Top Ten Reasons Divers do not call DAN?

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:21 am

I called DAN today Inquiring about a dive I did about 4 months ago.
I have residual pain

in my right arm since my trip to Sitka.
After several questions DAN determined I probably did not take a DCS hit.
But if I did, a chamber ride would do nothing for me now.

Here's the thing...

Just as I was dialing the DAN # I thought,
"What if they tell me not to dive for awhile?"
I almost wanted, to not call

I'm curious, on a serious note, Why else would someone Not call DAN when they should of?

1. Pride?

(I'm Too good of a Diver to get bent)
2. Fear of not being able to Dive

3. No Dive Insurance

(Not a DAN Member?)

4. Computer says, I did everything Right?

5. I'm tough :naka: , Walk it off!
6. I don't want to admit I made a mistake

7. My dive buddy might make fun of me?

8. Who's DAN? Whats his number?

9. It's not DCS ,Just an old body ache. Must be from something else I did

10. Duh? ](*,)

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:37 am

I suspect it's #6, 1, and 2, in that order, for most people. Nothing to base that on, just a hunch...

-Valerie

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:40 am

I think denial is the #1 reason ... no one wants to admit that they might be bent (unless it's so obvious that you can't ignore it). Most of us will find other excuses to "explain" the symptoms ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:52 am

What if they didn't have the phone number readily available? Do you have DAN's number in/on your gear? I've got our DAN cards in our save-a-dive kit, attached by one of those luggage-tag thingies... which ALSO has the DAN numbers on it. I've also got them programmed into our cell phones.

I've thought that I might additionally put a small DAN decal on the back of my truck so that if I was at a dive site and underwater/away from the truck while someone else needed the number, they could get it off that sticker (provided they realized it's DAN information).

You might not call DAN if you don't know about them:

When Erica and I were last in Maui, a guy on our boat mentioned something about "what a great vacation he's had, diving everyday, and tonight he has to go back home to LA" as in, "I'm diving today and flying early this afternoon"

... and these weren't shallow dives and were done on straight air. So Erica, in her quiet soft-spoken self (HA!), says "you mean you're flying out this afternoon... as in today?" "Uh, yeah" the man responded. Erica: "you realize you just did 2 healthy dives right?" The man: "uh, yeah (as though she was not making sense)"

About now the DM and Captian are both starting to chime in while getting worried about this fellow. Erica: "I think that's a dumb idea (again in her reserved soft demeanor), didn't you learn about this in basic OW?" as she looked at me puzzled. I told him he should REALLY call DAN. "Dan? Who's Dan?" - I will never forget his face when he uttered "who's Dan?" and looked around confused. Priceless. ](*,)

We then explained about Nitrogen loading and flying, encouraged him to drink a TON of water and advised him not to have any alcohol (to which he said that he was originally planning to "put back a few" between now and when he left this afternoon) and we told him he REALLY needed to call the "Divers Alert Network" because he could be creating a problem for himself. Between several divers, the DM, and the Captian, he was convinced.

I dialed DAN from my phone, explained to them what the situation was, and passed the phone over to the man. Whatever the DAN medic told him on the phone sure got his attention! The whole way back to the dock he was asking about DAN and said he was going to call back and buy DAN coverage when he got back to the hotel. When we got back to the dock, he went straight to his rental car and got the paperwork he needed and rescheduled his flight.

Best line for why you didn't call DAN: "Who's Dan?"

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:59 am

Great Thread!!

Thanks Keith!

Excellent reasons... again, humorous and to the point. Each of you has contributed really great insight to the discussion... again, making us all better divers! (IF we'll pay attention... ](*,) )

Great story Doug, and way to go Erica!

...see you in the water...

-Tom Nic

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:15 am

The same reason that many people don't go see their doctor when something feels wrong......fear of what they might hear after the exam.

- John

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:31 am

Good point John!
Was that ment for me?
If not, I'll claim it.

I hate going to the Doctor almost as much as going to the dentist.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:37 am

The only time I don't hate going to see a doctor is when I'm going diving and the doctor is my dive buddy ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:06 am

Denial is pretty popular as are all the choices listed including stupidity or, nicer, ignorance. Like the guy in the story that was going to dive 'n drink 'n fly 'n DIE, I know a few casual divers who have no idea what the warning signs of DCS are.

I was listening to a diver on the beach who had just surfaced with his buddy after a long dive. I asked what they used to stay together on their safety stop mid-water. Safety stop? We were only at 60' for 45 minutes. ](*,)

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:41 am

BASSMAN wrote:Good point John!
Was that ment for me?
If not, I'll claim it.

I hate going to the Doctor almost as much as going to the dentist.

Actually, it wasn't meant for you, although you CAN claim that shoe if it fits!

