That old salvage diver who gave me a 2 minute lesson in the gulf

I was running a routine hull inspection off Mobile Bay about two years back. An older guy, must have been 60+, was gearing up next to me on the dock. He just said, 'Slow your breathing down before you drop, kid. It's the only tool your lungs got down there.' That stuck with me more than any training manual did. I still picture that moment before every deep dive now. Anyone else have a random encounter that changed how they approach a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbychen1mo ago

Breathing out slowly is what actually keeps your lungs from compressing, not just slowing it down overall.

luna_craig581mo ago

Breathing out slowly is what actually keeps your lungs from compressing" - oh great, so now I gotta think about my lungs compressing every time I take a breath? Like I wasn't already anxious enough about forgetting to breathe. This is the kind of info that turns a normal jog into a full-on medical emergency in my head. Thanks for that, Abby. Now I'll be out there hyperventilating because I'm too worried about my lungs collapsing.