Bluewater Ascents

[TSandM]

Well, I find a bag and line helps a great deal with buoyancy. For one thing, it gives me an instant reference for vertical (which is easy to lose in green, murky midwater around here). For another thing, if you're sitting at a stop holding the spool and you begin to go up, the line will get slack and you'll feel it instantly. My ears will tell me if I'm sinking, but my ears say nothing about ascending, and by the time my suit feels loose, I'm several FEET from where I want to be. The bag and spool is a much finer reference.

 

[Sloth]

....But doing them in 2' of dark vis... completely different ball game.

Still, I very much enjoy doing them without a reference.

Exactly, which is why you should be comfortable doing a zero reference acsent no mater the circumstance. Anything from a river dive with 5' of viz in current where you cant shot a bag to an ascent with no mask. Zero reference ascent shouldnt be a big deal to divers doing deco dives. If you are lucky to live in a place with awesome viz dont let that ruin your skills if/when you find yourself diving in crappy viz one day.

And yes ive done dives in poor viz from quarries, lakes, rivers, off shore ocean dives in silt, ect. And yes hawaii's nice viz is spoiling me

 

[cfenton]

Well, I find a bag and line helps a great deal with buoyancy. For one thing, it gives me an instant reference for vertical (which is easy to lose in green, murky midwater around here). For another thing, if you're sitting at a stop holding the spool and you begin to go up, the line will get slack and you'll feel it instantly. My ears will tell me if I'm sinking, but my ears say nothing about ascending, and by the time my suit feels loose, I'm several FEET from where I want to be. The bag and spool is a much finer reference.

That's both true and well thought out; as I find most things you post usually are.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that the primary function of a smb is to mark a divers locations at the surface. If helping a diver keep his/her location in the water is a secondary function then that's a bonus in my opinion. But I also think that a diver should have the skill to do the exact same blue water ascent with no reference at all. I dive in the same conditions as you do and I honestly don't think that doing a blue water ascent in 2' of viz is any harder than it is in 100' of viz. The mechanics and tools at your disposal are virtually the same the only real difference is one of perception. Meaning that blue water is blue water and whether you can see 100' into the water column or 2' is really irrelevant. Your buddy and your gauge are right in front of your face at all times on the ascent so you never really lose the two most important references.

 

[lamont]

That's both true and well thought out; as I find most things you post usually are.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that the primary function of a smb is to mark a divers locations at the surface. If helping a diver keep his/her location in the water is a secondary function then that's a bonus in my opinion. But I also think that a diver should have the skill to do the exact same blue water ascent with no reference at all. I dive in the same conditions as you do and I honestly don't think that doing a blue water ascent in 2' of viz is any harder than it is in 100' of viz. The mechanics and tools at your disposal are virtually the same the only real difference is one of perception. Meaning that blue water is blue water and whether you can see 100' into the water column or 2' is really irrelevant. Your buddy and your gauge are right in front of your face at all times on the ascent so you never really lose the two most important references.

in currents and bad surface conditions, the smb may not be a very good depth marker.

 

[Jason B]

And yes hawaii's nice viz is spoiling me

Come on back to the East coast - I owe you a charter. That dive where you gave me your seat - worst viz in years - locals are stilling talking about that infamous day - your "no viz" ascents would have came in handy that day.

 

[Sloth]

Come on back to the East coast - I owe you a charter. That dive where you gave me your seat - worst viz in years - locals are stilling talking about that infamous day - your "no viz" ascents would have came in handy that day.

Hahaha, to funny.

NC viz was always so hit or miss. One weekend 100' the next 10', of course it was about a 50/50 chance of even getting to the wreck due to conditions. Despite the crappy viz, long boat rides and no guarantee of a dive I still miss the NC wrecks. Spar, U-352, Carbisea <?>, Hyde, Markham, City of Houston. So many cool wrecks that I dove and so many cool ones that I never got a chance to see. I miss them

 

[tceylan]

Here in San Diego, La Jolla Shores, no SMB for us except emergency. Life guards do not like to see them unless it is a real emergency. If you want to practice, then you can give them a heads up though.

(These are shore dives, marine reserve, no boats.)