#Got a question after I tell you a little bit about my dives.
#
#We went there to get married so we didn't do a lot of diving as we had
#family and friends there so only a few dives were done.
#
#Shore dives, warm 80F, rough waters.  Water was clear approx 60 to 80 feet
#visibility.  Near shore surge's were pretty powerful, but fun, what a work
#out.  We dove on St Thomas, Limetree Bay.  About 100 yards out from shore is
#a sunken navy barge, we snorkeled out to it and down we went.  Only about 60
#feet to the bottom of the barge at the top of it, it's 25 feet or so.  Lots
#of fish, couple of nurse sharks, two sting ray, few star fish, and the coral
#was beautiful.   The barge is broke in half, apparently they sunk it there
#on purpose.  Pretty simple dive as there were no currents or surges out
#there.  Lot's of waves though, so snorkeling out was tiring.  We also did a
#couple of dives along the cliffs of the bay on both sides, that's where the
#surges were and they were a little tough, but I found them exciting.  Those
#were really shallow dives like 8 feet to 25 feet.  As a newbie diver I had a
#good time.  My husband found the cliff areas boring but he's been doing this
#for years, this is all too new to me to be boring.
#
#Ok here is my question,  right after my last dive my lungs were hurting like
#I had inhaled something irritating.  I asked my husband if he had ever had
#that experience and he had replied no.  Then the next day I had a horrible
#chest cold, which today is a full blown upper repertory infection.  Could I
#have gotten bad air?  It didn't task funny, nor did it smell unusual.  Since
#I am so new at this, my hubby checked my air too and he didn't notice
#anything.  We got the tanks from the same place and he's fine.  Could this
#be just coincidence?  The last dive was the 19th.
#
#Jane
#
#

I doubt it was contaminated air. I suspect you might have inhaled a bit
of seawater while snorkeling, which irritated your lungs (which then
became infected) or you may have gotten an infection from dirty rental
gear (assuming you used rental gear). "Bad air" usually means air
contaminated with carbon monoxide or particulates. Particulates *could*
cause an infection, but these usually just contaminate the inlet filter
of the first stage. Carbon monoxide poisoning usually doesn't cause
respiratory tract infections.

Alan

I would guess a virus which developed into a URI. Bummer that it had
to happen on your honeymoon AND dive trip.

BTW, congrats to the newlyweds.

Rick Simms
********************************************
"Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction
listen to weather forecasts and economists?"

How had it been since your physical arrival off of the plane incoming to the
Islands, before you first noticed how you felt?  If it was 7-10 days, then
there's a reasonable chance that you caught a nasty bug while on the plane.

Are you really certain that you hadn't felt any other signs of illness prior
to your last dive that day?  Maybe you were a bit more tired than you
thought you should be?  Feeling a bit weak?  And then just ascribed the
earliest of symptoms to /nerves/excitement and/or other holiday activities?

I hope you have been to a doctor.  And congratulations on your wedding and
joining the SCUBA world.  I hope you aren't going to let this infection
negatively influence your decision to dive again in the future.