I Got Bent. 5 Lessons From My Recent Decompression Sickness (D.C.S) Incident

[@azonmarina]

Thank you so much for sharing this! Almost a year ago, I had a pretty normal recreational dive but when I left the water, in a 40 degree Celcius Malta day, I started getting funny vision. Then I made it home, where I thought my skin was changing colour (my friends and SO could not spot it) and after I showered, I could not breathe properly. I calmly told my friends, who called DAN and the diving center we were with. They quickly drove to our place with Oxygen in hand, took me to the hospital and to the hyperbaric chamber. The amazing part of this all is that the doctor told me it was a heart defect. It's called PFO, apparently present in 25-30% of people, but normally mild enough to not matter. In my case, I was a very small percentage. Option 1 was to quit diving (HAH!). Option 2 was to quickly get it fixed. It was the easiest of procedures and now I am back in the water. But your mention of Symptom Denial was what took 3:30h for me to make it to the hospital (almost 3 to get oxygen). And also, I realised there are barely any mentions on how long it can take you to recover from DCS. I spent a month felt like I had been beaten up inside and out. Foggy brain and all. But I am sure if I had reacted faster, I would have recovered faster too, so that's on me. Worth sharing these experiences for sure! Glad you are okay and making awesome videos, as always!

[@DiversReady]

Thank you so much for sharing your story Marina! I'm pinning this comment to the top of the thread! So important!

[@diveguernsey6521]

PFO is a bit of a grey area now. A lot seem to be transitory. I tested positive for one both locally and at the specialist. Both times with a blatant bubble contrast. But when I went for the closure they couldn't physically find a hole.

[@RuiMiguelDaSilvaPinto]

I also got it with tec dive plan, which was flawless, I did the same thing double check my gear, my dive plan, my computer and data outputs, everything...so yes. This does happen...

[@whaleshark2625]

Simon Pridmore talks a bit about PFOs in his Scuba Exceptional book - highly recommend it1 Next on my list is his book Scuba Physiological

[@sapperstang]

My friend and dive buddy had the same thing happen. We were doing a shallow dive for fossils in a river on a hot day. Due to the shallow water we were down for nearly 3 hours. After getting out he didn't fell well. Later that night he had bubbles under the skin in his neck and other symptoms. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and later found out about PFO. Like you, he had this corrected and has not had an issue on any kind of dive we have done.

[@followtheboat]

This was a random KZbin suggestion and I'm glad I stopped to watch it. I thought the bends only happens when you push the limits, I had no idea there was such thing as an 'undeserved hit'. Thank you, this is a great lesson.

[@hornplayer10]

THANK YOU!! I got an undeserved hit in October and I’ve been embarrassed/nervous to get back in the water since. Everything you experienced, I experienced as well down to the symptoms and perfect execution of the plan. Didn’t have as nice of a chamber to sit in 🤣 but thank you for making this video. I feel so much better going back into dive season knowing I’m not crazy!

[@DiversReady]

Thank YOU so much Joshua! Glad you're doing better! Come on in! The water misses you!

[@gabiausten8774]

Did you get over your fear?

[@davewakely6391]

James, thank you for this. We in the Dive Industry do not talk about this enough. Symptom denial is a real thing and is probably the biggest factor for recreational divers getting more seriously injured than they should have done. I am a dive doctor, running the chamber in Bermuda, and I see people presenting late all the time. In fact when I had my DCS hit, (way before I became a Dive Physician- just saying!) I denied my symptoms completely and never went for help. You described beautifully the initiation and development of a neurological bend, had you not asked for help you could, potentially, have been really sick. So kudos to you for overcoming your symptom denial.

[@DiversReady]

You must be Holly's Dad?! My wife and I dived with Holly and Mark in Bermuda this time last year and had them over for dinner here in Miami last November! Some of my favorite people in diving! Thanks for stopping by, Dr Dave!

[@hudmiller9798]

This video needs to be used in every open water class. Thank you for posting and being open to sharing.

