First letter of the alphabet in upper case AAAAAAAAA, just kidding about the upper case.
Yes it uses more air but the least to lock up the airway.
Yes it uses more air but the least to lock up the airway.
Controlled Emergency Ascent Practice
- Thread starter SM Diver
- Start date
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Kaffphine
Guest
I'm having problems picturing this... an ascent arrest line? In my OW (which admittly wasn't 'by the book')we did CESA's in open water, not even a line for refererce. In the classes I've been tagging along/helping out with up here, there's a line for visual reference, but neither the instructor nor student is in contact with it. I'm curious as to how this works.
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
Easy... the student does not touch the line or the instructor. The line is also firmly anchored to the bottom. The instructor has one hand on the student's BC shoulder strap, and one hand on the line. The Instructor keeps their position just above the student so that they can clearly see bubbles coming out of the regulator (or hear the hum). If the bubbles or humming stop the instructor's hand grasps the line, effectively arresting the student's ascent. This greatly reduces the possibility of a barotrauma in the student, it plays hell on the instructor though, and especially so in a large class.
The only time an ascent line is NOT used is when the ESA is done horizontally in the pool.
The only time an ascent line is NOT used is when the ESA is done horizontally in the pool.
Kaffphine
Guest
ok, that makes sense. And this is manditory practice in all agencies, specifily PADI? .... Had some pretty messed up training, still checking up on it.
Netdoc,
If I may nitpick. NAUI standards call for an "ascent line with an anchor". PADI standards call for a line connected to a surface float and can be tied off at the bottom OR held down by weights. I keep my life simple by just tying a line off on the boat (a surface float, n'est pas?) and suspending a big weight belt at the bottom of it. That way I don't have to carry a float and anchor around, just the line. There's always an extra weight belt on board. Just a suggestion.
Neil
AliKat
Contributor
If students were able to get away with breathing during this skill, I'm not sure how they got away with it. Most instructors I've seen watched specifically for this and if the student did not complete it successfully (withour inhaling), they started over or didn't get certified!
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
Obviously, there are way more ways to skin a cat. I just feel more comfortable the MORE the line is solidly fixed to the bottom. That gives me a more solid stop to work with. Boat, float, buoy it really does not matter, but I do hate the use of the little tiny ropes on a divers down buoy to do this. Again, its a comfort factor.
I bought my current buoy ball (20") and 1/2" nylon rope to use during my ITC OW checkout dives. The guy I bought it from was a trainer for the ITC, and really tried to stop me from spending money. Gave me the option of the diver down float, but I went and spent the money. When we got to the site where there were at least 12 sunken boats, he even advised against taking the time to lay a line for the tour... the lake had a working vis of less then 10 feet. After I and the other candidate stumbled a bit on our first dive, I ran the line while they were "debating" our score. HUGE difference for the next dives.
The difference was comfort factor. The guy from the shop has trained 350+ students... NetDoc... 0. I need the little extras to keep me oriented and to give me clues under the water. He had so much practice that a wimpy line from a divers down float would work for him to do ESAs. I am not that practiced yet. While I couldn't see a student over ten feet away, I could clearly see the bright yellow line I laid over twenty feet away. I knew where it was going, and so could concentrate more on the students (with one escape artist) and much, much less on directions. Put me in Alexander Springs with the working vis over 200 ft, and I don't need no stinking line... but I still prefer to have the buoy ball and thick line to do the ascents.
I bought my current buoy ball (20") and 1/2" nylon rope to use during my ITC OW checkout dives. The guy I bought it from was a trainer for the ITC, and really tried to stop me from spending money. Gave me the option of the diver down float, but I went and spent the money. When we got to the site where there were at least 12 sunken boats, he even advised against taking the time to lay a line for the tour... the lake had a working vis of less then 10 feet. After I and the other candidate stumbled a bit on our first dive, I ran the line while they were "debating" our score. HUGE difference for the next dives.
The difference was comfort factor. The guy from the shop has trained 350+ students... NetDoc... 0. I need the little extras to keep me oriented and to give me clues under the water. He had so much practice that a wimpy line from a divers down float would work for him to do ESAs. I am not that practiced yet. While I couldn't see a student over ten feet away, I could clearly see the bright yellow line I laid over twenty feet away. I knew where it was going, and so could concentrate more on the students (with one escape artist) and much, much less on directions. Put me in Alexander Springs with the working vis over 200 ft, and I don't need no stinking line... but I still prefer to have the buoy ball and thick line to do the ascents.
Netdoc,
With that attention to detail, you can be my instructor any day! I just prefer not to drag a float around with me to the boats. As I'm sure you know, in a NAUI class, you have to do 4 different ascents with each student, so not having to do an extra dive to set a float or guideline is a plus for me.
Have you run a full class yet? How was it?
Neil
With that attention to detail, you can be my instructor any day!
I just prefer not to drag a float around with me to the boats. As I'm sure you know, in a NAUI class, you have to do 4 different ascents with each student, so not having to do an extra dive to set a float or guideline is a plus for me. Have you run a full class yet? How was it?
Neil
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
Not alone, not yet... I am waiting for a final meeting with the CD to finish things up. He is out of town till next week, so I am stuck just waiting! I want to finish this soooooooooooo bad!!! We have yet to finish getting my kids in the Venture Crew certified, and with the schedule the shop has going, the only way is for me to finish them.
art.chick
Contributor
YMCA also does controlled emergency swim ascent.
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