Ascending on a line?

[Bamabowtie]

During my OW cert class, the quarry that I was certified in had ascent lines, so the issue of ascending on a line was basically a forgone issue.

My question is in regards to open water ascents. When in open water, should you always ascend on a line? For example, if I am diving a shallow 45' reef. Do you shoot up an SMB and ascend on a line from a depth such as 40'? I know this is a silly question, but it has been on my mind. Thanks

 

[ben_wilson3301]

People usually use a line if they are new, have trouble maintaining buoyancy, or there is current.

 

[Doc]

Ascent lines are best anchored to the sea floor so that one may grab them to control their ascent during the initial learning process.

An SMB is not anchored to the sea floor.

Shooting an SMB is a rather advanced act in and of itself. Best wait a while on this one! It may be of some value to use the line on an SMB to reference where you are in the water column- if one is already deployed and is marked in a way so that you know your depth. You can look at a "flag" on the line versus staring at your depth gauge.

Neutral buoyancy, floating in the water column is the primary and most important goal.

At times, shooting a SMB line is useful for "hanging off of" while doing intermediate momentary stops, or at the 15' mark while comfortably waiting a boat pick up... versus thrashing about on the surface.

 

[Bamabowtie]

So it is not standard practice for experienced divers to always ascend on a line?

 

[Doc]

If there is a current, surely yes... if there is one available.

 

[TSandM]

I virtually always ascend on a line, because I can. I have practiced SMB deployment so that I can do it safely and stably, and I hate ascending in midwater without a visual reference. If the terrain we are diving brings us up to the 20 foot range before we begin a direct ascent, I usually won't bother to shoot a bag. But if we leave a visible floor deeper than that, I'll shoot a bag.

Sending up an SMB is a skill, and it requires some instruction and a fair amount of practice. But it is enormously helpful in direct ascents in low visibility, or any time you lose reference to the bottom.

 

[DevonDiver]

If there is boat traffic in the area, then ascending on a static line or DSMB should help prevent the chance of boat-diver collision.

If there is current, then ascending on a static line or DSMB should ensure that the boat can maintain contact with you during your ascent.

I pretty much always utilise either a static (shot) line or DSMB for ascents.

 

[TMHeimer]

I don't bother with anything from 40'. At the places I normally dive I MIGHT see one boat all summer.
Deeper than that--charters, etc.--I always like to use the line, trying to make sure I don't lose track of where it is during the dive....

 

[KeithG]

I think it really depends upon the conditions.

As a vacation wuss diver I have only ever been on 1 dive site that had a descent / ascent line: a deep dive (110') in Saba (pinnacle?). Viz was about 60' so the line was a great a guide. Very little current. About half the boat grabbed the line, the rest just used it as a visual reference.

I have not seen a line anywhere else that we dive. That said my experience is always easy diving: low to no current and at least 50' viz.

So if you are doing a Bonaire dive @ 45 feet, no real need for an ascent line. But for current & less viz in other locals, please defer to info from others experienced in the conditions.

But I have seen some strange ascent behaviour when diving off a live aboard that swings on its mooring ball (think Belize and T&C). The boat makes a very large arc with a 5 minute plus duration. So when coming up from a 60' sand bottom you do need to pay close attention to your depth as well as your drift in the water column. We often see divers bolt after the swinging boat: watching them fin off into the distance beyond viz range. And they often come finning back into view after they failed to catch the boat and it swung past them since they where still too deep.

In these cases the only ascent line is the mooring line, but it is often a very long swim from the surface mooring ball to the back of the boat. We generally wait under the back of the boat and slowly ascend (use a coral head as a landmark reference) and wait for the boat to swing back to us. Sometimes we let it go by a few times because we are not yet finished our safety stop. It generally comes back (but not always!).

 

[Bubbletrubble]

So it is not standard practice for experienced divers to always ascend on a line?

Nope. It all depends on whether it's helpful/required to shoot the SMB where you are diving.
If you dive in such conditions (boat diving in current, blown off wreck, etc.), then it's advisable to shoot the bag.
If not, then shooting a bag is optional. It's your choice if you want to practice the procedure.

On my typical local dives, we follow the gentle slope back to shore. It makes little sense to shoot a bag under such circumstances.
Certain nearby dive sites in the San Diego area (Point Loma) are located in heavy kelp. We use the kelp as a convenient visual reference.

FWIW, a dive team (diver + his buddy/buddies) should be able to do a mid-water ascent with no visual reference, per se. In this case, you try to keep your buddy and your depth gauge/computer in your field of vision while ascending.

Have fun diving...