Ok, he's goin to turn off my air? and I'm to do an e.b.a?

[Peter Guy]

What, you've never breathed your reg down? If not, just do it yourself the next time you kit up. Open the valve and pressurize the system then close the valve. Now breathe the reg down and 1. count the number of breaths it takes to get to nothing; and 2. learn what it feels like.

In addition to learning what it feels like, you should know how many breaths it takes to breathe the reg down and EVERY TIME you do your equipment check, take that number of breaths PLUS 1 or 2 more to guarantee your valve is on.

It is really NO BIG DEAL!

 

[diver 85]

relax, you have enuff to clear a hundred---15's a can of corn.......

 

[Ben_Ayers]

We did our OW with an SSI shop and did this in the pool and for our check-out dive. In the pool we first got neutral, then when the needle on our pressure gauge dropped, we dropped our integrated weights and exhaled to the surface. When doing it in the quarry, we simulated dropping our weights. Make sure you get neutral first (especially during simulation) - my wife wasn't neutral and had trouble getting off the platform necessitating having to breath on the ascent.
I think they turn the gas back on as soon as they turn it off?

Ben

 

[John_B]

In the pool we first got neutral, then when the needle on our pressure gauge dropped, we dropped our integrated weights and exhaled to the surface.

The only place I'd ever want to drop my weights would be at the surface... It should be no problem to swim up a single tank rig from depth unless you were massively overweighted.

 

[Ladyvalea]

We did our OW with an SSI shop and did this in the pool and for our check-out dive. In the pool we first got neutral, then when the needle on our pressure gauge dropped, we dropped our integrated weights and exhaled to the surface. When doing it in the quarry, we simulated dropping our weights. Make sure you get neutral first (especially during simulation) - my wife wasn't neutral and had trouble getting off the platform necessitating having to breath on the ascent.
I think they turn the gas back on as soon as they turn it off?

Ben

That is exactly what we did...watch the needle go down and just like you said. Ok !!! I'm baaaack from the stress and Rescue class! and I did pass the air tank cut off thing acent to the surface!! Wow.

 

[tstormdiver]

In the classes (pool sessions) I have assisted with, during the swimming emergency ascent the instructor will turn the air off after making sure the student is ready & OK. The student looks at their gages as the pressure drops. When the student can no longer pull a breath, they give the out- of- air sign (slash across the throat) & the instructor immediately turns the air back on As the student starts to head to the surface. The instructor has constant contact with the student at all times to the surface. All of this is explained in full detail to the students before the exercise starts, so that any questions or concerns may be addressed.

 

[capt. dave]

RELAX--Just did my OW cert. last month via PADI program. After my briefing ABOVE WATER, specifically noting what, how and why he was going to do this, you will do a normal decent. You face the instructor and he will give you the OK (AKA, are you ready?) sign. It will be ssslllooowwlllyy turned off, and when your ooa, immediately turned back on. If there was a problem, he has his octo ready to go! You will never forget how it feels to be ooa, and hopefully will make you check your gages on a regular basis. I think the real test would be for the instructor to turn off the air during a cert dive to see how you react...Mine did not, in fact, just a simulation with ooa skills etc. during the cert dives. The full mask removal in 40 degree water was the killer for me, at least until my face went numb...

 

[ScubaSteve]

......the air tank cut off thing.......

They really should take a second look when they name these drills to see how they actually sound . It is good that you passed it and as was already posted, I think this is a valuable lesson because it gives you an idea of how a reg breathes when LOA leading to OOA. Perhaps this will stick with you so you can tell what is happening before it happens (should it ever happen to you which hopefully it does not).

 

[CamG]

Greetings fellow SB'rs! I would just like to comment to the non-diving soon to be trained students reading this thread. It sounds much worse than it is, and it is a exercise that takes place in a training "very controlled" environment! This exercise and skill are very important to diving and take place under very careful supervision. I have witnessed this exercise often and not had any students have any issue. As one post has said relax......and listen carefully to the briefing, relay any questions to your instructor.
It is simple and easy to practice as others have mentioned. Start on the surface while gearing up and remember what the tightening feels like as the air is off, leave the regulator in your mouth and turn the air back on. Presto! air is back and all is well! This is a exercise to train in a OOA emergency, trust me when I say it is a critically important skill that you will want to master. As your instructor will cover it is a good motivator for diving with a dive buddy who is trust worthy and stays close for handling such emergencies. It really is a fun skill to practice and should be reviewed often to prepare buddy teams for out of air - share air emergencies.
The emergency accent is another fun easy skill to practice. I like practice once I finish my safety stop at the end of a dive. It is always a good idea to let your buddy know what is going on and be a SAFE diver. NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!
Good luck and safe training to all!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[fyrdyvr]

We did his skill in my SSI OW class. The instructor had us to signal that we had to "stop, slow down, think and react". After we signaled "react" he shut the tank valve off and we ditched our weights and did an EBA, flaring our bodies near the surface. He made sure that we were "humming" as we ascended, so that we couldn't hold our breath. As someone mentioned earlier, we simulated the weight ditching at the quarry.

As far as skills go, this one was much easier and less terrifying to me than removing my mask.

Congrats on passing your AOW class. Getting my four specialties is next on my list!