[@zacbell4277]

James thank you. I have had 2 undeserved hits and kept it a secret. It’s embarrassing and it’s terrifying. This video made me finally decide to get my shit together regarding the problem I pretended never existed. I have been diving with out DAN, getting that right now. I didn’t feel like I was in an environment where I could speak up about what was happening to me and I felt as if I would inconvenience everyone else by asking for emergency assistance. I’m speaking up about what happened now and everyone that I dive with would be right by my side if I had spoken up. It’s still extremely embarrassing that as an instructor myself I left my 2 cases untreated both times…. The takeaways from this video are great, and I also hope nobody has to use any of the knowledge in this video. Divers are very system oriented, check-list checkers who are well educated when it comes to diving. (Or at-least, we should strive to be that way and encourage proper education and safe habits) However, Im currently realizing something I wish was talked about more- the emotional aspect of being bent. I was too embarrassed to speak up about being bent and snuck off to suffer in my car alone. I could of died or been seriously injured because of this. So, How can I create an environment where other people would feel comfortable to speak up? The falsely perceived ego damage seems greater than the damage of being bent in the victims mind. What can we do so that every customer, buddy, and fellow diver will speak up? How many DCS cases are going unaddressed, potentially in the very divers around us? Developing a culture of safe diving practice is a lot harder than following checklists or reading up on diving to me. I want to optimize my interactions with others to make diving more safe and enjoyable. This seems to be something I struggle with and could do better on. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Just writing has eased the burden and the guilt and allowed me to move towards improving. To anyone who has read this far: I appreciate you, any ideas and comments will be well received.

[@DiversReady]

Thank you so much for sharing your story! I’m glad you’re ok, and I’m glad you’ve taken positive action.

[@jessicalynn6285]

It would need to change with drive instructors universally telling the students that if they have X symptoms, they MUST report it. It may sound too simple, and I have never gone scuba diving before, but I understand the process of learning and following that protocol as if that is what MUST be done. I know the dive instructors must already teach new divers about nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness. But do they hammer home the procedure to follow when getting symptoms in the same manner they ingrain in you what/how to do any other aspect of diving? That might help switch the mentality, where before one felt ashamed that it happened...now one feels they are following procedure as instructed. Create material that is universally used by dive instructors, I'm talking about a specific protocol to follow, say.. as in the manner of following protocol about preparing your tank. Do divers go against what they are taught about that? No, that's what's ingrained in them to do. Add numbers to it and symptoms, and it becomes a procedure that should be followed. If you are to experience X symptoms for X amount of minutes, you are report to X. You asked how it could be changed and that's one thing that I can think of. Everyone prides themself on following the correct protocol which is why they are ashamed to get decompression sickness in the first place, is what I'm understanding. Universally (that's important) set protocol on what to do when experiencing symptoms, a person may then see it as, they would be doing the wrong thing if they did NOT report it. The stigma is switched, and mentally it would feel embarrassing if others found out you didn't follow this procedure. Combine that with teaching that there are instances in which even experienced divers get decompression sickness through no fault of their own, and over time it will change the mentality of the dive community.

[@ttb1513]

@@jessicalynn6285Agreed: flipping it so it is embarrassing to NOT follow a protocol of reporting is an important shift and emphasis.

[@CalebLutter]

James, awesome video as a fellow diver and DCS bent club everything you shared is awesome. I wish I put together that my bend was what it was as it took 6 months to regrow the nerves lost/pinched. Saw medical doctor about 24-36 hours after just feeling like my left arm fell asleep. But didn’t have any Indication until waking up the next morning. (Night dive, 20min drive home) . I read the whole navy dive manual a couple times trying to figure out the why….. the fun part is watching the medical science still explore those theories now. Keep diving and sharing

[@avi-shai]

Happy to hear you are well. Thank you for sharing this so openly, directly and clearly. It's always great to hear from first-person experience, even if we all read the books, had the trainings, etc. etc.

[@MrStefanbatanjski]

Thank you mate. I recently got bent after my 10th dive. My main symptom was confusion (brain fog). I was so confused that I didn’t realise that I was confused. I didn’t go in to a hyperbaric chamber until about 50 hours after I surfaced. I am still recovering. Thank you for addressing the DCS stigma. I certainly felt it until I went to the ED. 🙏🏻

[@ttb1513]

Ok, what does ED stand for here? There are so many acronyms that are being thrown around in these comments when sometimes it would be so easy and useful to also say what the acronym stands for (like he did in the video title). I already looked up the medical term PFO. But if I look up ED …. ummm, I think I’ll get a lot of irrelevant information, right? 😂

[@danielgebert2056]

Finally a honest video about DCS! It was about time time that someone talks about it. Glad to hear that you are well again. All the best from Germany.

