AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Hyperbaric Chamber lectures

Excellent talk this evening on DCI and dive safety generally, with many fresh insights from the lecturer who flew down from Playa del Carmen in Mexico specially. A shame that it was so poorly attended - only two dive centres were represented, and neither of those the big ones. Tomorrow and Wednesday are devoted to DAN O2-Provider courses. Let's hope more people show up for those (though the maximum for each is 8).

Where is the closest Hyperbaric Chamber???

Right here in San Pedro!!!

Just next to the airstrip apron in San Pedro, opposite the Maya Air terminal. The only one in the country. That's why we chose to open the first technical dive centre in Belize in San Pedro.

AAAAHHHHH Smart move Pedro2 lets hope none of us ever has to use it.

A surprising number already do.

Pedro2, who arranged for these presentations and courses to be offered?

The chamber in San Pedro is a very nice facility. I've only toured it fortunately. I encourage anyone diving in San Pedro to pay the extra buck or so a tank to support the chamber even if they have DAN insurance.

Pedro 2 - thanks for having a DAN 02 kit on your boats as many in San Pedro don't. Also, thanks for facilitating awareness on the island and keeping the sport safe

Seashell - the Chamber initiated it, and we've helped them out with some equipment. Robert - thanks for the testimonial. Safety is very important to us.

I don't believe I've ever been diving with an op on San Pedro that didn't have O2 aboard. That said, I haven't been diving with all of them and I didn't always make them show it to me, if they represented that it was aboard.

Pedro2, well, that is indeed a shame. It just doesn't make any darn sense to me at all. How was the turnout for Tuesday? Anticipated turnout for Wednesday?

Good point, RobertE, support the chamber. Thanks for keeping our safety a top priority, pedro2. Sure hope the turnout was better for the subsequent presentations.

Pedro2 which dive shop is yours?

5 attendees on Monday at the general session, 11 on Tuesday, just 3 on Wednesday. One of the 11 on Tuesday left early when she realised that the DAN O2 Provider certification course would take longer than the 45 minutes she had anticipated (it actually took 5 hours). "Shame" is not the word - it's absurd.

Seashell - why might non-attendance have resulted from "petty spite"? Against whom?

Well lets hope that the absurdity dosen't turn into a catastrophe Pedro2. How often are these sessions held?? Are any of the certifications Mandatory?, I am assuming they are not.

Pedro 2, you are quite right "shame" isn't the right word and "absurd" is. 45 minutes alotted? Absurd *and* ridiculous.

What a waste of an opportunity for all those that didn't make the effort to attend. Even for those that have taken the course before, there's nothing like positive reinforcement. After all, drawing a parallel, isn't it often recommended to regular tourist divers that they take refresher courses? How can that be recommended in one breath but not applied to one's own self?

The course is mandatory for instructor-level certification with some agencies, IANTD for example. It also needs to be renewed every two years. PADI doesn't require it at all. I believe every boat captain and every dive guide (whether or not a qualified DM) should have done it and remain current. The Chamber intend to hold more safety discussion evenings in the foreseeable future, though whether they'll rush to put on the O2 course again is another matter.

Seashell - this board is read by many people not familiar with San Pedro or local politics, and I think you owe it to them to complete the topic you publicly raised. In any case, I'm not sure I know what you mean either.

I agree that every boat captain and every dive guide should have been clambering for seats. I hope that the Chamber continues to pursue safety discussions and that as time goes by, more will realize the overall benefit to themselves to attend.

You are also right that the board is read by many that don't understand the local politics, so to address your concerns in this regard, I have edited my prior posts.

I don't either, Seashell, not here or anywhere else. Never been political - life's too short. So I'd still like to know what your withdrawn comment was intended to say. Privately if you wish.

Pedro2, if you don't get it, that's either real cool, or real . . .um . . .nevermind.

Like you said, life's too short. Good for you. And I really mean that.

Let's just leave it go. I'll pretend I never said anything in the first place and so can you.

