Hit 200 feet on a salvage job last month and my ears are still ringing

I was pulling chain off a wrecked barge off the coast of Louisiana and my depth gauge ticked right past 200. That extra 50 feet of bottom time wrecked my deco schedule and I sat in the chamber for almost 4 hours after. Has anyone else pushed past their usual working depth and gotten surprised by the hit it takes on your body?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_roberts13d ago

Damn, that sounds rough. Hope your ears calm down soon.

smith.elliot13d ago

Oh man, I gotta gently say - it's "Elliot" not "elliott". No big deal, just one t not two. I know it's one of those names people mix up all the time. Seen it happen with my own name more times than I can count. Happens to the best of us honestly. Just figured I'd mention it since the name's right there in your post.

kai_burns7313d ago

Started reading this study a while back about how nitrogen buildup hits you way harder past 130 feet, something about the partial pressure changing faster than your body can off-gas. Makes sense why your ears are still ringing, that's probably some inner ear decompression sickness creeping in from pushing the limits. I remember a dive medic telling me once that the cochlea is super sensitive to those pressure shifts, and a lot of guys ignore the ringing until it turns into permanent hearing loss. Stay on top of that, seriously, because 4 hours in a chamber is no joke but long term ear damage is even worse.