Posted by Ken Kurtis on March 10, 2001 at 13:09:12:
In Reply to: Lung Overexpansion Injury posted by Jim Hoffmann on March 10, 2001 at 09:18:36:
I'm taking the liberty of copying here the reply I made to Matt way down below because I think it's an important point to make and I want to make sure those following this thread see it.
The bottom line, as Jim pointed out, is NEVER hold your breath.
The problem with all these theoretical discussions, especially in this area, is that if they're not understood to be theoretical, and some goes out and tries it in the water, and is wrong, a serious life-threatening injury can occur.
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(Matt posted, regarding RadierKarl's comments) "He meant that PADI and NAUI don't condem the occasional breath hold at depth . . ."
If that's what he meant, he's incorrect. Both PADI and NAUI, and every other agency I know of, clearly state, "Never hold your breath." (As the joke would go, "What part of NEVER don't you understand?")
The comments I made higher up in this thread, do NOT represent agency teaching/training but a more advanced discussion of the physiology of what happpens when you hold your breath and the other factors that would affect whether or not a breath-hold could produce an embolism.
I think in commenting on my comment, Karl either didn't write his thoughts too clearly or took a leap of thought that was not implied in what I felt I said.
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Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, Ca.