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Dan, you're right. I wasn't suggesting, however, that DCS is the main concern with an uncontrolled ascent on a recreational dive. Lung over expansion injury, however, is a real risk. I've seen three and heard of more (locally) and they are ugly. Buddy separation is also not something you want to add to the cluster*** that was apparently already happening when someone decided that ditching their weights was the right maneuver, or they slid out of their pockets unbidden. And then there's panic, which can kill someone at depth OR on the surface. A panicked diver will do all sorts of things you don't expect. Like kneeling on the bottom frantically dumping gas out of their wing, trying to go up. Uncontrolled ascents can cause panic.
Also, subclinical DCS, though not life threatening, sucks, and an uncontrolled ascent will usually cause some symptoms. Combined with other things, an uncontrolled ascent CAN hurt a recreational diver. Remember we are not talking about hugely vascularized Irvine types who go for a run after a deep cave dive just to see what the Doppler says. we are talking people like me.
Maggie
Hi Maggie,
No argument, that if they hold their breath on ascent, that they will be hosed....
For those people that SHOULD BE divers......the ones with some aptitude, just being told to exhale all the way up, and their knowing this, should be all that is needed. It is incredibly easy.
Back in the 70's we would practice free ascents from 100 feet....your lungs were like an air factory, and there was nothing easier than doing this..and it was fun.
An Asthmatic that can't reliably exhale at beyond a very slow exhale, or a diver so afraid that they are in a state of panic and unable to concentrate on a slow gradual exhale--can't really be expected to do a buoyant ascent safely ( meaning getting to the surface really fast)....But with healthy lungs, even a buoyant ascent with a large BC and the huge speed potential it represents, is easy to exhale all the way up.