I was thinking of my father. He felt bad for months and months and didn't even mention it to anyone, let alone go in to see his doc. When the symptoms finally became obvious to us all and we insisted he go in for an exam it was only to hear that he had cancer.....but over the preceding last few months it had gone from something that HAD been treatable to something in which there was no longer any point to treatment.

If he had had it checked when symptoms first appeared we might have had him around for a few more years.

- John

Cera · Post by **Cera** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:43 pm

THis thread reminds me of this time I was at Mikes beach resort and it was packed with people.. there were divers from oregon there and my friends and I went to the sauna to warm up between dives and there was a bunch of people in the hottub, drinking beer of course. Then this kid came into the sauna with us (maybe 10 or 11 years old) and said he was diving with his dad (pointing to him in the hottub drinking) and that on thier last dive they went to 85 feet! and on the next one they were going to the boats again. (also at 80 feet.) His dad then got out of the hot tub and said "kid" (don't remember his name) let go diving. And off they tromp to get back into the water!
HUM...

1. this experience full sealed the deal that I don't certify kids (because the parents have to be responsibe for them, while some can't even make decisions for themselves!)
2. What freaking planet did this guy come from that he goes from a deep dive, to the hot tub, pounds a few beers, then takes his son back down to 80 feet again.

(by the way the max depth for a child of that age is like 40 feet!)

Grrrrrrr...
I love that story though, Who's Dan?? Sounds like some people I know! When I went to Honduras people were jumping off the plane and straight into the water... Whatever though!

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:39 pm

Off the plane and straight into the water is fine... it's out of the water and straight onto the plane that presents a problem.

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:44 am

Sounder wrote:Off the plane and straight into the water is fine... it's out of the water and straight onto the plane that presents a problem.

Unless, of course, you're tired and dehydrated from traveling, thus setting yourself up for a potential hit...

-Valerie

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:53 am

True - guess I was assuming (and we all know what happens when you do that) one would know they wanted to go straight to diving so they would rest and hydrate on the plane. $\:D/$ Then again, we're talking about people who won't call DAN

or don't even know who "Dan" is. ](*,)

Cera · Post by **Cera** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:21 am

Actually it works both ways, you should wait after And before flying... Its not as long after a flight as before, but dehydration plays a role plus the fact that your body is still adjusting to sealevel. (Consider it a surface interval)

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:23 am

A pity ... if I could I'd carry on my fins and step off the plane as it was making its final approach toward the island ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Cera · Post by **Cera** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:23 am

This post if funny, because everytime I get out of the water and get sore I think "maybe I have DCS"... although its only like a backache from carrying my tank or my sholder from lifting or a headache... I am a bit of a hypochondriach.

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:27 am

Cera wrote:This post if funny, because everytime I get out of the water and get sore I think "maybe I have DCS"... although its only like a backache from carrying my tank or my sholder from lifting or a headache... I am a bit of a hypochondriach.

Cool thing is, you can call DAN anyway and they are OK with it. They are extremely helpful.

(as long as you didn't become a DAN stalker)

GillyWeed · Post by **GillyWeed** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:53 am

I am kind of with Bob on this one.. I might concider sky diving if it meant I was going to end up in the ocean and go diving at the end. Can you imagine jumping out of the plane with all your gear on and having your reg in one hand and your parachute pull in the other.. Actually that's about the ONLY way I'll ever go sky diving...

But in all seriousness, I am glad I read this one because I always thought you could go right from the plane to the water.. So now I know and I'll wait.

I hate waiting.

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:59 am

GillyWeed wrote:So now I know and I'll wait. I hate waiting.

Wait?!? How about I sleep and drink on the plane?!? That way I'm rested, hydrated, and then I can hit the water right away!

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:22 am

In reality, if you hydrate and rest on the plane, by the time you get your bags, to the hotel and checked in, and back to the water, it's been a while and I wouldn't have a problem jumping in. In Maui though, most of the boat diving goes on in the morning so I'd prefer to have some Kaluha Pig and turn in early to be rested and ready for the next morning.

Aargh! Now I want to go back to Maui.

Nwbrewer · Post by **Nwbrewer** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:05 pm

Sounder,

Are you suggesting the diving in Maui was better than in the pine lake?

Jake

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:47 pm

Never! Pine Lake has silt, COLD water, a couple trout, crawdads, a bass here and there, etc!

Maui's got tons of colorful fish, spectacular invertebrates, turtles, marine mammals, clear warm water, beautiful vistas, rainbows of coral, bright sunlight, girls in bikinis, amazing food, girls in bikinis, frosty mai tais, girls in bikinis, dive butlers, and hula girls in grass skirts and bikinis... I GUESS you could "call it better" if you actually like all that stuff.

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:29 pm

Does it still hurt? If so, what arm, and where is the pain?