet...60feet...70feet... that's when i decided to abort the exercise and ascend slowly...

2: already posted it "reverse block at 90feet" Reverse block at 90 feet - ScubaMagazine.net Forum

[seasnake]

I signaled to my husband that I felt "crazy" and the next thing I knew, my eyes rolled back and I passed out at 140 feet.

Jamieleigh

Wow, that is a scary story! I know there are still many divers out there who advocate deep air diving, but this is a good illustration of what can happen ... So glad to hear everything turned out okay, it could've been very bad ...

Embarassing for me: a couple times jumping in below freezing water with my drysuit zipper still open an inch ... self-entry drysuit ... the equivalent of pouring ice water into your underwear

Scary: Anytime I've ever been working too hard underwater and start breathing too heavy ... that's when I've noticed you start to feel the panic start building in the back of your mind. You have to get a grip on it fast before it gets out of control.

I think my scariest moment was having a new diver put with me and my buddy by an instructor that I "trusted" on a dive that new diver didn't belong on, I wasn't that experienced myself at the time, but I had AOW. A wreck, low viz, 90'. We had agreed on a turn pressure, but when we reached the stern of the wreck, the half way point, the new diver showed me his guage: 500 psi! Because of the currents we had been instructed to ascend on the mooring line, so started trucking back. But like a lot of new divers, he wouldn't swim "with" us, he wanted to stay behind us. After just a couple minutes he was not only behind but above me, his gauge showing only a couple hundred psi, and I couldn't entice him down to me with my octo. I remember thinking I would have to go up to him, so I looked away for just a second to grab my power inflator, and when I looked up he was gone. We started a controlled ascent after him, all the way up I'm figuring he made an out of control ascent. The worst part was breaking the surface ... and the new diver was nowhere to be seen ... my mind went straight to embolism and then he sank bank down and was now somewhere at 90' in the murky viz. I was saying over and over to my buddy, "this is not good, this is not good!" ... Then I went to signal the dive boat and saw him climbing up over the gunwhale ... he had decided to swim back to the boat once he surfaced instead of waiting for us. I was really scared for those few minutes ... I decided to make a lot of changes in my gear and my diving procedures from that experience.

[santelmo]

a silmilar thing happened to us (well almost). we were at 80-90 feet by the cathedral rock and this other diver (a korean and not my buddy) showed me his gauge. it was under 700psi and to think that we just got there. our instructor asked me to escort this diver back to the surface sharing my air. it turned out that this diver forgot to change his tank after the 1st dive... well it was not scary for me...more like pissed because he ruined my dive...hahaha