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That stat about drowning in fresh water vs salt water shook me up
I was reading some safety stuff online last night, just killing time before a job, and came across this fact that you're way more likely to drown in fresh water than salt water. Something about how fresh water messes with your lungs faster or something, I don't remember the exact science. It got me thinking about all those low vis river dives I've done for bridge inspections. Anyone else ever look into that and get kinda spooked about their next inland job?
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piper_green10d ago
Nah, gotta disagree a bit. Salt water pulls water out of your body, but fresh water gets into your lungs faster and messes with your blood's salt levels. That part is real. But panic, gear failure, and bad conditions kill way more divers than the water type. Worry about your buddy check and air management, not the chemistry.
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hugo5010d ago
Used to be all about the chemistry myself. I actually thought freshwater drowning was the scariest thing out there because of that whole blood salt thing. But you're right, I've been on dives where people panicked over a mask flood and that was way more dangerous than anything the water type could do. Deadliest thing I ever saw was a guy who skipped his buddy check and ended up with a free flowing reg at 60 feet. Gear and headspace are the real killers, not whether it's salt or fresh.
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the_luna10d ago
But doesn't the chemistry still matter when you're the one dying from it?
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