Deepest ever emergency swimming ascent?

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I guess im of the opinion, who cares how deep of a CESA someone else can do.....My concern is what depth im gonna be able to do it in a OOA situation. Its great someone else can do it from 100+ feet, if me or my buddies cant do it when needed. Some records are made NOT to be broken.

I understand. But the way I look at it is that by looking at the depths that divers have survived swimming ascents, it does prove beyond mere speculation that CESA (ESA, actually) is an option and provides hope in a deep OOA situation with no buddy in sight.

That knowledge, the knowledge that in extreme circumstances you can actually get to the surface on a single breath from the edge of "recreational limits" can be the difference between panic and survival.

Best wishes.
 
I came up from 95' and went to another spot that was 15' and sat on the bottom there for about an hour just to make sure everything was alright. It didn't scare me right away but after I thought about it for a while I was kind of freaked out.

Going to 60' or 70' freediving is just different, the sense of urgency isn't there.
 
I read a report by gilliam that said he did a CESA from ~400' (his report of whitetips eating his friend)
 
I am reading Gary Gentile's Andrea Doria - Dive to an Era, and in the early chapters who is talking about some of the first divers on the great wreck, down there at 200 odd feet in just wetsuits with tanks full of air, double hose regs and J-valves instead of SPGs.

According to the book, in 1964 a diver named Joe Paynotta ran out of air and so pulled his reserve, only to find it had already been pulled and he was completely empty. He then did an emergency swimming ascent from 205 feet (linear distance would presumably be longer as he would need to swim sideways out of the wreck). He survived, although unsurprisingly had to do a stint in the chamber.

I thought to myself, that has gotta be the deepest ever emergency swimming ascent in the history of scuba diving. Has anyone ever heard of anything deeper (or even comparable)?
 
Three simple rules to never ever be in a out of air emergency requiring CESA.

1. Monitor SPG regularly (those with wireless AI have it easy :) ).

2. Observe Turn Pressure (part of pre-dive planning).

3. Stay close to your buddy (your buddy is carrying your reserve).
 
My deepest was 30'. I practice it usually once a dive, usually from 20 or so. Can't think of a reason to try it deeper. If you had to you'd just have to, or else do the risky buoyant ascent. But I have heard of someone doing it from 80'.

As long as you do manage to keep a safe ascent rate, I don't suppose it's a risk to try it from deeper.
If you can't make it you can always inhale.
 
Whats the freediving record? Kinda the same thing :D:D

Not really, because
1) free divers tend to be relaxed (an OOA scuba diver probably isn't)
2) free divers tend to be familiar with pelvic thrusts and the effects of co2 rising (and they have probably already passed out in training without inhaling water so drowning is less frightening)(not saying that it is healthy)
3) free divers tend to have more streamlined suits than scuba divers
4) scuba divers may get extra breaths on the way up though
5) scuba divers lungs are loaded with high pressure oxygen and it expands on the way up and a large portion can and must be discarded on the way
6) scuba divers may have a BCD that a) increases drag tremendously but b) also becomes buoyant

This translates as "it's complicated".

This also means that what can be achieved in a wetsuit does not necessarily carry over to dry suits and vice versa.

Controlling CO2-production and maintaining a calm mind may be the major challenges.

I know a person who nearly drowned (=airlift to intensive care unit) while running out of air at 30ft so it really is your mind that kills or saves you. What is physiologically possible for your body is a different matter.
 
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I survived a CESA 5 years ago from 320 feet. Had 11 chamber treatments and am paralised, but alive. Do not reccomend it.
You resurrected an old post to share this.

Your story could be valuable. Would you mind sharing it?
 
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