Failed CESA in OW

[Mosizely]

If you go to the doctor to have knee surgery and they mark the wrong knee to be operated on, are you going to question it or just let them do it because they are “professionals?” Professionals make mistakes and it should not be an argument if you question something that is not working. Tell the instructor that you feel you’re overweighted, explain why you feel that way and ask to re-do a buoyancy check. If they refuse then find a new instructor.

That's exactly what I did.. i explained thatfelt that I had too much weight & I was unable to keep myself at eye level, which I why i reached for the reg each time i plummeted again once reaching the surface. we never did any further buoyancy checks which un nerved me a bit... it was a case of, add more he's struggling at the bottom... i thought that the procedure would be... add more, check.. add more.. check again, rather than just fill a pocket with lead & send me on the way ... I get the knee analogy, but I'm putting my life in these guys hands, so kinda respect them & assume that they're making the correct decisions... i'd never want to be the novice who knows it all... i suspect there's hundreds of them.

 

[CuzzA]

In an emergency, though, you need to ditch your weights first which, IIRC, isn't done in CESA during OW training. This does cause me to question the validity of still teaching it, or at least requiring it for certification.

Here's a real world example of a CESA, pony switch and a stop.

In an emergency ascent, if possible, I think it is wise to make a stop if you can, but at a minimum try to maintain control rather than being a buoyant missle.. It could be the difference in passing out or being bent.

 

[VikingDives]

In an emergency, though, you need to ditch your weights first which, IIRC, isn't done in CESA during OW training. This does cause me to question the validity of still teaching it, or at least requiring it for certification.

PADI's standard is to drop weights if one is below 30 feet for a buoyant emergency ascent. Under 30 feet, you do not drop your weights.

SDI discusses removing one weight pouch and holding it in your hand with the option to drop weights if needed.

I'm not aware of an agency that advocates dropping weights every time one does an emergency ascent.

 

[Mosizely]

I would have passed you if you ditched your weights on the surface.Establish positive buoyancy . Ooa the lead is off, self preservation. These instructors are ticking boxes. They probably spend 30 mins re briefing the skill you should have mastered and understood in the pool.

'apparently' I wasnt allowed to ditch weights ( i did ask)

 

[Wibble]

Get a different instructor. This guy sounds like he has no clue. If he doesn't even know how to do a weight check, there are probably more issues that aren't as apparent.

You weren't there. You cannot make that assumption.

 

[Mosizely]

I would have passed you if you ditched your weights on the surface.Establish positive buoyancy . Ooa the lead is off, self preservation. These instructors are ticking boxes. They probably spend 30 mins re briefing the skill you should have mastered and understood in the pool.

to be honest I smashed it in the pool, horizontally, without a drysuit & weights, but act of "superman" with IH in other hand & orally inflate was easy... I get that things are different in OW but feel that ticking boxes was it and maybe a case of..."we have to be out of here by..x o'clock..."

 

[Edward3c]

S

OK, First post, so dont jump on me...(Have looked on other posts & cant find...)

I did my first two OW dives at the weekend... was really struggling with maintaining Neutral buoyancy (Drysuit worn) and had extra weight added, both in BCD & Harness...
I wasn't tested for buoyancy at the surface...so once air was released from BCD i went down like a stone, deep breath not enough to keep me at eye level at surface...
So, struggling for the day, we went into day 2 & dive 3...
We started the CESA & i was a bit confused by the instructions at 5 or 6m platform, as they seemed to contradict what was said at the surface... Instructor seemed to offer me the buoy rope, so i took it.. FAILED...
try again...
got to surface fine, but could not inflate BCD orally, as weight kept dragging me under...FAILED
try again...
Same.. kicking like mad.... still sinking, reg back in...FAILED
try again...
Not sure what happened here.. Instructor pulled my reg out which completely threw me, grabbed reg & purged to get back in.. FAILED
try again...
same.. weight stopping me from being able to take a breath at surface...
at this point instructor took of hood & I realised that it was all over...wasnt allowed to do dive 4.
I'm absolutely devastated! Quite frankly, at the moment I never want to put a BCD on again....
Wide open question...by my description.. was I missing something, was i doing something wrong...? It wasn't really explained, just told that I wasn't getting it.... whatever happened to the "we'll do it all in your own time" mantra.. "no rush" etc....

Gutted !!

Sounds like you were overweighted.

BSAC training doesn’t involve this skill, we teach Alternate Source and Controlled Buoyant Lift.

 

[Wibble]

Here's a real world example of a CESA, pony switch and a stop.

In an emergency ascent, if possible, I think it is wise to make a stop if you can, but at a minimum try to maintain control rather than being a buoyant missle.. It could be the difference in passing out or being bent.

Great learning lessons there; maybe a bit off topic for this thread, but a good outcome.

• Diver lived
• Diver had redundant breathing gas
• Diver did a controlled ascent using his marker buoy

Probably a good advertisement for using a twinset or sidemount where you can shut down gas flows and still retain at least "half" of your gas.

 

[berndo]

You weren't there. You cannot make that assumption.

When the student 'sinks like a stone' and 'kicking like mad and still sinking', it's a major issue. A major safety issue.
Any half decent instructor can tell you this. This is how people end up panicking and drowning.

 

[Mosizely]

When the student 'sinks like a stone' and 'kicking like mad and still sinking', it's a major issue. A major safety issue.
Any half decent instructor can tell you this. This is how people end up panicking and drowning.

I desperately tried not to panic...(although snatching my reg out earlier didn't do me the world of good) but as i was re-descending, grabbed reg purged & took breath.... that was the FAIL... to me, it was a case of.... I'm going underwater with no means of breathing... need reg!