[@Bob-qu5ux]

I just found this video. Very well done. Truthful and not sensational. Symptom denial is a very big problem in many medical conditions, but with DCS the clock is ticking and wasted time could mean more damage. So glad you are back to full steam!

[@joshuaash2494]

So glad you talked about DCS Stigma. Great points thanks for all your videos but especially this one!

[@DiversReady]

Thanks Joshua!

[@robsimonsen6916]

James. After watching this episode it really got the wheels rolling in my head. When I went to our local dive store I asked him about DAN and he shared a first hand story about DAN in action about a diver in their party who got bent. His story was almost word for word the same experience as yours. I got their DAN number and my wife and I are now both insured divers. Thanks for the great content. Your channel helps alleviate long surface intervals Rob in Germany from Louisiana

[@MrRjm727]

So glad you are OK…THANK YOU for sharing. I am a recreational diver who is rescue certified. My initial certification was in 1990. I don’t dive as much as I would like and had forgotten just how dangerous, and real, the possibility is of DCS. This is the probable the most important video you have put out and will be shared with everyone I know who dives. I took so much away from this video. Thank you again! You are a true professional.

[@craigmiles298]

I just signed up to DAN for myself and my wife. You have just 100% justified our purchase. Keep up the great videos.

[@johnmilsom2179]

Honesty is the best….man I never heard of the “undeserved hit” happen with with getting bent….you gave me a mental upgrade, big thanks!

[@stevesscubaschool5330]

Have you been checked for a hole in the heart. Very common. Happened to one of our main instructors with about 5000 dives. It was a 110m dive executed perfectly. Went for a bubble check and turned out he had a hole in the heart. 1 in 4 of us have it and easily fixed with a non invasive operation.

[@janmts3484]

Thank you for your insites. I am currently at the border from fun diveing entering the technical area. Actually all of what you said makes totally sense but most of the time is theory, thanks for giving the insight that theory can get reality to everyone no metter how experienced you are. That video will make my time diving much safer in future just by giving awareness

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

Glad you are alright. A few years ago a guy ended up in the chamber in Liverpool. He'd been diving in Caperwray. They worked it out that during his dive he went up and over a container that is used fir swim throughs. This affected his deco, resulting in his bent. Sometimes it doesn't take a lot.

[@DiversReady]

Too true! I wish I knew!

[@diveguernsey6521]

Quarry called Dorothea not far from you has a really steep footpath. A lot of bends there come from walking the hill post dive rather than the dive itself.

[@551Newf]

You are our dive "guru" when it comes to learning about gear and all things diving. Living in N. Texas, our dive experiences have to come vicariously through you. We are in the process of pursuing certification, and we both wish we could come to you in Florida for the training, as we have the utmost trust in you and feel we would be the best trained possible. It isn't practical though, but hope to dive with you one day. Your willingness to put yourself out there and turn a very dangerous situation into a learning experience for all to see, shows you are truly one of the best instructors out there and a model for all to follow. Thank you sir, and we are very glad you came out unscathed. BZ

[@moatazabdelsamad4306]

Thank you man for sharing this knowledge with us total respect to you and glad you went through it quickly and harm free

[@TrueSighted]

You have good friends. They came at the first signs of trouble. And knew exactly how to help you. Glad you made it through. Godspeed.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks for watching! Dive safe.

[@Joeri2K3]

A very nice video on your DCS experience James ! Honest and interesting for everyone! I've been there too and can only say that from that time on we become sort of evangelists of DCS (through lived experience you can tell a different story).

[@kasken719]

You don't realize how important this video is. I went on a textbook 60ft double dive with 2 friends. Everything went perfect. Safety stops and all. That night, I woke up with pain in my shoulder. I tried to rationalize it saying I must have slept on it wrong but then I remember this very video. I got up, called Dan and went over my dive profile with them. Ended up going to the ER and into the Chamber a few hours later. What long term damage could have happened if I would have remained in Denial? So thank you! Thank you for sharing this video. It's helped more than you'll know.

[@chuckymoller]

James, I've been your suscriber for some time now and I really appreciate this. As soon as I got my OW certification, my instructor back then talked to me about DAN, and since I obviously had fallen in love with diving, I booked the insurance without hesitation. I really hope I never have to use it, but just as in your video, you never know. Thank you!

[@sirexilon]

Catching up on your videos, good you ok and thank you for sharing J.

[@DiversReady]

Thank you!, Welcome Back!

