"mike regish" wrote in message
. net...
Could that also happen with a breath taken at the surface? What kind of
conditions would cause this?

mike regish

It can happen, from what I remember, anytime time you take a breath from 4
feet or more under the water and then ascend without exhaling. Took dive
lessons in college for PE requirements, but that was a VERY long time ago
:-)


"John E. Carty" wrote in message
...

"mike regish" wrote in message
news:HNajb.136846$%h1.138365@sccrnsc02...
Ascending while holding your breath (a breath taken from a tank at a
deeper
level) won't cause the bends. It will burst your lungs-or something to
that
affect-

It can cause an air embolism, which means the air bubbles in your blood
can
expand to the point where they block your blood vessels.

as the enclosed air in your lungs expands under decreasing pressure.
If you take your breath and hold it a tthe surface, descend and then
ascend,
there is no problem with that as your lungs are at capacity at the
surface
already.

mike regish

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...
"John E. Carty" wrote in message
.. .
The trip back up is where you need to go slowly or risk the bends.
Won't happen in a free dive. This is a result of taking a breath
from
some
depth (as little as 4 feet down) and then not exhaling when
returning
to
the
surface

The "bends" result solely from too rapid an ascent, whereas holding
your
breath is a problem no matter how slowly you ascend. The two are
both
dangerous, but are not the same thing.

Otherwise, your point is accurate as far as I know.

Pete