419 Dive Log Australasia AUGUST 2026

amazing dives of our lives, enjoying an interaction with Caribbean lobsters on a sandy expanse at 14.3m, our maximum depth, and a beautiful eagle ray was also feeding there. We made an appropriate ascent to a three-minute safety stop along the mooring line at 4.6m, after which we returned to the boat. About 10 minutes after boarding the boat, I began to experience muscular pain in my lower chest, my right leg lost motor function, and I knew I was in trouble. Our divemaster immediately started me on oxygen, radioed for help, and got us to the dock in record time. They took me to the island’s clinic, where a very knowledgeable nurse continued my oxygen, took my vitals, ran an electrocardiogram, and asked about my symptoms. She was in constant contact with DAN and a doctor on Cayman Brac. The DAN physician guided me and the nurse through the acute stages of treatment for decompression sickness (DCS), and provided a much-needed resource with deep knowledge about DCS. The treatment quickly resolved my symptoms: The chest pain went away, and I regained control of my leg. Both the DAN physician and the nurse insisted that I continue oxygen therapy for another four hours. With my diving over for this trip, I returned to the clinic the next morning for a follow-up. DAN stayed in contact throughout the trip and was responsive and helpful over numerous calls and emails. After returning home, I visited a DAN recommended dive physician for a full dive fitness evaluation and was cleared to resume diving. The support from DAN didn’t end there, as they continued to answer my questions and provide guidance as I planned my next dive. After consulting with DAN and the dive physician, we plan to adjust future trips to have full days off during multiweek dive trips and think about how we can dive even more conservatively.

DCS in Little Cayman A DAN Member shares his experience following nine days of diving in Little Cayman when he developed muscular pain in his chest and his right leg lost motor function. My wife and I have had DAN coverage for many years and are fortunate to have called DAN in an emergency only once following a lionfish sting. Our diving had been without any incidents aside from that, but our last trip to Little Cayman was different. We planned to take advantage of the pristine conditions with three dives a day, all no decompression dives on nitrox with appropriate safety stops and surface intervals. A typical day was a morning boat trip for two dives, returning to the dock for lunch, and then an afternoon dive. The first dive each day would be the deepest but well within the limits, with slow ascents and a final safety stop before surfacing. After spending a one hour surface interval travelling to a second site and enjoying snacks and hydration, we would do the next dive. The third dive would be after a two- or two-and-a-half-hour surface interval, and then we’d spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing. We had no problems until the ninth day of diving. That morning was normal, with a first dive 26m for one minute at maximum depth. The second dive took us to 18.3m, but we spent most of it over the reef at about 6m. After lunch we had one of the most

I am extremely grateful to DAN for their professionalism, responsiveness, and high level of competence and skill. DAN 24/7 Emergency Hotline 1800 088 200 Within Australia +1 919 684 9111 International World.DAN.org

Photo by Julie Hersh

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DIVE LOG Australasia #418 June ‘26

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