What depths do Combat Divers operate at?

[AspiringJumper1991]

Hi guys, I've just come back from my first open water dive and to about 20 meters under. I had a hard time equalising my ears with the pressure and ended up with a bloody nose when i resurfaced. So i was just curious about the kinda of depths that Combat Divers operate at and what you would suggest the best techniques i could do to getting used to those kinds of pressure ?

 

[DA SWO]

Dive as often as you can.
Your ears will get used to it.

Discussing Operational Dive Depths/Profiles could be be an OPSEC Violation, and the mods here don't tolerate that kind of behavior.

 

[AspiringJumper1991]

Ok apologies

 

[Marauder06]

More than 20 meters.

Some of the divers here on the site might be willing to help you with techniques to equalize your pressure, but I don't think we'll be talking about operational capabilities, even if they're unclassified.

 

[AspiringJumper1991]

I'm going to try and get as many dives in as I can. The reason I am asking about max depth was because once I've finished all of my qualifications I'll be allowed to go to depths of 50m and was curious as to wether that was anywhere near the ball park.

 

[AWP]

Moved.

 

[Marauder06]

Don't worry about that for now. Concentrate on the training you "are" doing, not the training to "want to be" doing.

 

[AspiringJumper1991]

?

 

[AspiringJumper1991]

Yep and a whole bunch of mask clearing and de-kitting. :)

 

[x SF med]

I'm not a dive medic, but I've worked with quite a few and supported them on ops.
A bloody nose on surfacing will probably DQ you from a combat dive course - get to an EENT (Otolaryngologist) and get your sinuses and ears checked, STAT. I got DQ'd in prescuba for the same issue. Blood in the mask/from the nose on surfacing is at least a minor barotrauma to the nasal/sinus/ear trilogy... you can cause major problems if it is a recurring or even acute issue... blood is supposed to stay in the blood vessels. You probably have a chronic infection in your sinuses and ears, or you have a structural defect that does not allow the pressure equalization. Your instructor should have sent you to an EENT immediately after the initial bloody nose to get you cleared so you don't damage yourself permanently.

Go see a doctor.

 

[ShadowSpear]

If you're unable to equalize at 20m then there is noway you will be able to descend to the depths you'd dive in the military. I'm assuming you're qualified for something like PADI, SSI, or NAUI, which requires a handful of pool sessions and like four open water dives if I remember. Did you have trouble equalizing on each of those dives? You're probably aware that simple issues like allergies or a cold can create a reverse blockage.

Regardless....what XSF said.

 

[Brian C]

I'd honestly hold off on anything else until you see a doctor. There's no point in ignoring something your body is telling you and potentially making it worse.

As far as equalizing, getting that first initial one was always the most difficult for me. Continuing to equalize at deeper depths was much easier for me.

 

[BloodStripe]

I was never a diver in the Marine Corps, but I am a PADI Dive Master and help teach through a local dive shop on week nights and weekends for some extra income. If it was your first dive below 7 meters or so, you are not alone in nose bleeds. If you continually get a nosebleed, see a sinus doctor. Best way to prevent it from happening is to make sure you decent slower and equalize your ears more often, even if you don't think you need to.

Best bet is when you notice you can't equalize or you have a bloody nose is to resurface and call off the dive. I've had to kick a few students out of the water for failing to resurface. A divers safety is my number 1priority.