Horizontal Ascents...

[jbm]

The videos on the FifthD site won't play......any ideas??

Thanks in advance..............jbm

 

[Rick Murchison]

It is perfectly clear from the video that neither of these guys has the slightest idea what is above them. Around boats this is a sure way to end up with a split skull.
Rick

 

[jeffsterinsf]

jbm once bubbled...
The videos on the FifthD site won't play......any ideas??

Thanks in advance..............jbm

Huge files -- wait a while unless you're on broadband

 

[boomx5]

Rick Murchison once bubbled...
It is perfectly clear from the video that neither of these guys has the slightest idea what is above them. Around boats this is a sure way to end up with a split skull.
Rick

Is there a way to do a proper horizontal ascent and still look above you?

 

[Jarhead]

boomx5 once bubbled...

Is there a way to do a proper horizontal ascent and still look above you?

Barrel rolls?

Jarhead

 

[Spectre]

boomx5 once bubbled...

Is there a way to do a proper horizontal ascent and still look above you?

I generally dump with the valve on my wing... but as I get to where divers would be doing hangs, I do the dumping with the inflator hose. You have to tip yourself up a little and it's a good time to glance up and see if anything is above you. When I finish my safety stops and proceed with my final ascent, I use the same method, and occasionally [if I'm swimming over to the ladder while underwater, I go somewhat sideways so I can watch the boat...]

 

[Uncle Pug]

Rick Murchison once bubbled...
It is perfectly clear from the video that neither of these guys has the slightest idea what is above them. Around boats this is a sure way to end up with a split skull.
Rick

Rick a good portion of the 5thD DIR training takes place in Seattle's boat busy Elliot Bay adjacent to a water taxi terminal. Though for sake of viz this video may have been shot at Cresent Lake... you can be sure these guys were not only aware of everything going on in their vicinity... they probably knew what was going on in yours too...

Not only are they aware of what is above them most actually survive.... actually they all survive. How? Dive markers on ascent are part of the answer (though they were omitted in this video to keep the focus on gas dumping methods.... Crescent Lake is not Elliot Bay!)

Another reason for the high survival rate of DIR divers might be situational awareness and pre-dive planning.

When Detroit Diver was out here visiting we took him to the Seattle site for a shore dive. It was infested with salmon fishermen using downriggers and lead canon balls trolling back and forth. We noted the situation and kept our dive in an area away from where the salmon fishermen where.

 

[O-ring]

Is there a way to do a proper horizontal ascent and still look above you?

You can twist your head around like you would if you were standing on a street corner and look behind you (above). Additionally, if you ascend facing your buddy, you can each look above each other and communicate any dangers on the surface.

Obviously, horizontal position and proper trim take a back seat to safety in an ascent. If you are coming up in a high traffic area and you are not sure what is above you, you would obviously break trim and make sure you weren't going to get smashed by some idiot on a jet ski.

 

[Uncle Pug]

O-ring once bubbled...
make sure you weren't going to get smashed by some idiot on a jet ski.

And explain how looking UP rather than looking OUT would help you avoid a fast approaching jet ski.

Also explain why you would be ascending in an area with jet ski traffic with or without a dive marker/lift bag.

Also explain why you would not hear a jet ski in the area long before you could ever see one.

Also explain how you could see a jet ski in the first place.... (I know that viz is different here than where you are... but here even if the viz is great below... during the summer months when there are jet skis out the upper 10' of water will often have <1 foot viz due to plankton bloom.)

And feel free to switch bait if you can't think of anything
May I suggest impending asteroid impact.

 

[O-ring]

And explain how looking UP rather than looking OUT would help you avoid a fast approaching jet ski.

I guess it wouldn't, but I don't dive where there are jet skis anyway.

Also explain why you would be ascending in an area with jet ski traffic with or without a dive marker/lift bag.

I wouldn't, but change jet ski to fishing boat and I might...but I would be coming up an anchor line or at least very near one..

Also explain why you would not hear a jet ski in the area long before you could ever see one.

Ok, jet ski was a bad example..yes, I can hear boats when they are running near me...

Also explain how you could see a jet ski in the first place.... (I know that viz is different here than where you are... but here even if the viz is great below... during the summer months when there are jet skis out the upper 10' of water will often have <1 foot viz due to plankton bloom.)

Uhhh...ok, so maybe I couldn't see one, but I at least looked for stuff so I didn't hit the bottom of a fishing boat.