As a scuba diver diver, it is important to be prepared for any situation that may arise, including dealing with a panicked diver.
In scuba diving, panic attacks can be caused by various factors such as fear, stress, equipment failure, or physical discomfort. Knowing how to approach and manage a panicked diver is an essential skill for any scuba diver.
While you will learn all the necessary skills to deal with a panicked diver in your PADI rescue diver course, in this post I will summarize the best tips on how to deal with a panicked scuba diver both below and above the surface.
Before going through each single tip, let’s take a quick look at what causes a diver to panic and how to recognize a panicked diver.
What Causes A Scuba Diver to Panic?
Panic underwater can be caused by a number of factors, including fear, stress, equipment failure, physical discomfort, or unforeseen underwater encounters (e.g. sharks).
Panic attacks may affect newbies and experienced divers or technical and recreational divers alike and are often something that divers cannot control.
As a scuba diving instructor, I have seen quite some panicked divers for very different reasons. Each time, the root cause for the panic attack was either fear or stress.
Fear can be triggered by various reasons, such as the fear of the unknown, a sense of being out of control, or feeling unprepared for the situation. On the other hand, stress can be caused by environmental factors, like strong currents or low visibility, or personal factors, like being unfamiliar with the dive site or not having enough experience.
Equipment failure, such as a regulator or tank valve malfunction, can also lead to panic. Lastly, physical discomfort, like shortness of breath or feeling cold, can exacerbate feelings of fear and stress, leading to panic.
How to Recognize a Panicked Diver?
It’s important to be able to recognize the signs of a panicked diver so that you can take appropriate action. Signs of panic can include rapid breathing, flailing arms, erratic movements, wide-eyed expressions, and an inability to respond to verbal and visual cues.
There are in fact a couple of tests you can run to check if your dive buddy is having a panic attack. First test is by checking the breathing rate and air consumption. If you notice that your dive buddy is breathing at an overly high rate, make yourself visible remaining at a safe distance (slightly more than one arm length) and ask if everything is ok.
If your dive buddy does not respond to your hand signal, try to catch her attention by making some vocal sounds or by moving your hands in front of her mask. If no reaction, signal your intention to abort the dive.
Note that nitrogen narcosis may also lead to underwater panic. This is why I highly recommend that you get acquainted with the signs of nitrogen narcosis and how to prevent it.
If you suspect your buddy or any other scuba diver in your group is having a panic attack underwater, start approaching them by using the safety procedure to approach a panicking diver underwater.
How to Approach a Panicking Diver Underwater?
Approaching a panicked diver underwater requires caution and care. You should always keep in mind that your own safety comes first.
It’s important to remain calm and approach the diver slowly, making sure not to startle them. Make yourself visible to the panicking diver by moving your hands in front of them. Ask if everything is ok by making the “ok” signal with your hands.
If the suspected panicking diver replies but you have the feeling that she is overly focused on other things (e.g. leaking mask), make yourself visible and establish eye contact. Once you have established eye contact, make some slow deep breaths, ensuring your buddy does the same. In most cases this procedure can be sufficient to prevent anxiety or panic.
If the panicking diver does not reply, start approaching her while remaining at a safe distance. When dealing with a panicking diver, you should always beware of adverse reactions that might affect your own safety.
Approach the panicking diver from her torso and with your right hand grab her tank valve. In such a position you will be out of reach and able to operate safely. Start ascending slowly, venting out air from your BCD and from the panicking diver’s BCD as you deem adequate to make a safe ascent. If you feel you are in a position to make a safety stop, do so. Alternatively, you may skip it, trying to ascend as slowly as possible. Once you have reached the surface, establish positive buoyancy for yourself and the panicking diver and try to calm her down. In most cases you will need to tow the panicking diver towards the dive boat or shore.
How to Approach a Panicked Diver at the Surface ?
Approaching a panicked diver at the surface requires a different approach. For a full illustration check out the video below from PADI Course Director Marcel van den Berg.
The first step is to make sure the diver is safe at the surface and can breathe comfortably. Once the diver is stable, just like for a panicking diver underwater, approach them slowly, making eye contact and using calm, reassuring language. Offer to help them with their gear if necessary, but be careful not to remove any equipment that is keeping them afloat.
If you evaluate that approaching the diver may put your own safety at risk, you should descend a couple of meters, re-emerge behind the panicking diver, and grab her tank valve with your right hand. In such a way you are out of her reach and will avoid that she unadventedly causes harm to you.
Once you have safely grabbed the panicking diver, you may tow her towards the shore or boat to seek additional help if needed.
Make a Cautious Approach
Approaching a panicked diver requires caution and careful observation. Make sure to assess the situation before taking any action, and be aware of your own limitations and abilities.
If you feel that you are not able to handle the situation, seek the help of a more experienced diver, dive leader, or dive professional.
As mentioned earlier, you should never put your own safety at risk and you should keep a safe distance which would still allow you to intervene in case the situation worsens. The safety distance should be slightly more than one arm’s length.
Before approaching a panicking diver, always try to make eye contact by showing them to make slow, deep breaths.
Use Eye Contact and Deep Breaths
Eye contact and deep breathing can be powerful tools in calming most scuba divers undergoing a panic attack. By maintaining eye contact, you can help the anxious diver to focus and feel more grounded. Deep breathing can help regulate their breathing and calm their nerves.
Eye contact and deep breaths are essential in case you see that getting too close to panicking divers would result too dangerous for your own safety.
Use Available Gear
If the panicked person or diver is struggling with their equipment, particularly at the surface, use available gear to help them. For example you can use your SMB to help them stay afloat at the surface.
It is however extremely important to evaluate the situation and avoid making the situation worse. If you are using your SMB as floating support, make sure it is not attached to your body or dive gear. Never tie yourself to other divers, this can be extremely difficult to manage and dangerous in case of panic attacks.
Know When to Back Away
While it’s important to try to help a panicked diver, it’s equally important to know when to back away. If the situation becomes too dangerous or if you feel that you are not able to handle it, it’s better to remove yourself from the situation and seek additional help.
This doesn’t mean that you need to abandon a diver underwater, this is actually something you should never do. But in no circumstance you should put your own life at risk if you do not feel comfortable enough to manage the situation you are facing underwater.
This is why I strongly recommend to all my students to get a rescue diving certification. With dedicated training dives, you will gain more and more confidence to face unexpected situations while scuba diving.
Conclusion
In conclusion, dealing with a panicked diver is not an easy task. Although reading about the various techniques can definitely help, there is no better training than taking a dedicated rescue diver course with the possibility to have scuba training on specific emergency situations.
Rescue diver courses can teach you the skills and knowledge necessary to handle such situations effectively. These courses are designed to prepare you for emergency situations, including how to recognize and approach a panicked diver.
Being able to manage a panicked diver requires a calm and level-headed approach, using available gear, and knowing when to seek additional help. By being prepared for any situation that may arise, you can enjoy your underwater experiences with more confidence and safety.