Surface Marker Buoy and Air Share

[Soakedlontra]

Hello folks!

Do you practice the deployment of the surface marker buoy while sharing air and doing a controlled ascent?

 

[Lead_carrier]

If I run into that situation, I'll ascend first then inflate the SMB. Both can be done at the same time but unless it is required then I personally don't see the need to do it.

 

[Rainer]

Having a marker up can make the air-sharing ascent easier *if* those skills are something you've practiced and find easy. All covered in a GUE Fundamentals class.

 

[Captain12Pk]

We absolutely do train for this. And we'll even throw a missing mask into the mix. Task loading like this can become VERY stressfull, so be careful. But like all of your other skills, with enough practice, you'll get to the point where it becomes second nature.

 

[flots am]

Hello folks!

Do you practice the deployment of the surface marker buoy while sharing air and doing a controlled ascent?

It's possible, but certainly wouldn't be considered "Basic SCUBA." OTOH, I can't really see a need to do it unless you've managed to run out of air and are unexpectedly drifting away, which requires two major screw-ups on one dive.

A better suggestion would be to learn "How to not run out of air." This requires nothing more than paying attention to your SPG or computer at appropriate intervals.

I saw a guy on TV get shot and catch the bullet in his hand. It's impressive, but a better solution is to not get shot.

flots.

 

[Blackwood]

OTOH, I can't really see a need to do it unless you've managed to run out of air and are unexpectedly drifting away, which requires two major screw-ups on one dive.

Not necessarily.

For many open water dives, I maintain sufficient gas to share for the duration of the ascent from my maximum depth. I don't necessarily maintain enough gas that I can swim somewhere at depth before ascending (thirds, halves, sixths, whatever).

So if we're doing a beach dive here in Redondo, and you happen to go OOG at max depth, and that coincides with me hitting reserve pressure, we have to go straight up rather then swim along the slope as is normal.

We could swim in towards shore in mid-water while ascending, but I'd probably shoot in hopes that any boat traffic would stay away.

A better suggestion would be to learn "How to not run out of air." This requires nothing more than paying attention to your SPG or computer at appropriate intervals.

My friend was diving with his wife in Bonaire when (I suspect) a flake of rust was ingested by the valve's dip tube. She instantly went from 2000PSI to not being able to breathe. No amount of checking her SPG would have prevented that.

 

[flots am]

Not necessarily.

For many open water dives, I maintain sufficient gas to share for the duration of the ascent from my maximum depth. I don't necessarily maintain enough gas that I can swim somewhere at depth before ascending (thirds, halves, sixths, whatever).

This is still gas planning. If you need to go somewere before starting your ascent, you need to plan for it.

We could swim in towards shore in mid-water while ascending, but I'd probably shoot in hopes that any boat traffic would stay away.

If an ascent would involve popping up into traffic, then you should be planning your gas to not do that.

My friend was diving with his wife in Bonaire when (I suspect) a flake of rust was ingested by the valve's dip tube. She instantly went from 2000PSI to not being able to breathe. No amount of checking her SPG would have prevented that.

If you watch your SPG and it's not going down, that means it's broken.

In any case, that would have required a simple air share, not shooting a lift bag while sharing and ascending.

flots.

 

[Blackwood]

This is still gas planning. If you need to go somewere before starting your ascent, you need to plan for it.

Agreed.

would involve popping up into traffic, then you should be planning your gas to not do that.

There are stay out zones for boats, but I have no way of judging where they are in the water.

I suppose I could plan 1/3s, but I suspect that would be overkill.

If you watch your SPG and it's not going down, that means it's broken.

It was going down.

In any case, that would have required a simple air share, not shooting a lift bag while sharing and ascending.

flots.

Agreed.

 

[Rainer]

If you need to go somewere before starting your ascent, you need to plan for it.

If an ascent would involve popping up into traffic, then you should be planning your gas to not do that.

There are plenty of places where coming back to an anchor/mooring line might be nice, but hardly necessary. There just aren't that many local sites where I feel the need to dive thirds (i.e. "must" come back to boat) and would be quite willing to make a direct ascent in an OOG scenario. If I felt putting up a marker in such cases was warranted (possibility of drifting, possible boat traffic, or simply as an ascent aid), I'd do so. I find this easy.

There are also many cases where the dives were planned as drifts to start with, in such cases, putting up a marker is going to have to be done regardless. Hopefully no one in such a scenario would find gas sharing to be overly burdensome.

Deploying a marker while gas sharing isn't rocket science. Just another skill that requires some practice.

 

[Soakedlontra]

Thank you very much Folks!

Deploying a marker while gas sharing isn't rocket science. Just another skill that requires some practice.

We absolutely do train for this. And we'll even throw a missing mask into the mix. Task loading like this can become VERY stressfull, so be careful. But like all of your other skills, with enough practice, you'll get to the point where it becomes second nature.

Well my hesitation comes from the fact that when Sambolino44 and I practiced it for the first time we tried to do too much too soon. Everything turned into a big mess. Our approach with this multiple tasks skill practice is to break it into each 'task', practice it until we have nailed it down, move on the next one etc. and then combine all them together. Right now we are still at the 'breaking it down' stage, I guess.