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I've had two samba's, both from constant weight dives.
The first one the dive felt pretty horrible on the ascent and I knew at -6m that I was going to have a problem on the surface. My samba lasted a few seconds I think, and I felt like I'd had a few drinks!! I was aware of people taking my mask off and talking to me but not taking a lot of notice!
The second one was after what I thought was a great dive - best I'd ever had at the time. I samba'd around 10-15 secs after surfacing. This time I was very aware that it was happening (unable to control arm and head movements!) and I was unable to do anything about it
- very strange feeling but not unpleasant!!
Donna
The first one the dive felt pretty horrible on the ascent and I knew at -6m that I was going to have a problem on the surface. My samba lasted a few seconds I think, and I felt like I'd had a few drinks!! I was aware of people taking my mask off and talking to me but not taking a lot of notice!
The second one was after what I thought was a great dive - best I'd ever had at the time. I samba'd around 10-15 secs after surfacing. This time I was very aware that it was happening (unable to control arm and head movements!) and I was unable to do anything about it
- very strange feeling but not unpleasant!!Donna
A 'samba' is like a brief, mild epileptic seizure. Uncontrolled shaking and spasming of various and random muscles, general loss of control of bodily motions. Mild sambas often manifest as a minor twitch in a hand or limb (medical term = myoclonus).
A big samba can result in the whole body shaking, twitching and spasming. The effect looks somewhat like the person is being electrocuted.
Depending on your brain chemistry and physiology at the time of the samba, you may or may not be aware of what is going on. I have had sambas where I realize I'm shaking out of control and can't do anything about it. Other times, I was 'gone' and didn't remember anything until after, when someone told me I had a 'shaker.'
Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
A big samba can result in the whole body shaking, twitching and spasming. The effect looks somewhat like the person is being electrocuted.
Depending on your brain chemistry and physiology at the time of the samba, you may or may not be aware of what is going on. I have had sambas where I realize I'm shaking out of control and can't do anything about it. Other times, I was 'gone' and didn't remember anything until after, when someone told me I had a 'shaker.'
Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
For myself, I usually have a single dream, and often the dream mixes with the real world events happening around me as I come to, but then suddenly I am thrown into the confusion of the real world. It generally feels quite nice, just like sleeping. The "coming out" stage is often a little disturbing as your brain begins waking up, trying to solidify an understanding, even though it is working with half its resources. Sometimes however, the brain doesn't attempt to do this and I find it very enjoyable to experience the drift through unorthodox realities, waiting for the inevitable stabilization. During this phase I am usually vibrating like I have my finger in the electricity outlet (mildly however), and have a certain amount of time where I realize that this is happening to me, and I have no control over it. I usually am not aware of why this is happening to me until it is over.
I even had one where the dream was of events that happened 10min later, even though I did not find out until somebody told me 20min later.
I even had one where the dream was of events that happened 10min later, even though I did not find out until somebody told me 20min later.
My head goes forward and back over and over. In my last dry static samba I realized that my contractions got closer and closer together during the hold, and the contractions just continued when I started breathing again. The contraction were in sync with my head movement.
This has led me to an idea I’m going to try wet. I’m going to try and pay attention how close my contractions are to each other and come upright when they are one right after another. Hopefully the little boost of extra blood to the brain from the water pressure on the body when coming up right will be enough to stop the shaking and I can end the static with a clean recovery. It would be great if I had a signal like that to end with.
don
This has led me to an idea I’m going to try wet. I’m going to try and pay attention how close my contractions are to each other and come upright when they are one right after another. Hopefully the little boost of extra blood to the brain from the water pressure on the body when coming up right will be enough to stop the shaking and I can end the static with a clean recovery. It would be great if I had a signal like that to end with.
don
Samba can manifest itself in visual symptoms, loss of color vision, and/ or tunnel vision. No pain, but it sure gets your attention.
Connor
Connor
Thank you everybody for sharing the the explanations and the experiences. I haven't expirienced a "samba", but it looks like as I continue building my hypercapnia and hipoxia tolerances it is bound to occur eventually. At least I have some idea what it is, I will be dealing with.
thanks again to all for taking the time to reply
thanks again to all for taking the time to reply
do Samba's have lasting effects? I was just wondering if you have to worry about anything afterwards or down the road.
In the scientific literature, a 'samba' is called a 'hypoxic seizure.' Studies in animals showed that if an animal had a 'hypoxic seizure' lasting more than 5 seconds, then the same animal's brain suffered a prolonged effect lasting for at least a month, during which the animal was more susceptible to all types of seizures.
However, hypoxic seizures lasting less than 5 seconds did not show any prolonged effect. Further, extreme hypoxia, but falling just short of a seizure, resulted in an increased resistance to hypoxic seizures.
Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
However, hypoxic seizures lasting less than 5 seconds did not show any prolonged effect. Further, extreme hypoxia, but falling just short of a seizure, resulted in an increased resistance to hypoxic seizures.
Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
Eric - thats quite disturbing - that a samba may make animals (and presumably us too) more prone to other types of seizure.
Has anyone experienced this? I would have thought we were the perfect study group to see if this crosses to humans. Personally I haven't samba'd in a year and try not to these days - but I saw a load of sambas in Cyprus in training and some guys were just pushing and pushing through more and more of them training static.
anyone experienced seizures other than hypoxic ones after a samba?
Has anyone experienced this? I would have thought we were the perfect study group to see if this crosses to humans. Personally I haven't samba'd in a year and try not to these days - but I saw a load of sambas in Cyprus in training and some guys were just pushing and pushing through more and more of them training static.
anyone experienced seizures other than hypoxic ones after a samba?
never happend to me but what if u had a speargun in your hand and this shaking caused u to accidentally pull the trigger. that could be dangerous. but i guess if u stayed down that long chances r u probably would have already fired.