How does someone run out of air???

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A good way to run out of air is to go with the current, calmy kicking as the scenery goes by, turn around at 2000 psi and fight a current all the way back to the boat. It's amazing how much air people use when coming back against the current. Looks like an ol steam engine with a cloud of bubbles instead of smoke streaming behind.
 
I think some divers forget that the deeper they go and the colder the water the more air they will consume. For us who dive overheads, gas planning and management is critical. I think that is why I don't push the envelope when rec diving. Also, divers do not always listen to the DM's on these trips. When I do drift dives in Jupiter (90-100'), they expect you to start your ascent with 1000 PSI and no less than 750. Some divers are stuck on the 500 PSI rule and do not take into account other factors. Aslo, one has to remember, 500 PSI may be enough for you to get to the surface, but not enough for you AND your buddy.

Happy safe diving.
Carolyn:shark2:
 
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Does some smart bugger here now how much more extra air you would get in a tank going from 15m to 5m? my memory of it was that we used to get a fair amount.

I am no smart bugger, but understand what you mean, to be pedantic ... you would have exactly the same amount of air.

However ... going from 15m to 5m you would reduce the volume of air you took with each breath by 0.6 (1.5/2.5) so you could extend your bottom time by 2/3

Ie if you had enough air for 10 mins at 15m going up to 5m would give you enough air for nearly 17 mins.


I have never seen anyone go OOA, except myself (deliberately on 2 occaisons) just to see what it felt like, both times I was only at 5m (~15ft)
 
Hi Nudie,
Thank god, there was a lot of weird 60's thinkers around in those days who are now politicians and CEO's of failed banks. There's a lot about the 00'ties that I dont consider normal either.
The tragedy of old age.

You know what they say, If you remember the 60's then you didn't live through them.
 
This is kind of a silly basic question, but one I wonder about.
All this talk in many threads about OOA situations get's me wondering what the hell people are doing that there are that many people running out of air.
What are people looking at?
I don't understand, people in these OOA situations, don't they look at their gauge?
I fail to see how an OOA can happen with the excellent training provided by all the agencies.
Maybe more people are diving drunk or stoned or hungover and suffer a brain fart?
Or maybe the batteries run out on an air integrated computer half way throught the dive? Or maybe an analog gauge sticks at a certain point and fools the diver. If this is the case you'd think they would be keeping track of the time and depth and realize that you can only stay down so long at a certain depth with a given gas supply.
Maybe a freeflow? but then going OOA would be no surprise; you'd have plenty of warning.
If any pressure guages, either analog or digital go out you'd think that would be the end of the dive and not continuing it until they suck the tank dry.

So, I don't really see how there could be an excuse. Maybe somebody can add something to explain how this many people are running OOA.

Mama always says stupid is as stupid does. Sometime stupid just creeps up on some people.
 
One thing I saw were faulty gauges which get stuck.
Everything else: I don't understand. If someone is in a mental state that he/she forgets to check the air pressure, than I really don't know how to help.....
 
Same reason how someone runs out of gasoline?
 
Quoting ZKY:

Logged Dives: None - Not Certified

Just start diving, and once you have logged about 100-200 of them, dig up your old thread and post a response. ;)
 

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