Air share

[mc42]

Page 7 of your link is exactly what I do. Now, as it seems that it is not widely used, I am open to use a more efficient signal.

That signal is an official signal and I’ve used it and had others signal me with it. I can see people not remembering that after training, or perhaps not even having been taught that.

The other that probably isn’t used much is the air share signal, since mostly you’d have done the throat slash signal for OOA which means you require air sharing now. I have used the air share signal to offer someone who is low on gas, but not out, the option if we still have to swim back a little.

Obviously the main purpose of communication is gettting your point across regardless of standards, so you would then have to try something else, like pointing to your gauge, mimicking the needle going down with your hands, pushing your gauge in the DM’s face, and at some point thumbing the dive when you get below your threshold. I’m sadly not surprised the DM didn’t respond to the signal given the varying quality of dive leadership you have experienced.

Since you have the DM training you should be confident enough to assert what you want for the dive plan, gas pressures, depths, etc. and quickly review any signals you intend to use on the dive.

 

[Rukkian]

Have not had to donate, but should have. My first dive at penyroyal in kentucky this year was with somebody I really didn't know, but neither of us had a buddy, and were both there with the same group so we went together. We got to 80' and were exploring, I checked if he was okay several times, and he always said okay. About 10 minutes into the dive, he came over to me, gave ooa, and before even getting to me, bolted for the surface. I followed for a short distance, but did not want issues, so I let him go and ascended at a normal rate.

 

[ginti]

Have not had to donate, but should have. My first dive at penyroyal in kentucky this year was with somebody I really didn't know, but neither of us had a buddy, and were both there with the same group so we went together. We got to 80' and were exploring, I checked if he was okay several times, and he always said okay. About 10 minutes into the dive, he came over to me, gave ooa, and before even getting to me, bolted for the surface. I followed for a short distance, but did not want issues, so I let him go and ascended at a normal rate.

is he ok?

 

[Dody]

Another critical point; if the DM didn't know that you wanted to have 50bar at the surface, what the DM did here:



is perfectly fine, assuming that you were not deep. You really must be sure that this:



Is fine for everyone BEFORE the dive; if it is not, then it is absolutely normal to continue the dive (again, shallow and with a good safety margin, so to ensure that no one will run out of gas).

Also, consider that a DM may read your SP when you signal LOA. They often read the SPG of their clients, just to be sure that everything is fine (at least, where I dive). Now, if you didn't say previously that you wanted to surface with 50bar, and you signal LOA with, say, 80 bar in a 15l tank at 20m, they may just think that you are not even able to properly interpret your SPG. Not only they will not end the dive (pissing you off), they will also think that you are not a competent diver, unable to manage your gas - in other words, only easy boring dives for the future with these operators.

If they knew and agreed that you wanted to surface with 50bar, well this is another story.

Fair point.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Fair point.

How is it you have not informed your guide or dive buddy in the dive briefing? I have my safety stop set to 5 minutes and I always inform the guide and my dive buddy before the dive so when they give the 5m 3 minute safety stop signal they know mine is 5 minutes. It seems you have et your personal rules then do not communicate those rules to others. They are not mind readers. Also with 80 bar I could be at 30m and still have ample time to get shallower to safety stop depth. That might be different for you though with a higher sac rate.

As for being on the surface the reason I always have my snorkel is that my air in the tank I keep for when I need to dive.
If you are getting water in your mouth pump your BCD and fill it with air so your head stays out of the water and if in a swell with choppy water a snorkel can be put to good use.

 

[Blackcrusader]

All this talk of surfacing with 50/whatever bar. I’ll often end a dive wit 140bar or more, then do a second dive on the same cylinder. I did that last Saturday’ dive 1, 37m for 47 min; dive 2, 18m for 30 min.

One of three OOA situations I have had in over 30 years of diving was because an instructor did this. He made lot's of excuses as to why the divers made him OOA lol Yeah right like it was our fault he didn't bring a full tank.

 

[Pareto]

Hello all

Personally, I dive two 12L tanks sidemount and one longhose. But fortunately I never had a real OOG situation, only simulated. Mostly my buddies diving with 10 liter mono tanks are the limiting factor. But I have to say that I only dive in Swiss lakes and the inexperienced divers want to learn here. We don't have tourists who want to see only fish on 20m. People who have no experience in the lake (no matter how long they dive), I check more often because I have had bad experiences.

- With inexperienced divers I ask after 20min every 10min for the current pressure. If I have the feeling that it can not be true, I look inconspicuously after the pressure.

- With experienced divers I want a message at 110Bar and at the latest at 60Bar. If my gut feeling says that they are over, I actively ask.

Greetings from Switzerland
Pareto

 

[Edward3c]

All this talk of surfacing with 50/whatever bar. I’ll often end a dive wit 140bar or more, then do a second dive on the same cylinder. I did that last Saturday’ dive 1, 37m for 47 min; dive 2, 18m for 30 min.

One of three OOA situations I have had in over 30 years of diving was because an instructor did this. He made lot's of excuses as to why the divers made him OOA lol Yeah right like it was our fault he didn't bring a full tank.

And what relevance to my dive profiles is your OOA comment. I surfaced on dive 2 with 45bar, back at 6m with 60bar. I also carry a pony, but don’t include it in my air management planning.

 

[inquis]

I find all the metric discussion interesting. In the imperial world, the goal I've always heard/used is "surface with at least 500 PSI", which is 35 bar. (This is using an AL80 tank.)

 

[Rukkian]

is he ok?

We watched him for awhile, and he seemed fine, even did another dive that day and 2 the following day at mermet springs. I was worried, but saw no signs of any problems, and he insisted he was fine. It freaked me out. I even tried to stop him at first with my octo outstretched, but he didn't care. I wonder if he was even out of gas, or if maybe he was narcced slightly. We were only at 80', so I wouldn't think so, but he was also flailing around a bit, and not trimmed at all.