6: Potential Death Scuba Diving in the Pacific Ocean

SCUBA Diving with Dave

In our sophomore year at Oregon State University, Dave Moore and I qualified for our SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) Certificates. We had made several normal dives in the Pacific Ocean near Corvallis, Oregon. 

We felt we were ready for a deep dive of 150 feet. We prepared by studying the diving charts on how much oxygen we would have left when we attained that depth. We anchored our rubber raft so it wouldn't drift, and we attached a 200 ft rope to the raft. We took it down with us to give us any indication of drift while being at a depth of 150 ft. We also brought a good medical kit and a phone to call for help. 

We had an extra tank to leave in our rubber raft if we needed to use it in an emergency at that depth. Air embolism was our main concern. A brief explanation would be when you breathe about 6.5 quarts of air in and out every minute. Based on the depth and the time going down you can calculate the air you have left in your tank. You would have to get certified like us to do the math. You might be able to ask my son Scott Ford who is well into his certification to be a master diver for deep diving. 

Here's the challenge. On the surface, you have on average about 8 quarts of air in your lungs. At 150 feet below, that would be 2 quarts compressed but you still need 6.5 quarts from your tanks every minute. The real problem (life or death). This is a good time to tell you to give up on deep diving below 50 ft. If not, read on. Air embolism is the killer. You have oxygen in your blood. It's the same amount as on the surface, but just like your lungs, the amount of oxygen compresses in your blood. 

The needed oxygen in your blood and lungs will last from 1 hour to 1 ½ hours at lower depths, depending on the size and capacity of your tanks. You have a gauge on your tank or tanks to guide you. At 150 ft, if the gauge tells you the tanks are empty you are dead. If you panic and suddenly swim to the top, your blood vessels and lungs will burst. To save your life in an emergency or any time, you need to have enough oxygen in your tanks to rise to the surface slowly and not faster than your bubbles.

All of the above is why you never dive at any depth, especially at 150 ft, without a buddy. Are you ready to dive with us to 150 ft? 

It took six minutes of slowly descending together to reach 150 ft. We did not want to swim around and waste any air. We had wrist depth gauges. We looked at each other with thumbs up when we achieved this outstanding feat. (For us at least). We then quickly looked at how much air we had left. We had 11 minutes and there was not any time to look around. Then it happened, an emergency. Dave noticed some blood was coming out of my ear and I could feel my nose bleeding. Dave grabbed my arm before I could even think about what was happening and started slowly going to the surface, not any faster than our bubbles. Going up I had a lot to think about. I had a cold a couple of days ago but thought it was clear before diving. I had accumulated a little blood in my mask before surfacing. You may say Dave saved my life. Never dive without a buddy and be very cautious at that depth. 

I wish this were the end of the story. When I was on the O.S.U. swimming team my Freshman year, I didn't swim the next year because I had Swimmer's Ear, which was caused by swimming a mile four to five times a week. Now a punctured eardrum caused me future problems and required surgery after transferring to BYU in Provo and after I was engaged to marry Jeanie. 

The short version is that I had a radical Mastoid surgery in my left ear. This was from the ongoing infection that I had experienced for over a year. I had this surgery over Christmas vacation in 1963 before getting married June 5, 1964. The end result was a hole in my eardrum the size of my little finger which caused me to be deaf in that ear for the rest of my life. I could not swim ever again and even had to be careful in the shower. The great news is that Jeanie stayed with me for the surgery and the recovery at a hotel in downtown Provo. Jeanie tells me that this was a most upsetting experience as I had a horrible smell from the infection and suffered hallucinations. The fantastic news was that we worked through this, continued with school, and Jeanie would still marry me! 

If you think about it, being deaf in one ear has its uses. You can imagine the benefits in a marriage. (Sorry Honey, I didn't hear you. You know how I am.) 

[diving photos]

We had 11 minutes of oxygen at the bottom and it takes only 6 minutes to go to the top slower than the bubbles. We were only on the 150' bottom, 2 minutes when it happened and Dave led me to the top. Slower than the bubbles. Dave saved my life. I couldn't see out of my mask with how fast I was going to the top. 

Ed and Dave: Other Adventures Together

Following our 2nd year at OSU, we worked as Iron Workers in Kemmer, Wyoming to pay for our trip to Europe. We finished in the 'cold' of January and delivered two large ice cream trucks to the east coast. Dave once turned completely in a circle on Rabbit Pass out of Denver. We then boarded a 9,000 ton German coal freighter for passage to Europe. I wrecked his VW car in Senia, Italy. We ended up returning home on a troop ship as destitute Americans! We both got jobs driving 40 ton P&H cranes building Minute Man Missile Sites. Dave joined me at BYU (Brigham Young University) where we skied every Friday and both of us got our private pilot licenses the day we graduated. Dave was my best man at my wedding. We have been friends ever since college and traveled around the world and still remain best friends to this day, 60 years later.