[@sparkyabq2718]

Amazingly candid video. Thank you for the experience.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks so much

[@TheCavecrawler]

Really interesting watch, thank for sharing James 👍🏻

[@daamour]

Thanks for setting a great example. We, as a community would all be better off if more cause evaluations were done for every close call or incident and it was shared throughout the community. Even though there was no direct or apparent cause, the lessons learned for symptom recognition and treatment will have a positive impact from sharing. True leadership.

[@pauldarnbrough7515]

Very happy to hear you are doing great ... Awesome video ...Thanks for the info on DCS Stigma and your experience...

[@sonnyalbert842]

Thank u, big jay, and I am very glad you're well. It was very informative. This was the best ever explained with this. I have subscribed

[@williamwells8672]

Glad that you are doing great. Horizon Divers are a good diving shop, they are professional and clean.

[@jesspeoples3292]

I have DAN dive insurance best investment ever I have ever made in my diving career. God Bless you James. I hope I don't get bent in my diving career. Happy diving.

[@joegomez5807]

Sorry about your event. Diving is dangerous even if done correctly. Your story is why I only snorkel. I tell my friends who go pleasure diving to never go deeper than 30 feet for more than an 45 minutes and only use 71.2 cylinders It is good to know one’s limits and recognize that things are never as predictable as they seem!! Glad you are safe and had insurance!!

[@EllieDunbavan]

very impressive dive CV with all that thought you would have known two tec dives in one day is pushing limits only a matter of time before you took a hit.

[@greybeardcomics1196]

First, really glad you are ok. Also, am really glad you shared your experience, and everything you talked about here is super helpful, so thank you for this.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks so much

[@terezaemello9335]

Loved your video. Watched it many times. Thanks again.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks for watching! Dive safe!

[@m1ch4Lko]

Thanks for sharing. Glad you're OK.

[@DiversReady]

Thank you! Dive safe.

[@pabloarrieta2503]

Glad to find out about this when you’re OK! I always thought that a visit to a chamber should be part of the basic course to help understand the diving problems and the solutions.

[@DiversReady]

It's never a bad idea!

[@aaronhowell5052]

Congrats on a speedy recovery!! Thank you also for reviewing dive insurance, I’ve been on the fence about it for years but after this video I’m definitely getting it. Keep those videos rolling we sure do enjoy them.

[@kamatisman6528]

Thanks for sharing. This is a complete opposite to the divetalk guys who encountered dcs recently and were just making a bunch of excuses on how they handled the situation.

[@zorankos9883]

As an instructor with 30 years of experience, I am quite convinced that it was not about bands, but about an allergic reaction to something in the water or some other manifestation. Bends occur first in the large limb muscles that work hard during diving. Marbling occurs on the trunk. In my practice, I have had several cases of false symptoms of bends which were caused by: rheumatism, drug allergy, irritation by marine organisms and even in one case a hysterical attack.

[@DavidMaruca_]

Hi James thank you for sharing your story. I have just about 10 dives under my belt, been certified since I graduated high school in 2011. Fast forward to this year, I have the means to pursue SCUBA as a personal hobby and felt pretty complacent diving in my local bay of a max depth of 15'. Your video convinced me to sign up for DAN+Insurance before I completed the video. Thank you for your good influence. If somebody with your skill can get bent, then I could too.

[@michaelmuir4548]

Thanks James for such an invaluable video. My wife had an unexplained hit many years ago and we also went through the symptom denial thing. We learned similar lessons to you and it totally changed how we think about it all. The DDRC over here 🇬🇧 do great work in educating divers just like your video. Glad you are well and keep up the great work.

[@KazzKarenLewsader]

Thank you so much for your bravery. You're helping so many divers with this video!

[@ralphschiefer7576]

Holly Mooly, thankfully you are back healthy and recovered and most importantly back in the water. I will send this Video to all my friends who allways say they don't need inssurance. It can happen and then you are fine! I am just about to go to a diving trip next week. And I have checked my inssurance. It is valid and it covers the Deco chamber! Also the oxigine supply, thankfully I never had to use it but I was on a boat where we had to use it on another person. It was quiete stressfull until the captain grapped under his seat and pulled a little case totally new and serviced! SO watch out for those things and listen to boat breefing before you enter the boat, the breefing is there for a reason. And if somehow the captain forgets to mention the Oxigen supply, ask for it and if they say they don't have, well maybe you should not go! Thanks for that very good informative Video!

