First dive at 40 meters - Newbies recreational

[Pressurehead]

Hey now, technically I was second. I'm not one to criticize for kneeling on sand, I just thought the juxtaposition of kneeling and "buoyancy control ok" was amusing.

Agreed, it is amusing.

 

[Storker]

ironically it gives you feelings of euphoria

Not necessarily. When I'm narked, I notice it by my task awareness narrowing and my brain becoming slow. That makes me the opposite of euphoric, because I thoroughly dislike being stupid when I have more than 30m of water above my head.

See also "dark nark".

 

[David Novo]

Skipping the kneeling on the bottom as it was already beaten to dead...

My wife just told me that she believes that the reason we ascended so slow was that we were not vertical but probably 45 degrees from horizontal due to the current. She might be right.

Why were you supposed to be vertical while ascending?

Fin pivot, world champion.

Fin pivot is still taught in scuba courses?!

 

[Blackcrusader]

Skipping the kneeling on the bottom as it was already beaten to dead...
Why were you supposed to be vertical while ascending?

When you are in a down current you cannot ascend in a horizontal trim you need to get to 45 degrees to swim up as he wife wrote they were doing

 

[David Novo]

When you are in a down current you cannot ascend in a horizontal trim you need to get to 45 degrees to swim up as he wife wrote they were doing

I agree that in a down current a 45 degrees angle is better than horizontal but the OP mentioned a horizontal current, not downward.

My question was more towards the main plan presented if there was no current: ascending vertically.

 

[David Novo]

@Dody while you were drifting with your wife, did any of you shoot a DSMB?

Regarding the seemingless equalization between 30m and 40m, it is expected as it becomes easier the deeper you go due to a lower relative increase in pressure.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I agree that in a down current a 45 degrees angle is better than horizontal but the OP mentioned a horizontal current, not downward.

My question was more towards the main plan presented if there was no current: ascending vertically.

He mentioned not being able to ascend from 40m to 37m easily due to current: Later horizontal current which he drifted with.

 

[David Novo]

He mentioned not being able to ascend from 40m to 37m easily due to current: Later horizontal current which he drifted with.

How is this related to ascending vertically being a good plan without any current?

 

[Blackcrusader]

How is this related to ascending vertically being a good plan without any current?

Who said you have to stay horizontal for any ascent? Sometimes I may ascend in a vertical position so I can look up to make sure I won't come into contact with other divers or large coral platforms or fans that hang out from reef walls. I can also look for dive boats on the surface at the same time. Sometimes I just do a horizonal inverted back facing the depths ascent for fun. Sometimes by being vertical I can get in a good video at the same time. Weren't you taught to be in a vertical position with your one arm raised in to prevent you hitting anything at the surface as well?

 

[David Novo]

Who said you have to stay horizontal for any ascent?

There is no scuba police so you can do whatever you want.
Still, ascending while horizontal increases vertical drag, making a controlled ascent easier. It also avoids that you kick divers below when ascending with a shot line.

I just asked because by the OP's description, it seemed he was taught to ascend vertically by default. I know I was and just corrected it later.

Sometimes I may ascend in a vertical position so I can look up to make sure I won't come into contact with other divers or large coral platforms or fans that hang out from reef walls. I can also look for dive boats on the surface at the same time.

This can be done while horizontal.

Sometimes I just do a horizonal inverted back facing the depths ascent for fun. Sometimes by being vertical I can get in a good video at the same time.

These are very specific scenarios as implied by the word "sometimes". I would go as far as to guess that the first situation described accounts for a residual proportion of divers' ascents from depth.

Weren't you taught to be in a vertical position with your one arm raised in to prevent you hitting anything at the surface as well?

Near the surface. This does not mean that I need to ascend vertically from 40m by default.