Chamber Diaries: Key Insights from BDSG & Defence Diving Symposium – DCI Recognition & Safety Updates

That time of the year
That time of the year

It’s that time of year again, conferences and meetings, etc. In October, we attended the meeting of the British Diving Safety Group (BDSG). This was held in Dublin at the Howth Yacht Club – a heartfelt thanks to Diving Ireland, who hosted this. Fantastic location and it was well attended.

The BDSG is made up of representatives from the diving training agencies, Health and Safety Executive (HSE), IDEST, Defence Diving Standards Team (DDST), British Hyperbaric Association (BHA), RNLI, others who are involved with safety in the underwater world, and not forgetting ourselves, Midlands Diving Chamber. BDSG meet three times a year to discuss incidents, equipment safety, medical awareness and anything that requires a safety review.

It ticks away in the background and not many divers know this group exists. However, things are continuing to be pushed forward by the group members, with some interesting discussions taking place.

During a recent quality audit, we had a closer look at the incident/DCI trends and there is a high percentage of delayed recognition of DCI. This can be by the diver or even down to the assessment teams at an A&E department.

We understand that divers will return home, go to work, continue to feel unwell and find any reason for any of the symptoms. In some cases, it’s not until they have spoken to a dive friend or a conversation back at the dive club, several days later, that the realisation hits and then they will seek help.

However, no instructor should be diagnosing DCI or even suggest the diver in question doesn’t have it as they haven’t gone deep enough or long enough. Only a hyperbaric physician is qualified to do this, the help is there, divers need to educate themselves on where they can get help in a time of need.

If anyone puts a diver on oxygen you have started a treatment plan, it’s not an experiment to see if any symptoms will ‘go away’, please remember oxygen is a drug and the administrator must be qualified. Once on oxygen, a hyperbaric physician needs to be advised.

At the BDSG meeting, we tasked the agencies to have a look at DCI recognition, denial and review how a diver can access a hyperbaric physician. The next meeting will be held at our chamber in March, so hopefully we can move forward -after all, delayed recognition of DCI costs the NHS money.

On 10 October, we attended the Defence Diving Symposium held at HMS Collingwood. There were over 250 attendees for their first event, and it was a fantastic day out.

There were some very informative presentations, in particular, Simon Mitchell, as usual held the audience’s attention. His first one was an explanation of Immersion Pulmonary Oedema (IPO), a medical condition that is current topic in the diving industry.

Simon’s other talk was about a cave dive to 230m using a hydrogen mix in a rebreather. The two divers that made the attempt were Richard Harris and Craig Challen of the Thai Cave rescue fame. The story of disproving hydrogen and oxygen exploding in a rebreather loop is really worth listening to if you get the chance.

In November we will be attending the British Hyperbaric Association AGM and annual conference, three of the team are off on their Diver Medic Training (DMT) courses so we will let you know how they all get on next month. In the meantime, dive safe and if we can help with any DCI enquires, you know where we are.


This article was originally published in Scuba Diver UK #79

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YouTube Video UEw2X2VCMS1KYWdWbXFQSGV1YW84WVRHb2pFNkl3WlRSZS43RkJGOTAwRDhCOEQ1RjIy

Is This The Best Dive Center Ever? W\@wakatobidiveresort

@sennacher 
#askmark Hi there, regarding DSMBs. I’m no expert whatsoever and normally I deploy it correctly. This weekend we dove on very strong current and I almost lose my breath while deploying it (mouth inflate) as it tangled a bit on my reg. It scared the sh&t out of me so. Is there any “little cylinder” kind of thing in order to keep my reg in my mouth to deploy it safer?  I haven’t tried to do it with my LPI… but asume it would tangle also.
Thanks
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@sennacher
#askmark Hi there, regarding DSMBs. I’m no expert whatsoever and normally I deploy it correctly. This weekend we dove on very strong current and I almost lose my breath while deploying it (mouth inflate) as it tangled a bit on my reg. It scared the sh&t out of me so. Is there any “little cylinder” kind of thing in order to keep my reg in my mouth to deploy it safer? I haven’t tried to do it with my LPI… but asume it would tangle also.
Thanks
Please visit our website for more Scuba news, underwater photography, hints & advice, and travel reports: https://divernet.com/

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🔗 Get 15% Off International eSIM Offer! Use Code: SCUBADIVERMAG
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Is There an Easier Way to Deploy a dSMB?

How Twinset Valves Work In Scuba Diving | Shutdown Drills And Isolator Tips Explained #scubadiving #askmark #twinset

Confused about how to use twinset valves or perform a proper valve shutdown drill? You’re not alone.

In this AskMark episode, Mark explains how valves work on twin cylinders, including how to safely open and close them, how isolator valves function, and why valve drills (also known as shutdown drills or V-Drills) are critical for diagnosing leaks during technical and recreational dives. Please visit our website for more Scuba news, underwater photography, hints & advice, and travel reports: https://divernet.com/ 

Mark also shares tips on muscle memory for reaching your left and right posts, isolator-first vs isolator-last logic, and how to prevent over-tightening or unsafe valve positioning. This guide is perfect for divers transitioning to twinsets, sidemount divers curious about manifold setups, or anyone wanting to improve their gas management skills. 

Let us know in the comments how your instructor taught valve drills and don’t forget to leave your questions using #AskMark to get featured in a future video. 

@mostafametwally1

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=================================

Disclaimer: The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training. This video's content, including text, graphics, images, and information, is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor.

🔎 Related Phrases:

How Twinset Valves Work In Scuba Diving, Shutdown Drills And Isolator Tips Explained, How Twinset Valves Work In Diving, Scuba Valve Drill Tutorial, Shutdown Drill For Twin Cylinders, How To Use Twinset Isolator Valve, Twinset Manifold Explained, Best Way To Close Dive Valves, V-Drill For Scuba Divers, Twin Cylinder Gas Management Tips, Scuba Regulator Shutdown Steps, How To Practice Twinset Valve Drills, Muscle Memory For Valve Shutdowns

#scubadiving #askmark #twinset #scubavalves #shutdownskills #divingsafety #scubatraining #scubatech #divetips #manifoldvalve #valvedrill #scubagear #divingtechniques #scubacommunity #technicaldiving

How Do Valves Work on Twin Cylinders? #askmark
@mostafametwally1
#askmark hi Mark. Could you do a video on how to deal with the valves and manifold on twin cylinders. It’s confusing to remember which way to open the valves and it’s easy to get wrong particularly in emergencies. Thanks
#scuba #scubadiving #scubadiver

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We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training or recommendations for every manufacturer. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor or specific requirements from equipment manufacturers.

YouTube Video UEw2X2VCMS1KYWdWbXFQSGV1YW84WVRHb2pFNkl3WlRSZS5EQkEyODM0NTk2MUFEQkYz

How Twinset Valves Work In Scuba Diving | Shutdown Drills And Isolator Tips Explained

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