[@DiversReady]

Thanks Ralph! Thanks so much

[@simonsmith8974]

Great to hear your experience I got an undeserved hit whilst in Cornwall a few years back after over 350 successful dives. I started with a sore shoulder and thought I pulled a muscle - bent and in denial. I went to sleep and woke in the morning with 1 arm unable to move. I called Divers Alert Network who were brilliant and put me in contact with a diving doctor who diagnosed DCS. I then had to get myself to a chamber. I didn’t have o2 but did have a bottle of nitrox 40 and decided to drive myself breathing from a regulator. Probably not most sensible decision but UK ambulances carry entonox which is no good for DCS. All fine following 5.5 hours us navy tables etc. Glad you are ok

[@DiversReady]

Thanks for sharing! Dive safe.

[@piloudiver9549]

Great video ! I’m instructor for 10 years and your experience is really interesting. Mistake or no it could happen to anybody, and even if mistake there is, what’s the deal, anybody can make mistake. Only love for you bro ! Take care ! And all of you guys, stay safe

[@ngokchinlee1448]

James, thanks for sharing your experience. Take good care of yourself.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks for your support! Dive safe.

[@CastorPolux74]

Thank you for the history. I came here from the Álvaro Dive Adventure Panamá channel. Thanks to him to refer and allow us to learn about ths D.C.S. My question: where can I get contract the insurance? I'm from and I live in South América

[@ws6619]

Great lessons. You are one of the best educators/evangelists for enjoyment and safety of the sport, especially the human factors. Love your channel.

[@scottm6927]

Thankful for your recovery. Thankful that you have humbly shared this experience. Thankful that you are aware of the silver lining of having lived through this, you are redoubled in your passion for diving and teaching. Your shared experience may damn well save others lives, James. THAT is powerful. My best to you and my hat is off as well. Cheers!

[@DiversReady]

Thanks so much Scott!

[@roneyyoneda556]

THANK YOU 🙏 🙏🙏🎉 VERY MUCH.

[@philiplucky7170]

Dan, this information is invaluable so many cowboys out their, and so many people who say she will be right.

[@southtoledobendla]

Thanks James for your Honesty and integrity explaining this incident. This has open my eyes to many of your points discussed. While working with commercial divers for many years I assure this is something they take very serious and it is nothing to mess around with or joke about. I too will pay my DAN insurance with pride knowing they took care of you. Glad you are ok and back to diving.. On another note I know you are a big ruff and tough Rugby player, why didn't you go help that poor shark with clearing that monofilament line and more likely a hook in his mouth???

[@patrickfielding3613]

Thank you for sharing.. really thoughtful reflections and great learning points.. thank you i really liked yr section on symptom denial..

[@DiversReady]

Glad to help! Dive safe.

[@jwp8363]

James, thank you for that very informative episode. It proves once again, you can do everything right and still get bent. And thank you also for pushing DAN insurance

[@DiversReady]

Thanks for your support! Dive safe.

[@Manuelslayor]

I know an old women and her husband was a diver ever since it was commercial avilable. He got D.C.S with nothing really available to help him. 5 years coma and never fully recovered. But it was aparently the casse which lead to widespread awareness of D.C.S

[@joewelsh1804]

Thanks James. A good explanation of symptoms and lessons to be learned by everyone. The acceptance of things being wrong with oneself is a lesson that I learned a long time ago with regard to hypothermia rather than DCS, but the parallels are there. Glad you are back to normal.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks Joe!

[@martinnielsen4831]

Glad you're Okay! And fully recovered. Thanks for sharing 🤙

[@jhardy2659]

I've had two friends get as you called it an undeserved hit. The same thing they did everything right and still got bent. Your correct, it can happen to anyone. Glad you're okay, and had DAN insurance.

[@lydialeigh4]

James - so happy to know you are okay!! Thanks for sharing your experience with us - such an important reminder of what can happen even when everything is done right. Your DCS hit definitely makes me think twice about where I dive and with whom. Sharing this could save lives. Hope to see you and Jeff on the Spiegel again one day soon. Take care!

[@DiversReady]

Thanks so much Lydia!

[@portellajuliana]

I have just started diving and learned a lot from this video. Thank you so much for sharing and I'm so glad you are now 100%! :)

[@DiversReady]

You are so welcome! Dive safe.