Now, let's do all those boarders that you were concerned about a favor. I edited my prior posts. Let's both of us go in and edit these newer ones. Are you up for that?

This all smacks of veiled self-promotion to me. The fact is, I only know of one dive operation on AC that actually has supported the hyperbaric chamber financially. I could be wrong but, as of two years ago, I know I wasn't. And that comes from a family member having some dry-dive experience there.

If I owned a dive shop on the island, I'd keep my thoughts about my competitors' participation in such programs (and the perceived sales job that conjures up) to myself, at least in a public forum.

Being safe is, ultimately, the responsibility of the diver. Education and experience is the best way to be safe. Anyone who thinks they can rely on anyone else (divemasters/dive operators included) to fully take care of them is a fool.

And, if you dive with someone who doesn't carry an O2 kit, that's ultimately your fault, too. I always ask to look at it, then open the box and check the cylinder as well. An empty tank ain't much good when you need oxygen. If the operator is insulted that I check their gear, I really don't care. Lives are more important than feelings.

Having spent far too many hours on the inside of the ambergris caye hyperbaric chamber, i can strongly attest to how very important the facility is. i feel that i am living proof of its importance.
dive masters and instructors need to be educated. my husband had to insist that the 02 kit be broken out and fast. no one else was helping me out & he thought he was losing me. actually, he was.
divers, make sure the kit is on board and ready to go.

Catatonic - the presence of a functioning O2 kit on a boat is of no use if the person who needs it can't help themselves, and the crew don't know how to operate it.

As to the "veiled self-promotion", please don't attribute whatever your motivation may be to others. I am concerned only with the safety of divers visiting San Pedro, whoever they dive with, and not taking full advantage of the programs the Chamber offers seems to me foolish. Have you thought why the Chamber should see it as desirable to put on such programs? I don't care whether a boat is operated by a "competitor" or not - a diver is a diver, and unnecessary accidents or accidents handled badly hurt us all (though not as much as the victims).

As to financial support of the Chamber, I know of a number of centers which support it and a number which don't. This is public information. Why suggest that there is only one center providing support, when you know what center people will assume that to be? Or is that in fact the reason?

Your allegation that my post is inspired by commercial self-interest suggests to me that it is in your own thoughts that commercial interests come uppermost. Most people outside San Pedro reading this board will not know who I am and that is the way I prefer it. I don't know who you are, but if the "politics" that seashell seems to promote is behind this then I really want nothing to do with it. In my experience, politics and secrecy are tools used to conceal what in the full light of day would be seen to be unacceptable.

I'm not "promoting" the politics, Pedro2. I did refer to same and they do exist. If you chose to be obtuse to that, so be it.

What happens if the chamber is required for a diver using a center that doesn't support the chamber?

It's there for everyone, even Seashell

The system is that if such a diver needs treatment he/she will be required to pay the Chamber its full rate. If the center is supporting the Chamber, either by a monthly contribution or US$1 per tank for the diver concerned (in which case the diver also should have signed a form) then the Chamber's charges are capped. In either case, if the diver has appropriate insurance that should cover the charge, whatever it turns out to be, though with some insurances the Chamber requires payment from the patient who can then claim on insurance, and with others (such as DAN) the Chamber claims directly and does not trouble the patient.

It's also alarming how many divers aren't insured. The only diver of ours (so far!) who became a patient was the only member of his family group who refused to buy DAN insurance from us before his dive - the others all paid the premium costing around the equivalent of 1 1/2 dives for a year's cover. He needed three sessions in the chamber and then couldn't fly for a week, and allowing for other costs sustained by himself and his family I believe he was out of pocket some US$16000.

Well seashell, I did ask for clarification and it has been denied. Discussion over, and nothing learned.

