Rich,
Glad you're safe mate. Good call on ditching the gear and coming back for it another time - but just goes to show how a series of little events can build into a big one if the coincidences fall the wrong way, and how panic can get a grip if it catches you unawares.
I remember taking a friend out years ago, in Heybrook Bay, for his first spearfishing experience. I wanted to stay shallow, but he was quite a good swimmer and pretty much insisted we strike out for the island – so, against my better judgment, I went along with his plan. A fair way out it started to get choppy and he started to take water down the end of his snorkel. In response to this he removed the snorkel from his mouth and, of course, immediately started taking water into his lungs and stomach. Next thing his mask was off and he was getting into a right state, water going into every orifice, panicking like a demon, grabbing at me, and attempting to use me as a float. In between glugs I could hear him spluttering something about an asthma attack. I broke free and eventually managed to calm him down and persuade him to put his gear back on, and then piloted him back to the shore.
He was a bit embarrassed and shook up, but insisted that he hadn't had a panic attack, and that his inability to breathe had been brought about by a sudden and unexpected asthma attack (which, he admitted, was fairly unusual, as he didn't normally suffer from asthma). Funnily enough, it was the one and only asthma attack of his life: he'd never had one previous to that, and has never had one since!
Unfortunately, he hasn't been spearfishing since either - but I'm sure you'll be back to full confidence in no time.
Stay safer,
All the best,
Gaz D
P.S: Thanks for giving me those pointers about places to dive around your way last summer – they were really helpful and we had a great time.