[@alisonanthony1228]

I'm someone who always gets a sharp headache after a dive. It lasts around 5 minutes after I leave the water then goes completely. It happens Every Time and, when I first started diving, I was convinced I was getting bent but after investigation by a dive doctor, he told me it was nothing to worry about, just something that my particular physiology did after being under pressure. Even knowing that, I still sit and check myself after every dive because I still worry about DCS - I never take it for granted that it's just my "normal" reaction and not, this time, DCS. I agree with you about DAN - when my buddy did get bent in Indonesia, they were brilliant! I happily pay my premium every year because I dread to think what would have happened to her without DAN being there to advise and help sort everything out.

[@stevenrogers4663]

get a ct scan with contrast of your chest, neck and brain to check for circulatory abnormalities. Might be difficult to arrange, but I think that it would be beneficial to make sure there are no un-scene abnormalities in your body.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks for sharing, Alison! Definitely worth getting a dive doctor to look you over.

[@keelhe893]

Thank you for sharing. I am new to scuba and am taking my open water exam for my certification in a month. I recall from PADI that you can do everything correctly and still be at risk of DCS. I hate that this happened to you but it increased my confidence that if I follow the rules I should be alright and if things go awry I will ensure I pay my DAN coverage for treatment lol 😂

[@angelkowalski4846]

Thank you for sharing, we need more divers like you.

[@noambenmordechai]

James first of all I'm glad you're safe it has been a really interesting story and I agree that it is a good idea to share it with the viewers, I wanted to ask about the book you presented in the video "under pressure", currently I'm on the lookout for really interesting and the knowledgeable diving books and I think it would be a great idea to do a video about recommendations from you about diving books. keep up the good work James love your vids!

[@patrickgelinas5241]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! Glad to hear you’re OK

[@Hawka1978]

So glad that you’re ok James. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Thanks for continuing to educate the dive community and helping to make us better and safer divers. I also agree with you about DAN Insurance. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. And you can get in trouble on a local dive just as easily as on a remote dive trip.

[@jameswest8280]

I used to do some flying, we would have to worry about pressure, except it was air pressure. I've herd horror stories of pilots flying too high without O2. You can't tell when you're hypoxic, it's like trying to gauge how drunk you are. I listened to ATC audio of the controller repeatedly telling the pilot to descend, only the have them crash. I've also heard about divers that flew to soon after a dive that got bends.

[@rebeccadarling5894]

So glad you’re ok! Yes, the idea of an undeserved hit is somewhat terrifying because by definition I can’t prevent it with conservatism. Great response by you, Horizon, DAN and everyone else involved.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks so much Rebecca!

[@bcham7373]

Appreciate the learning experience you shared with us. So glad you are doing great.

[@bevtecdiving6853]

Much respect for telling your storey. Important lessons to be learnt. Hope you feel better!

[@skipzink1380]

your honesty is refreshing. thank you for sharing

[@julyawalsh7940]

Glad you are now OK. Thanks for sharing. I'm another DAN fan.

[@DiversReady]

DAN are essential!

[@kennethlove2884]

Glad you’re ok & thanks for sharing your experience.

[@paulmeynell8866]

Really impressive video, glad you are ok. Good to see someone talking about the important stuff.

[@DiversReady]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@amyjwilliams1]

So very glad you are fine and it turned out with best case scenario! As many others have said, a big thank you for sharing your experience to help/teach others. But of course, that’s exactly what I would expect, because teaching is one of the things you do best! Again, so very glad all turned out well!!

[@mikeramsey9747]

Absolutely awesome story that you have shared. Definitely thank you for sharing this experience.

[@EODmongo]

Glad you are ok!!! Thanks for sharing.

[@beppepacemercieca733]

Suffered an AGE from an unknown PFO last year. Especially as a dive pro, symptom denial is a real thing. More education about PFOs is needed in the industry. Also had us navy table 6 and it was just as boring as you describe spot on

[@Biodoc100]

Thank you so much for sharing, I really appreciate your experience, and am glad that you have made a full recovery!

[@DiversReady]

Thank you so much Chris!

[@cmfamonteiro]

Love and support from Portugal! Great great and instructive video! Nice to know you're ok! cheers

[@DiversReady]

Thanks Carlos!

[@PoetOnTheRun]

Great story- thank you for sharing with us, it's so important to keep safe and not dive with your ego.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks for watching! Dive safe.

