Buddy Breathing

[elan]

I put Advanced level as at the beginners level the students are not supposed to dive deep before they feel comfortable with buoyancy etc. w/o good buoyancy skills it will be too much task loading.

If they dive shallow and keep together one can use the buddy as the backup. In case the buddy is not available CESA will not be really dangerous from 40-50 ft. I think with little buoyancy practice buddy breathing is not really doable

 

[rstofer]

If they dive shallow and keep together one can use the buddy as the backup. In case the buddy is not available CESA will not be really dangerous from 40-50 ft. I think with little buoyancy practice buddy breathing is not really doable

Without buoyancy control air sharing won't work either. The regulator hose can only be just so long.

Richard

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Without buoyancy control air sharing won't work either. The regulator hose can only be just so long.

Richard

I recommend to all my OW students that if they are physically able to easily swim up deflated, then they should completely deflate at the beginning of any and all ascents and swim up. That and the fact that air sharing training includes holding on to each other means your comment is probably not pertinent for the vast majority of beginning recreational divers.

As a preemptive flame extinguisher I will state that like Jim I start early with and stress buoyancy control but since the panic cycle is not addressed in OW, deflated swimming ascents take the buoyancy issue out of the mix. I also live by my recommendation as heavy recovery, such as 20# weight belt retrieval, is the only time I would come up with air in my bladder.

 

[rstofer]

I recommend to all my OW students that if they are physically able to easily swim up deflated, then they should completely deflate at the beginning of any and all ascents and swim up. That and the fact that air sharing training includes holding on to each other means your comment is probably not pertinent for the vast majority of beginning recreational divers.

One advantage of the long hose primary is that you can get the victim away from you. I don't know how that meshes with holding onto each other. Yes, I was taught to hold on. But my hose was much shorter and I really had no choice.

As to swimming up: it really depends on the environment. At depth, in a 7mm wetsuit, with an HP 100 full of air, the diver could be as much as 30# heavy. There is no way in the world to swim up that much weight. Two divers would be 60# heavy and I doubt that very many divers have an extra 30# of lift in their wing.

This whole thing of OOA ascents, air sharing, buddy breathing, excessive weight and wing lift needs to be thought out. It's probably best to do it before getting to the bottom. If there is one...

T-shirt diving is SO much easier!

Richard

 

[elan]

Well air sharing is easier to do , they can just hold on to each other with right hand and hold the air dump button with the other. With Buddy breathing one has to get better control of the breath.

What is T-shirt diving anyways

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I recommend to all my OW students that if they are physically able to easily swim up deflated, then they should completely deflate at the beginning of any and all ascents and swim up. That and the fact that air sharing training includes holding on to each other means your comment is probably not pertinent for the vast majority of beginning recreational divers.

As a preemptive flame extinguisher I will state that like Jim I start early with and stress buoyancy control but since the panic cycle is not addressed in OW, deflated swimming ascents take the buoyancy issue out of the mix. I also live by my recommendation as heavy recovery, such as 20# weight belt retrieval, is the only time I would come up with air in my bladder.

Actually the panic cycle is covered extensively in the SEI OW course. The power point that we have for it is very clear and conveys it in a simple yet not condescending manner. I just completed this section with a student last week that is an auditor for a large multinational company. One area he audits is plant safety and emergency response. He said he picked up a few things he'll be looking at using. When the right method is used covering it can be done in about half an hour. Time well spent in my book.

 

[rstofer]

What is T-shirt diving anyways

In Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Maldives, it is quite comfortable to dive in a Lycra skin or just a T-shirt and shorts. The Lycra offers better protection from stings.

When I think about warm water, I think in terms of T-shirt diving.

Richard

 

[elan]

In Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Maldives, it is quite comfortable to dive in a Lycra skin or just a T-shirt and shorts. The Lycra offers better protection from stings.

When I think about warm water, I think in terms of T-shirt diving.

Richard

I was joking This term is unfamiliar to the Canadian resident

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I recommend to all my OW students that if they are physically able to easily swim up deflated, then they should completely deflate at the beginning of any and all ascents and swim up. That and the fact that air sharing training includes holding on to each other means your comment is probably not pertinent for the vast majority of beginning recreational divers.

As a preemptive flame extinguisher I will state that like Jim I start early with and stress buoyancy control but since the panic cycle is not addressed in OW, deflated swimming ascents take the buoyancy issue out of the mix. I also live by my recommendation as heavy recovery, such as 20# weight belt retrieval, is the only time I would come up with air in my bladder.

The vast majority of beginning recreational divers are diving AL 80's with at most 5 mm wet suits. The vast majority of beginning recreational divers do not have any panic cycle training. The Standards for the vast majority of recreational Instructors address the fact that in the less popular dive locations additional training may be prudent.

If you are diving neutrally buoyant the only buoyancy control on ascent would be deflating, which is included in even the most rudimentary OW training.

Is it a victim or are they your buddy?

 

[Nylorac]

I can CESA from at least 95% of my dives max depths (probably 100%), so why exactly would you think you can't get yourself out of an OOA situation by yourself?

If all divers were comfortable experienced waterpeople BB would not be an issue. What percentage of todays divers are comfortable experienced waterpeople? I have no problem with comfortable experienced waterpeople training and practicing BB, but I don't see how it works for recreational diving in general.

You are a fish - so I guess you can CESA from almost anything. I think I might not get myself out of an OOA situation without air from my buddy because I'm just not that experienced yet. Why do you think recreational divers can't practice BB? Training and practicing under controlled circumstances is what helps make you become a comfortable, experienced "waterperson" - the percentage of comfortable divers would be higher if more people trained at it. I consistently check my air so the only way I will have a problem is equipment malfunction - which happens. I think the point is to avoid CESA if possible in the event you are OOA. Sharing air via your redundant air source is easy and most likely to work but in the event it doesn't I want to KNOW how to handle BB without any questions or panic. I just don’t get the idea that you should not work on practicing skills and being prepared. I have started taking more challenging dives up here in the northeast – cold water (dry suit), dealing with currents, etc. – I want to be as prepared as possible.