A Weighty issue!

[MartyC]

Having just spent a week up in SCAPA on Valkyrie with Hazel and Helen and a really good bunch of people I thought I would share a couple of problems I had - I must stress that the probelms were all of my own making, being a bit naive and not thinking things through properly.
To set the scene, I am diving twin 12's, dry suit, agrir 55lb wing - I've not dived this set up in the sea before (I didn't get the chance to test things out prior to going on the trip due to work commitments) I use 2kg in fresh water so thought I'd add another 3kg for the salt water after discussions.
First dive on the Karlshrue, took quite a bit to get down - first mistake, I should have called it at that point, however down the line onto the wreck bimbling about for 10-15 minutes and I was having problems, as I was breathing down the gas I was getting lighter thereby exaserbating my problems further - signalled to my buddy that we need to get back to the shot as I was too light - guess what, swam right passed the shot line without seeing it! so we bags off and I try my best to keep things under control, this is a no stop dive, so we have no deco obligation other than the safety stop, bopth computers are happy so off we go.
I keep it together till about 9m then I'm off, I hit the surface and signal to the boat I have a problem, swift recovery, I feel fine but I go on O2 for a while, conclusion - no bend I'm ok.
My next action is to evaluate my weighting - I sit out the next dive to be on the safe side - my initial reaction is to stick 4kg on the belt onto of what I already have (5kg) again after discussion I decide that its too much and opt for another 2kg.
All's well for the rest of the week, bouancy is fine and I have no problems, until the last day, we're diving the Margraf, which to be honest I was bricking it about, not about the depth but about whats happened with other members of YD on this wreck - I'm worried but not overly, as long as I remain calm and think things through I'll be ok, my buddy is a good experienced diver and I feel safe diving with him.
We drop down and theres a current running, not massive but enough to tire me out later in the dive, we've got deco to do but not masses and everythings fine, when I get tired I thumb the dive, Ian bags off and we start to ascend, we get to 20m ish and things start to feel a bit wierd, dumping air from drysuit and wing doesn't seem to be having the correct effect, I swim down to Ian and try to settle down my breathing, the VR3 tells me TTS of 8 minutes, we ascend a bit more and I'm off again, this time I can't control it. Many expletives later (all in very quick succession) I hit the surface and signal the boat that its all gone to rat sh#t.
The boats up to me in no time and I'm on board (thank you Hazel for the diver lift!!) quick explanation, kit off on O2 (again) and a quick once over, check computer - I'm border line and Hazel calls it in, we wait to pick up all the other divers, whilst we are doing this Hazel and Barry keep tabs on me and when Andrea and Stuart are on board they sit with me and feed by orange juice to keep me hydrated.
Once everyones on board we head to Houlton to drop me off at the waiting ambulance, Mark Powell gives me a neuro exam, which apart from my pupils being a bit jerky I pass.
Only outward ill effect at this point is my chest hurts, not a lot but definately not as normal.
The paramedics contac the Doctor and he diverts us to the Hospital for a chest x-ray, to make sure I haven't collapsed a lung or done other damage.
After that its off to the chamber at Stromness, the Doctor (Andy Trevett) is there waiting, I'm on O2 all this time by the way, he does a full neuro exam, blood pressure, reflexes, listens to my chest and heart etc.
Consensus is I'm fine but they put me on O2 for the afternoon to be on the safe side, so apart from feeling sore, the doc thinks I have a very minor barotrauma but no damage done, I'm ok.

What have I learned, well, first mistake was to go on trip like this without a shake down of all the kit in salt water and a weight check.
Second mistake was not checking my weighting after the next dive - I could have done but because everything seemed ok, I didn't - tosser.

I think the problem occured because we have dived deeper on the last dive, I used up more gas than I had the rest of the week, hence the cylinders became more bouyant and because I had not done a proper weight check I was toooooo light.
Hazel did point out that if I had flooded my suit I probably could have stopped the runaway - needless to say I didn't think of it at the time.

Complacency almost gave me a bend, I was lucky - it could so easly gone the other way, I can say that the Nurse was well happy not to have to join me in the pot!

If this helps anyone, great - If anyone would like to abuse me for my school boy error, please feel free - I deserve it.
Will I dive again without doing a weight check - NO.

EDIT: Ignorant git that I am - Hazel, Helen, Barry, Mark, Andrea, Stuart et al, please accept my heartfelt thanks for all your efforts in keeping me in one piece during all this.
Double Edit: I don't know if the guys and gal at the chamber read YD, but thanks to Andy (that's Doctor Trevett) and all the staff at the chamber for being there ready and wiating to sort me out - thanks for the cofee and bickies too!

[Lazlo]

Thanks for posting that mate - but that's what you get for diving with "Team Orphan"!

On a more serious note, it was good to see you on board and looking ok. What with my stops, and pickup time added, it was 20 minutes before I got that welcome news....

[Finless]

Abuse you? Well, OK, if you insist ........................ bend over! The cane lady is waiting for you!

I ended up diving with 7 kgs which I've been told is well OTT for twin 12s.

[Mal Bridgeman]

Hi Marty

I am really glad you are ok .... I shall send you a pm.

ATB
Mal

[StuartC]

You have no idea how glad we all were to hear you were OK after the update came through from the doctor at the chamber.
Seeing you at the surface and waving beside Ian's SMB was a very sobering sight.

Hazel and Barry had everything under control and handled everything in a calm and steady manner, and the presence of the lift meant we didn't have to jump in and de-kit you on the surface (so undignified!)

PS: I hope you didn't find the offers for your torch, computer, other bits of dive kit, car, and house, weren't too insensitive to your situation at the time.....

[Finless]

Originally Posted by StuartC

PS: I hope you didn't find the offers for your torch, computer, other bits of dive kit, car, and house, weren't too insensitive to your situation at the time.....

We did that to a member of our club whilst he was waiting to be coptered off - we were checking out his size for fit of his kit and amount of test left on the cylinders etc. He couldn't really say much (clearly) due to a face full of O2 mask.

Obviously we wouldn't have done this had the situation been really serious. For a start he would probably been unconcious and wouldn't know or remember all our "dibs".

Marty, glad you are OK.

[MartyC]

He He,
Thank you Stuart and Brian, no no offence was taken, despite the few expletive I may have uttered at the time
Stangely enough the only thing that wasn't going through my mind at the time, was giving up diving so no kit up for dibs, sorry (not).

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by MartyC

Stangely enough the only thing that wasn't going through my mind at the time, was giving up diving so no kit up for dibs, sorry (not).

Good call Marty just think about your new suit

Glad you are OK.

[MartyC]

Originally Posted by Fiona

Good call Marty just think about your new suit

Glad you are OK.

Hi Fi and cheers,
Yep Clare just phoned, 13th of Sept......Yipee
Poo I guess I'll have to pay for it now

[MartyC]

Originally Posted by Lazlo

Thanks for posting that mate - but that's what you get for diving with "Team Orphan"!

On a more serious note, it was good to see you on board and looking ok. What with my stops, and pickup time added, it was 20 minutes before I got that welcome news....

Cheers Ian,
As a point of interest my Vyper downloaded as 20 minutes of stops missed! where as the VR3 just 8, I'm glad it wasn't the VR looking for 20 minutes - long painfull trip to bendy land I'm guessing in that case

PS: I'm glad you did the deco, despite being concerned, no good would have come from surfacing early and potentailly joining Captin Bendy! - UP UP and Away, DOH.