[@vicariousaviator9742]

Awesome video. Brave, to the point, no bull 👏 Glad you're ok mate. Should divers keep an emergency O2 cylinder at home?

[@mrroller5104]

paramount information shared...thank you!

[@DiversReady]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mmizner]

James - Glad you decided to make the video. I think it’s important we all talk about our dives, the good and the bad. Beers next time I am down… cheer’s

[@poppetrurazvan3900]

An interesting thing to do is to dive at max 33 feets of water. I had read the Dr. Dimitri Rebikoff, Aviation Sousmarne. I think its exactly like flying. My very best regards.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks for sharing!

[@luketowler5905]

My girlfriend and I went for a day diving in the uk this weekend. She’s a qualified diver but she has only done it in warm water, not the North Sea. Unfortunately we couldn’t find a drysuit in time and get the training before the dive so she wore her 5mm long wetsuit with a 5mm shortie over the top. We did the first dive which was 20m but she was very underweighted so we went back up the shot line to get more weight and then go back down; total dive time of 30 minutes. We then went on the second dive at 12m which was much smoother. A small runaway accent by her but I caught her after a few meters and dragged her down for a safety stop. I did a third dive but she sat out because she didn’t have enough gas left. When I got back on the boat her hands had slightly swollen but we put this down to the wetsuit being too tight and the cold water. Her hands continued to get better. The next day she was okay but I could tell something was up. So I made her call the helpline. She was then told she should go to a chamber, our nearest one in hull 2.5 hours away. So I drove home from work to pick her up and take her. She then spoke to the consultant but down playing symptoms as Is common. I was in the room so I told the consultant the truth about everything. She had to do 5 hours in the chamber last night, stay in hospital overnight and then do 2 hours in the morning. She was panicking that she had to pay because we are in a private hospital but it’s all payed for by the NHS and were insured anyway. I couldn’t imagine going through it and then having to pay. But it just goes to show that even the shallow dives can give you DCS. We’re now looking to see if she has a PTO. This video was the reason I made her go to the chamber and could have prevented some serious long term issues. Thank you so much for posting it.

[@stevenwallenda8698]

Hate to hear it of anyone, but super glad you are ok!! Thanks for sharing the experience.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks so much Steve!

[@mikegamerguy4776]

Wow man. I'm glad it turned out ok for you. Thanks for sharing.

[@DiversReady]

Thanks so much for watching, Mike!

[@ProBroDougB]

Awesome video. Thanks for posting! But you made me nervous by constantly looking left and right…

[@RK-de5wg]

Glad all is well big man! Good to see a video again too since KZbin is messing with me on what I subscribe to and watch. I wish Google never bought KZbin.

[@andreasmitropoulos]

Hello James, Thanks for sharing this. Glad you are OK. I have watched and enjoyed many of your videos! I have found them very helpful!. Let me share my experience and excuse me if it takes time to read it. ( it is related to Marina's). I am 'holiday' diver, AOW + NITROX diving for 6 years now with < 50 dives, 55 years of age, not very athletic but fit. One of my first dives after OW a few years ago, it was a very swallow (

[@dansiegel9298]

This sounded oddly familiar, after 26 years of diving I got a minor hit after a Deco dive earlier this month. We were diving a 30/70 GF with a +5 after all divers were deco clear, and I still got hit. I was fortunate that it resolved with Oxygen treatment, the chamber doc opted to avoid recompression and I was back in the water 2 days later. Your 5 take aways are spot on, it can happen to anyone at any time even when you do everything right. I had a lot of time during my treatment to look at each 5 second datapoint from my Teric and look for anything that could have "caused it"... there wasn't anything. Symptom denial I believe is the worst part... "surely the tingling is just that I rested my arm on something and hit a nerve or something"... "I'm just getting older"...

[@danielheribertozamorarange28]

Muchas gracias por compartir, y que bueno que estas bien James!

[@mrrroobbaall]

Great video, great knowledge thanks for it!

[@gibotrebsllarena1644]

thank you for sharing this experience with us, chief! very valuable lessons indeed!

[@TheLastDive]

Such a great video. Very impressed with your storytelling and humility. New sub here

[@Skunkiboi]

Same thing happened to me. But I was treated for two weeks. After my first treatment nurses claimed "I was in a different world".

[@MonteGould]

excellent video, thanks for sharing