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

2 жыл бұрын

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

@diveguernsey6521

2 жыл бұрын

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

2 жыл бұрын

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

2 жыл бұрын

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

Жыл бұрын

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.

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

2 жыл бұрын

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!

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

2 жыл бұрын

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

As soon as I saw the title I thought, “another Gareth Locke fan”. Mad respect for telling the story. More people need to do this.

Thanks for sharing James! One of my dive buddies said "you never know how close you are to being bent until it's too late". Every dive we could be so close to being bent but don't know because we don't get any symptoms until we get bent. You made me get dive insurance! Thank you (and it's really cheap too!)

@DiversReady

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Drew! I'm happy to hear it!

Not sure if you know of the KZread channel “dive talk” but woody went through DCS and it’s definitely a must watch and very informative.

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.

Great video and thank you for sharing.

Thank you for sharing! Appreciate your channel!

I read Jill Heinerth's book after you recommended it and I remember feeling so much anger at her then husband when she told him, "I'm bent" after a dive and his reaction was, "no shit Sherlock" I wanted to search him out. Unbelievable reaction. So glad you are OK J. Love your content, I am a OWSI and have been diving since 1981 and I still continue to learn.

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

Very eye opening. Thank you

Great video James. Thanks for sharing.

Really appreciate the honest story and great insights. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing your story, glad you’re okay!

Glad you’re feeling better James! Thank you for all the info you share, especially your experience here.

Great video man and I'm glad you are doing good.

Thank you for sharing. Happy to hear of your full recovery.

thanks for sharing, and great to hear that you are doing fine!

Thanks for sharing Big J!

Well said thank you for sharing.

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

2 жыл бұрын

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

@jessicalynn6285

Жыл бұрын

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

4 ай бұрын

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

Great video James, and thanks for sharing. Glad you are better

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

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

Thanks for the info, happy that you'r fine!!

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

Another brilliant vid. Thankyou

Thanks for posting this, very glad you are ok!

Such an important video! Thanks 👌

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

Glad you are ok. Thanks for the talk. Safe diving!

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

Glad you are all right and thanks for sharing.

thanks for sharing the experience.

Thanks for sharing James. Hate to hear you went through this and happy to hear all is well. Definitely a learning moment for all of us.

Thank you for sharing.

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.

Great video James!

your honesty is refreshing. thank you for sharing

Glad you are ok!!! Thanks for sharing.

James, Thank you a ton for this video. Love following you and expanding my tool kit as a instructor. I am very happy your doing well and bounced back!

So glad it worked out. Very powerful, useful video. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing your experience.

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

Great video, great knowledge thanks for it!

Thanks for speaking about this!

Thanks SO much for sharing this….

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!!

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

Great video, James.

No matter what experience, anything can happen to anyone, even if someone is the best in the world. ❤🙏

Thanks for sharing, all good knowledge to help us spot the signs - love the honesty and integrity of your videos

I don't know, why yt spilled this in my list of proposed videos. Never the less, it was a perfect fit, as I was hit by DCS exactly 3 years ago on a live aboard trip in Egypt. As James, I was in best hands and surrounded by great and adorable people from the very first minute until today. After a medical marathon I ended up being diagnosed with a PFO which was closed in the same year. I was back in the water 8 months later exactly with one of my favourite buddies which also did the dive with me, when I got bent. Despite Corona, I was able to continue diving continuously and finishing a next level of instructor's licence (diving is only a hobby). Thanks James, I subscribe to all your Lessons Learned without any doubt. Excellent video with a very serious message to all divers out there. Enjoy safe diving, do not mess with the risks, keep your eyes open and always be prepared.

@ttb1513

4 ай бұрын

PFO is a medical term for a hole in the heart that can lead to strokes. I do not know how it relates to or may impact a diver. Feel free to add more info if you know any. (Just mentioning, because I had to look up what PFO meant).

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

Thanks so much for sharing your story. It’s always good to know that the dive community are supportive and I am sure others will learn from your comments.

Oh man, so glad you’re ok. Thanks for sharing Big J.

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

Thank you for this transparency and honesty to educate and keep us safe 🙏🏽

Glad to hear your doing well.

James, glad your ok!! Thank you for sharing this! We all know the risks of the sport we love, great points especially about ego. Dive safe my friend!

