Horizontal Ascents...

[O-ring]

But I know that you guys have probably perfected a method of fending off a propeller with your hands... right?

Have you ever seen the Matrix? I look kinda like that. I swat the propeller out of the way...it's hella cool if you can get me on tape and slow it down so you can see my hands move.

O-ring you crack me up!

Just trying to get you guys to get along...you have the benefits of horizontal and then the benefits of going vertical if you follow that method...that way you and Rick can be friends again...although I want to see one of these "belly up" ascents. That sounds interesting..

Personally, I ascend horizontally and have never hit anything...then again, I don't dive in boat infested waters and know where I am and where my boat is when I am coming up. I usually just come up underneath the current/trail line and grab on until it is my turn on the ladder.

 

[boomx5]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...

First thing a boat is gonna hit is your head or hand... not your tank.

But I know that you guys have probably perfected a method of fending off a propeller with your hands... right?

Just because you are ascending verticle doesn't mean your *not* going to rack your head on something. I've had people ascend in a verticle position right into me, and I don't think body position had anything to do with it. I think good technique as well as situational awareness is the key to preventing a major accident.

 

[jeffsterinsf]

Sounds like the best solution is to remain horizontal, but face up. Take your surface bouy line and tie it to your weight belt, then wrap it once around your neck. Make sure you take one turn clockwise, then a square knot, before the one turn counterclockwise. Drop your weightbelt so that the weights keep you properly oriented, you have full surface visibility, are horizontal, require no effort, and have the surface properly marked. Oh shoot -- the line. Hmmm, I guess as you ascend, you can take additional turns around your neck, that way it isn't an entanglement hazard.


DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER!

 

[jeffsterinsf]

Seriuosly though -- situational awareness here is the key. No matter what your orientation is, you have a blind spot. Vertical, horizontal, whatever. You solve it the same way. Turn your head! "Look both ways before crossing the street" applies here to.

 

[AquaTec]

I thought i would jump in here to give you guys someone else to chew on .


starting from the bottom I ascend in general heads up possision until it get to my first deco stop, this could be a ways away from the bottom.

then i beleive that you do need to be horizantal durring decomression to receive its full benifit.

on deeper stops where they are further apart i tend to go back to a general heads up possision.

once the stops are just ten feet apart i tend to stay in the horizontal possision.

my last stop is at 20 feet [doing the stop horizontal] and when that is complete i go to a heads up possision and ascend at a rate of about 3 feet per minute.

I use an ascent line in the open ocean or the wall if available.
I preffer the wall as the dive is never done until you are out of the water.

as for live pick up or moored/anchord
I don't mind to much either way. generaly common since is used if the current is to strong to swim against then a live pick up is preffered, if the current is mild then an anchord boat is fine.

what i do dislike is having to blow a bag and doing a drifting deco as you never really know if the boat sees you or not.

 

[Uncle Pug]

AquaTec once bubbled...
what i do dislike is having to blow a bag and doing a drifting deco as you never really know if the boat sees you or not.

But then I know they see and will respond to my marker buoy.... or they swim home when we do get back to the boat

 

[jeffsterinsf]

AquaTec once bubbled...
...
then i beleive that you do need to be horizantal durring decomression to receive its full benifit.
...

Thinking about it, it makes some sense. Blood doesn't flow uphill from your legs too well, muscle contraction "squeezes" it back (as I recall, not a biophysiologist here). Being horizontal would help this situation. No idea if this is true, or if so, what the magnitude of the effect is.

Anyone with more knowledge here able to comment?

 

[Uncle Pug]

O-ring once bubbled...
that way you and Rick can be friends again...although I want to see one of these "belly up" ascents. That sounds interesting..

Not to worry... we are more than friends.

But I would also like to see him do a belly up ascent...

How long do you suppose it would be from "Ho.. thar she rises!" until he was all the way up?

 

[Uncle Pug]

jeffsterinsf once bubbled...
Anyone with more knowledge here able to comment?

That would be NetDoc.... champion offgasser.

 

[O-ring]

How long do you suppose it would be from "Ho.. thar she rises!" until he was all the way up?

It would seem harder to do it that way...if I can see my spool, the ascent/anchor line, particulate in the water, whatever, it is easier to judge my ascent rate without looking at a gauge. In belly up position, I am not sure what one would use as an ascent meter to gauge rate other than my wrist mounted gauge. Technically, it is a horizontal ascent though....now we just need to get someone to try one in front of Andrew and see what he thinks.

Maybe he will post a belly up ascent video...