How Deep Can You Do An "Out Of Air Emergency Ascent" From?

[vicky]

A smart diver will know how to get out of trouble, when needed. We've seen many answers in these thread.
A wise diver will avoid trouble at all.

Be a wise diver.
You know what I mean. Equipment should be checked and serviced regularily, buddies should be selected accordingly, some PSIs should be saved for ascent, and so on.
Keep it safe and you won't need to be smart.

 

[Ari]

It basically has to do with planing the dive and following your plan, maintaining your equipment and choosing your buddies.

In case everything fails: out of air, buddy can't assist or equipment not functioning, take the deepest breath possibe, say a few short prayers (just don't waist any breath doing it) and go look for surface. We are not fish, no air means up we go.

Safety should be the higest priority in everything we try to do UW, but naturally, the deeper and more complicated the dive is, the better we should prepare (not to say that simple dives do not require our full attention).

Lets try to leave this discussion as theoretical as possible.

Dive safely.

Ari

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by budgy
though they may also be in the water, I am often diving solo.

Budgy....
I believe that the problems mentioned, by yourself and others in this thread....

Are best met not with more stuff such as spareairs, ponies, doubles, or any other equipment per se....

I believe that the answer is to seek out and then develop a team....

I may only be a team of two at first and even that may take awhile to put together....
Eventually the goal would be to add to the team especially if the dives are at all aggressive or on the technical side....
But even for the recreational type dive having a team mate instead of the *Buddy du Jour* makes diving not only much safer but much more fun too....

The team that trains together in air sharing and other important buddy skills will have confidence UW.... not the false confidence of those who carry a spare air or pony but the confidence of those who know that they can handle any situation because they have already practiced the senarios in an actual simulated emergency under real stress....

Many divers think that they can handle it.... but unless they have practiced OOA emergencies in stressed situations then they are probably just kidding themselves....

And just because someone has an anecdote about how they survived don't bet your life on their dumb luck... those who died aren't bragging....

I just received an email from a GUE instructor who flew half way around the world to teach a Tech class. Everyone in the class assured him that they were proficient in OOA air sharing ascents before the class. None of them were and after 6 days of being tested by Murphy & Darwin none of them were able to complete the class....

I know divers who are regularly doing dives much deeper than Shane and I who have all the *when everything is going right* stuff down pat.... but I know that when things go sideways they probably will too....

The Answer is...
Find and Develop a Real Buddy....
Train together to handle emergencies....
Dive only with a known buddy of known ability....
Adjust your dive plan to fit your buddy skills....
A pony is not a buddy nor is a spare air....
But that is just my take on things....
And I know some disagree....
That's OK....
BTW....
Did you notice my profile picture shows two people?