Seashell

You have been around a long time on the board and you know a lot of the politics etc on the island pedro2 is relativly new to the island and while they have experienced a little of the politics when they first opened they were smart enought to handle it in a way I consider to have been a very smart way and there problems quickly dissapeared which is commendable I wish I was that smart many moons ago when I was in the thick of it:)

Lets talk about self promotion a little bit, theres nothing wrong with it as long as comptetitors are not slagged off and made out to be inferior even if you know it ot be true as an operator I would never negativly slam my competitiors as I feel that is unproffesional let the visitors do that with there real time experiences.

Posting on message boards is a great way to promote a business however the best way of self promotion using these boards is to provide valuable information and give it freely, answer questions clearly and unbiasedly with a little tag at the bottom with link to your site and never insinuate your competition is inferior in any way thats for people with first hand experinces to commment on AND THEY WILL

Dive Safe

Gaz Cooper

Pedro2 mentions that a lot of people use the chamber and I wanted to clarify to ensure that those less educated on Hyperbaric medicine reading this understand that just because a lot of people use the chamber, is NOT a reflection on ANY SPECIFIC dive operator.

Just because a certain diveshop has more cases of DCS than another shop,it is in no way a NEGATIVE reflection on that shop, in fact it could be a commendation to that shop for recognizing the symtoms and quickly reffering them to the chamber for a proffesional opinion and possible treatment.

Many moons ago long before Pedro2 was here there would be very few cases that the chamber treated reason was that it was used as a negaqtive against a shop in those days where it would be said OH DONT DIVE WITH them there divers get BENT well thankfully those days are over and and the big jump in cases is becuase the shops are better educated at reconizing symtoms of DCS and having learnt that just because someone got DCS on your boat it is NOT a refelction on your proffesionalism.

IF YOU DIVE, ONE DAY YOU WILL GET IT TOO just as if you race racing cars one day you will crash all you can do is educate yourself and decrease the chances by following the reccomended practices to avoid it.

I had the pleasure of working in the San Pedro chamber with Doctor Otto Rodriguez for more than 3 years and treated many many cases ranging from DCS thru embolisms and the MAIN reason for 95% of the DCS cases were dehydration meaning the person did not drink enough fluids.

They did not get it for diving with a certian shop or breaking any rules they simply allowed themselves to become dehydrated which is a major cause of decompression sickness even to this day.

I anticipate more than 50% of divers diving here on the island each day are diving dehydrated and heres the reason why, its because most divers dont realize that dehydration is a cause of DCS

Here are a few tips to avoid dehydration here on Ambergris

1.)Drink plenty of water 16 glasses a day preferably mineral water, NOT the water that is sold here as it is desalinated and has nothing in it ie no minerals salts etc to replace those lost by your body, even better a gatorade or you can get pedialite from the local pharmacys here

2.) if go potty and the color is anything but clear you can assume you are dehydrated DRINK MORE FLUIDS

3.) Ok your on vacation, and want to party but do it in moderation if diving the next day, drink plenty of fluids as mentioned above and REMEMBER Alchohol is a dehydrant and so is tea coffee orange juice, beer,sodas such as coco cola fanta etc, Air conditioning and of course our wonderful sunshine and heat which can quickly drain your body of valuable fluids.

Its amazing to me when I brief my divers on the dehydration issue at how many did not realize that that is a major cause of DCS.

Dive Safe and remember STAY HYDRATED when diving

Gaz Cooper

Thanks Jesse, good to know.

Gaz - Thanks for your two cents on the topic and the reiteration of hydration before diving.

Pedro 2 - Thank your for your support of safe diving. I don't see your comments as self serving in any way, maybe others do.

Gaz is of course right that dehydration is a major cause of DCI. There are many others, and people who have done everything "by the book" can still get bent, as anyone who attended the lectures would have learned.

I didn't mean to say "a lot" of people use the Chamber, just that more do than some people realise. And as Gaz so rightly says, it is no shame on the diver or the operator if someone needs help from the Chamber. Round the other way, in fact - quite a few people experience minor symptoms of a bend and actively ignore it - it is the wise ones who get themselves checked out. So long as they are insured they are able to do this without fear of major financial consequences.

many people seem to be under a lot of pressure