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.

Thanks for sharing James! I appreciate your channel and always learn something new when I watch your videos. Glad that you’re doing well and are back getting your fins wet. All the best!

Really interesting watch, thank for sharing James 👍🏻

I'm glad you are OK James! Thanks for sharing!

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

Wow, glad you’re ok!

Dang, glad you’re ok!

Hi James. Glad that you are ok and thanks for sharing openly about your experience. Learnt a lot from this. Happy to hear that you are back to diving! Dive safe and have fun.

Thx for sharing

Maybe the best video yet, thank you. Eye opening for me, for sure

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

excellent video, thanks for sharing

Glad all worked out for you & you were able to use this to educate others. 😊

Thank god your ok, Thank you for the great information

Thanks for sharing in such sincere way. This single lesson worth more than a full training.

Great video!

Thrilled to hear you are okay, and back in the water. Thank you for sharing this important video.

THANK YOU 🙏 🙏🙏🎉 VERY MUCH.

Thank you !

Thanks for giving Us your account of your DCS experience! Well done. I love the close in as you state your hospital bill!

I'm an instructor too,.. and we both were taught all of the factors that can contribute to DCS. Please take care of your health,.. every aspect of your health and dive on. Good on you for recognizing you had a problem,. not sure I would have made the same assessment as quickly.

thank you for the video

Thank you James for this awesome video and reminding us all that there is no stigma. I’ve been bent too and did 2 table 6 treatments in Mexico.

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

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.

I really appreciated watching this. I got a very mild case of the bends on my last dive trip. I'm a relatively new diver and it didn't present in a conventional way, and it took me a while to work myself up to get to a doctor. It was definitely a learning experience. It was both humbling (I fell into the denial trap) and empowering (on some level I knew and kept following up on it even when the people around me were saying it didn't sound like the bends). I was very lucky that my case ended up resolving on its own and I didn't need treatment beyond oxygen.

Hi James and thank you so much for posting this! I have all of 31 dives under my belt and just finished my AOWD - I've been following your channel for a while but that just might have been the most important video you have posted thus far. So great to hear from you sharing your own experiences and educating about the inherent risks to scuba diving. THANK YOU!

First…so glad that you’re ok. Second…best, and most important video to date. Such an important message for all divers.

Thank you James for this very personal video. I believe there would be so many other divers that would not have revealed this expeirence and would have just kept it to themselves either from embarassment or self denial (I dont know), but with you sharing this very important message I am certain that it has enlightened alot of others (including myself) to the reality of DCS. Who knows perhaps this information may even save someones life. So once again "Thank You so much for sharing. Safe Diving My Friend.

Thanks for the Discussion. It's too often wh don't get to hear about accident case studies from the actually people involved it's good to hear your perspective. We don't talk about the dangers of diving for the fear of scaring away the customers, but if we took to discussing physiology and potential problems it would allow divers to react better in the moment and maybee avoid a bad situation or at least recognise the right course of action to take in an unavoidable bad sutuatuion. I suffered a bout of hypercapnia on one of my early dives shortly after certification and had no idea what was happening until I went home and researched my symptoms online it was the knowledge I gained that allowed me to react better the next time it happened. I had a regulator failure on a recent dive and the knowledge gained from youtube videos allowed me to understand what was happening and abort the dive without incident. Im looking forward to future videos with further discussion on this topic. Maybee with your industry contacts you can do a couple of videos on specific accident case studies that haven't made the big news outlets, that we can all learn from together. Regards, Kevin

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

@DiversReady

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Chris!

Glad you’re ok and thank your for the lesson!

@DiversReady

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you too!

Very informative.

Glad to hear you're okay! DCS is the scary boogie man of diving, thanks for sharing your experience

This is an awesome video Dave Beside talking about the technical part of (which is important) you also talked about the mental and emotional part of it specially with someone with your experience I been scuba instructor for the last 30 years all my kids are divers but you know what I will definitely make sure that they watch this clip and understand it well

Glad to hear that you are well! Thank you for sharing!!

@DiversReady

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Rob!

Thanks for this video. Always good to have more awareness!

@DiversReady

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Dive safe.

Glad your ok brother, we are all human, thanks for sharing

James so glad you're doing well and thanks for sharing we are only human and thanks for the information on dan