Can you reach your tank knob to turn it on?

[espenskogen]

Right, it's simple the math. How much time do you have when your tank is in a full out freeflow, starting with 1000PSI? How long to do a safe ascent from 90'?

BTW, the last time I saw this scenario play out was in February.

Safe ascent - 30 meters? About 3 minutes on 10 meter/minute - or 1 1/2 minutes at 18 meters a minute. Should be a piece of cake. Even on a single breath.

 

[dherbman]

In fact, it's probably so far down the list that a snorkel/regulator exchange is a more valuable skill.

E

LOL

 

[dherbman]

Safe ascent - 30 meters? About 3 minutes on 10 meter/minute - or 1 1/2 minutes at 18 meters a minute. Should be a piece of cake. Even on a single breath.

A safe ascent includes a 3-5 minute safety stop. You're talking about a CESA and that's a bad option. An AL80 will bleed off 2500PSI in about 90 seconds in a full freeeflow, so a tank with 1000psi would give you about 36 seconds till you had to do your snorkel exchange.

How many CESA have you performed from 30m? How about the average OW diver? Better yet, let's look at how many have died trying.

 

[pilot fish]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but a valve that is barely on can breathe fine at the surface, but suddenly not give you enough air at 75 feet.

Reaching behind your head to turn your valve fully on is a quick easy fix.. compared to trying to get your buddy's attention while you ascend and hoping he understands what you're triyng to tell him.. and hoping he doesn't turn the valve the wrong way.

Very good point. Thanks for reminding us that a partially turned knob will not deliver enough air at depth. I did not know that before this thread. So, don't just turn it a little bit, turn it all the way.

 

[ChillyWaters]

A safe ascent includes a 3-5 minute safety stop.

A safety stop isn't required, it's just a precautionary measure. In the rare case you have an incident at depth, it is OK to ignore it. Chances are that you will be okay.

If you have deco obligations, then it is a deco stop, NOT a safety stop.

- ChillyWaters

 

[dherbman]

A safety stop isn't required, it's just a precautionary measure. In the rare case you have an incident at depth, it is OK to ignore it. Chances are that you will be okay.

If you have deco obligations, then it is a deco stop, NOT a safety stop.

- ChillyWaters

How do you feel about 30fpm? OK to blow that off, too? I'm not saying you will die, though there is a possibility of DCS. What I'm saying is that it is far better to manage the issue, rather than for it to manage you.

 

[Kim]

How do you feel about 30fpm? OK to blow that off, too? I'm not saying you will die, though there is a possibility of DCS. What I'm saying is that it is far better to manage the issue, rather than for it to manage you.

I think it's really clear by now what the issues are so it's probably not worth trying to convince anyone who doesn't want to be!
Some people think that CESAs/dropping weight belts or whatever is the way to go. Some people just turn their valve back on and keep the CESAs/dropping weight belts or whatever in their back pocket for when it might be REALLY required. Each to his/her own I guess!

 

[dherbman]

Honestly, it's not about changing two minds. It's about squashing any idea someone else might get that CESA or bolting to the surface are preferable to managing the situation.

 

[TheRedHead]

It's how I would expect most new divers to feel after OW class. That's what they have been taught by their OW instructors.

 

[gcbryan]

It should be obvious by now that the whole thread at this point is being fueled by a troll. The only disagreement is over whether reaching your valve is Neccessary as in you Must be able to do it vs it's a good thing. Whether a safety stop is Neccessary vs it's a good thing. The lone dissenter in this entire thread is someone with less than 100 dives.

Clearly thinking divers think rather than parroting the words of their instructors. Instructors in an OW class have to simplify. Once divers get some experience most begin to think for themselves.

In a driver's ed class you are taught to always stop well behind the stop sign. As an experienced driver you know that sometimes you have to stop slightly in front of some stop signs to be able to see oncoming traffic.

229 posts (now 230) debating whether it's good to be able to turn your own air on. Maybe we can talk about snorkles for a while now.