How do you ascend?

[gangrel441]

So do you hold on to something at the bottom while your filling your BC and get a rapid start when you let go or do you just fill it and start a slow asccent?

Nahh...if you know what you're doing and you just lay on the elevator button real hard, no need to hold on to the starting block before making the ascent.

 

[jeckyll]

I usually ascend to 5 fsw in horizontal trim after my last stop. Do a couple of helicopter turns while glancing up at the surface... then slowly inhale a bit more than before and start the trip to cover the final 5 feet.

*shrug*

Perrone: I've hear the practices above described as "Herding Cats" by DM's.

Around here, I have yet to be on a boat where they try to send a DM with you. You get a briefing, sometimes with specific charts of the wrecks and are set out to conduct the dive. Granted, I've never been on vacation charters.

fisherdvm: If I was ascending where "boats are in constant motion" I'd be using an SMB. Looking up, or reaching up with your hand is going to do very little to stop an oncoming boat. A 6' SMB may.

I also fail to see how surfacing with the DM will necessarily prevent you from getting hit by a boat. What magical "keep the boat away" power do they have. If I sound a bit sarcastic, it's because I think that you may want to critically think about some of your assumptions. Don't rely on someone else (i.e. the DM) to have the power to *ahem* keep you safe.
What if you get seperated from the group?

Anyways. Enough for now.

 

[TSandM]

When we were in Indonesia, we were told that, if we surfaced off the reef, we needed to shoot a bag. The interesting thing was that nobody knew how except me and my husband. And when I went to do so, on the occasion that we surfaced off the reef, the divemaster appeared quite worried about me doing it. From that, I would gather that a) very few people ever try, and b) when they do, it doesn't go well.

In the PNW. we have divemasters on charters, but they do not get in the water. They help with fins and gear if needed, and I guess they're there to help with any problems on the surface. But you get a dive briefing and you get in the water and figure it out by yourself.

I was very, very impressed with the Escapade, off which we dove in Monterey, because that boat had a safety diver, in a dry suit, ready to get in the water to render assistance. I had never seen that anywhere before.

Procedures vary from place to place.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Some places, the charter boats only put a DM in the water on request, for a small extra charge. Other places charter boats have guides that lead you on an interesting tour of the local attractions (hopefully). Some of the guided charters expect or demand that you stay with the group, especially in drift diving situations. From shore, many divers go with a local guide. Could you find the Ulua Reef scarlet cleaner shrimp for a teeth cleaning? Do you know how the currents change with tide and swell at Tunnels Reef?

On a shore dive, a guides job is to make the best dive out of the heaviest breather's duration. I often put a 100cf tank on the admitted hoovers and 63's on the petite girls so the guys last longer and the girls complain less (there's a moral there). We all come back based on the lowest SPG.

Moored boat diving with a guide, the best guide may have a cloverish dive pattern; big first loop back to the mooring so hoovers and cold divers can ascend (re-buddie if neccessary), medium loop back to the mooring for the medium hoovers (re-buddie), and so on until the guide has to come up. Some buddies ascend together regardles of psi, some the better breather stays down with the group/guide.

Drift diving is an easy no-brainer; first diver to ascent psi up goes the SMB, hoovers &/or cold divers ascend (re-buddie), and so on similar to above until DM has to come up. In both of the above senarios many people do a blasphemous ascent and saftey stop without a buddie (even drifting). On occassion when newbies are shakie I have left the group exploring near the mooring line while I ascend to 20ft to chapperon the SS, then back down for another clover loop. Proper pre-dive briefing includes this discourse and signals for ascend to 15ft and stay 3 minutes.

This is what happens on the good guided boats. The bad boats have a dive time limit; back on the boat in xx minutes (depending on depth). The guide does an xx minute dive and everyone gets back on board.

Not many divers get to do Molokini or the YO-257 without a DM/guide.

 

[fisherdvm]

So, you are saying that I would be signing a contract to dive the DM's plan? Is there an option to dive without the courtesy of the DM?
So, putting up a surface marker buoy or liftbag isn't common in your area? If I was surfacing away from the group, I'd be shooting a bag from depth to let the boat know where I was.

I do not carry a bag, and have not learn how to shoot a bag from depth. It seems pretty simple, but how do you do it?

I am guessing that you fill the bag to about 1/4 the size if you are at 100 ft, and 1/2 size if you were at 33 ft, and simply release it to the surface? I guess if I never learn how to do it, I wouldn't expect to do it.

Most recreational divers I have met do not carry their own line and marker buoy. I have a surface marker, but it is somewhat difficult to deploy it at the 15 ft safety stop.

 

[fisherdvm]

So, you are saying that I would be signing a contract to dive the DM's plan? Is there an option to dive without the courtesy of the DM?
.

Yes, when you initial the pages, you are freeing the diveboat and the crew of all liabilities. You also agree to follow the rules of the boat, which also extends to the dive plan initiated by the DM. They don't want to be chasing after little groups of people following their own dive plans and surfacing in different areas. I've dove outside of the DM's dive plan, but I asked permission first - so that he is aware of where I am and how I will return.

I think the rules are more strict in current prone areas and areas with more surface hazards.

 

[PerroneFord]

How to shoot a bag:

http://www.divetekadventures.com/Videos/VideoShotBag.htm

For fuure reference, you might want to spend some time reviewing the short videos of different skills at this link:

http://www.divetekadventures.com/Images.htm


Best of luck.

-P

I do not carry a bag, and have not learn how to shoot a bag from depth. It seems pretty simple, but how do you do it?

I am guessing that you fill the bag to about 1/4 the size if you are at 100 ft, and 1/2 size if you were at 33 ft, and simply release it to the surface? I guess if I never learn how to do it, I wouldn't expect to do it.

Most recreational divers I have met do not carry their own line and marker buoy. I have a surface marker, but it is somewhat difficult to deploy it at the 15 ft safety stop.

 

[fisherdvm]

Thanks, PerronFord, I will book mark it. The simple reel makes me worry about a big ball of mess and entanglement. Do they make any small one like that one with a guard and winding handle that will not get in the way?

 

[m3830431]

So, putting up a surface marker buoy or liftbag isn't common in your area? If I was surfacing away from the group, I'd be shooting a bag from depth to let the boat know where I was.

I have only drift dived a few times and had a safety sausage. Usually the boat tenders are amazing they are there when you surface, whether the whole group surfaces or only a few.

 

[PerroneFord]

You have it backwards. The simple finger spool used in that video is the LEAST likely to entangle and make a mess. Which is why it is the tool of choice for this kind of work. The reels with handles are far more complicated, and far more likely to jam, which is why they are reserved for other uses or for shooting a bag from deep stops.