This Was a Mess: A Dive Debrief on What Not to Do

This is a dive debrief of a chain of mistakes. In this video, I share an aborted dive where I experienced an aspiration event, and I walk through the decisions and errors that led up to it. I used borrowed regulators, did not conduct a proper safety stop, and did not deploy my SMB. All of those were mistakes, and I own them. I also share the follow-up wreck dive I chose to do afterward in an attempt to reset and regain confidence. In hindsight, that decision was questionable. After that second dive, I went to the hospital to get checked out for possible decompression sickness or lung expansion injury. This is not a highlight reel. It’s an honest breakdown of what went wrong, how stress and decision-making compounded, and what I should have done differently. I’m sharing this because I believe it’s important to talk openly about mistakes, human factors, and how small judgment calls can stack up into bigger problems. If you’re a newer diver, or if you’ve ever had a dive shake your confidence, I hope this helps reinforce the importance of slowing down, sticking to procedures, and making conservative choices. Safety Note / Disclaimer: This video shows real mistakes and poor decisions on my part. It is not training or instruction. I am not an instructor, and nothing in this video should be taken as guidance on how to dive or how to handle emergencies. Do not copy the dives, equipment choices, or decisions shown here. Several of them were wrong. Always dive within your training, experience, and limits, follow established procedures, and get proper instruction from qualified dive professionals. If you experience any symptoms after a dive, seek medical evaluation immediately. Stay safe, stay calm, and just keep breathing.