Descent

For that first dive, Ryan, the staff "driver" who would stay outside the chamber and handle the compression and decompression, stood at the open hatch with his gloved hand extended to help us up the slightly inclined ramp and in through the opening about five feet in diameter. Inside, bench seating covered with white sheets lined either side of the submersible-like space, pillows and blankets spaced at regular intervals, and multiple metal pipes and control valves lined the sides of the "ceiling". I was directed to a spot on the right, not too far from the entryway. As I sat, I turned my head and was reassured to see the two small porthole-like windows at diagonal angles to me. I didn't think claustrophobia would be a problem.

My fellow divers took their seats, and then Ryan and Matt, maneuvering up and down the narrow center aisle, approached us one by one, stretched the lightweight rubber inside our plastic collars so that they would fit over our heads and gently slipped them on, leaving them resting on our shoulders, the rubber encircling our necks. They commented that mine was cut a little looser than they would have preferred, but they didn't think it would be problem, and I was happy to not feel constricted. Matt put on a headset that would allow him to communicate with Ryan outside and took a post standing close to me. Ryan closed the hatch, and the dive began.

The sound during the descent is hard to describe - perhaps a little like a wind tunnel without the wind; a gradual increase in decibels such that we had each been given a set of OSHA prescribed headphones, should we choose to wear them. But I wanted to focus on whether or not my ears were clearing, and thought the headphones might be a distraction, so I declined. Almost immediately I sensed the need to clear my ears - the same sensation one gets in an airplane - and I swallowed in the way that had been helpful in the air. It seemed to work and I was encouraged. But as the pressure increased, it was clear that I would have to keep responding. I added the technique Matt had suggested - take in some air, close your mouth, hold your nose, and blow. Undignified, but generally effective. Ryan stopped the dive for a minute about a third of the way "down" so that Matt could see if I was okay. So far so good.

Another patient asked for some water, which made me realize that all that swallowing was making my mouth dry. I spoke up too. From a plastic pitcher at the other end of the chamber Matt poured us each a Dixie-cup-full of water, and we continued. Pressure, swallow, blow, sip, swallow. The atmosphere in the chamber warmed significantly in response to the compression. This process continued for the approximately twelve minutes it takes to descend. Then the rushing sound ended. We had arrived and my ear drums were still intact.