Near miss with an experienced diver

[Tony1964]

I once went to retrieve a lost piece of kit for another diver, he realised he had lost it half way through changing! So I put on the wife’s tank - nothing else & I mean nothing, I was completely naked! Jumped in the water (shore entry) & straight down - why didn’t I check the tank was turned on!? Managed to get it off & turn it on rather than climb the wall back up to humiliation - lesson learned

 

[Pedro Burrito]

I wonder if there is any value to practicing in a pool or even on land to know what that feels like and have had that sensation before so if it ever does happen, there is less panic?

That is one of the skills that is practiced in one of the confined water dives, at least with PADI. Did you not do this skill?

 

[JackD342]

I admit it is just terrifying to me to think of trying to breathe on a reg and not being able to get anything out. I wonder if there is any value to practicing in a pool or even on land to know what that feels like and have had that sensation before so if it ever does happen, there is less panic?

There is absolutely value to experiencing out of air in the pool, which is why we turn your air two different times during the pool part of the PADI course so you can react to out of air. Did someone skip that with you? Or is that not done by some agencies?

 

[uncfnp]

I wonder if there is any value to practicing in a pool or even on land to know what that feels like and have had that sensation before so if it ever does happen, there is less panic?

Absolutely. But fortunately just turning off the valve is not a true simulation of an OOA event.

The gradual loss of air from a tank running empty just feels different. How different has been discussed on SB. For me, I get several breaths that are just slightly harder to pull, then another notably harder. At this point there is only a breath or two from zero. Asending to safety stop from depth will give another breath or two.

Others claim they do not feel any difference until the tank is zero. Part of it may be how atuned you are at the time. If distracted, as with hunting or photography, you will be less likely to notice the change in breathing resistance.

 

[JackD342]

Absolutely. But fortunately just turning off the valve is not a true simulation of an OOA event.

The gradual loss of air from a tank running empty just feels different. How different has been discussed on SB. For me, I get several breaths that are just slightly harder to pull, then another notably harder. At this point there is only a breath or two from zero. Asending to safety stop from depth will give another breath or two.

Others claim they do not feel any difference until the tank is zero. Part of it may be how atuned you are at the time. If distracted, as with hunting or photography, you will be less likely to notice the change in breathing resistance.

Yes, the (gradual?) run-up to the last breath feels different, but the feel of NO AIR and practicing your reaction are the most important elements, and it sounds like O.P. hasn’t experienced that.

I would not expect actual empty tanks appearing in any OW course agenda. Not so easy to have an extra complete set or two handy for each student with just a few hundred PSI, and they would all have to be checked for water intrusion if actually breathed empty.

 

[davehicks]

This post highlights the two most important lessons I've learned and top tips I share with new divers:

1) While gearing up for a dive actually WATCH the needle on the pressure guage move from 0 to full. If it's not Zero already purge to 0, then repressure while eyeballing it. (best to have an actual SPG too even if you an air integrated computer)

2) Never, ever, do a negative entry even if someone suggests you do so. So many mistakes or problems can be recovered safely if you are bouyant on the surface. If you need to get down fast that only takes a few extra seconds to dump air and go head down kicking.

 

[SapphireMind]

There is absolutely value to experiencing out of air in the pool, which is why we turn your air two different times during the pool part of the PADI course so you can react to out of air. Did someone skip that with you? Or is that not done by some agencies?

I don't remember it being done in my course - I'm not PADI though. I'm NASE. It might have been done though and I just didn't internalize it enough. I mean, I remember trying to breathe off a tank that wasn't on, but that's not the same to me.

Yes, the (gradual?) run-up to the last breath feels different, but the feel of NO AIR and practicing your reaction are the most important elements, and it sounds like O.P. hasn’t experienced that.

I would not expect actual empty tanks appearing in any OW course agenda. Not so easy to have an extra complete set or two handy for each student with just a few hundred PSI, and they would all have to be checked for water intrusion if actually breathed empty.

I could theoretically practice it though on land when I've completed a dive now, because I have my own tank that I could breathe empty.

This post highlights the two most important lessons I've learned and top tips I share with new divers:

1) While gearing up for a dive actually WATCH the needle on the pressure guage move from 0 to full. If it's not Zero already purge to 0, then repressure while eyeballing it. (best to have an actual SPG too even if you an air integrated computer)

2) Never, ever, do a negative entry even if someone suggests you do so. So many mistakes or problems can be recovered safely if you are bouyant on the surface. If you need to get down fast that only takes a few extra seconds to dump air and go head down kicking.

My instructor really emphasizes 1. Also that you should take a couple test breaths to make sure the needle stays up, even if the pressure gauge says fulls. I give my instructor lots of props for being very safety focused.

 

[Freewillow]

Absolutely. But fortunately just turning off the valve is not a true simulation of an OOA event.

The gradual loss of air from a tank running empty just feels different. How different has been discussed on SB. For me, I get several breaths that are just slightly harder to pull, then another notably harder. At this point there is only a breath or two from zero. Asending to safety stop from depth will give another breath or two.

Others claim they do not feel any difference until the tank is zero. Part of it may be how atuned you are at the time. If distracted, as with hunting or photography, you will be less likely to notice the change in breathing resistance.

The difference in feel can vary a lot , depending on your first and second stage quality. The more compensated your regulators are, the more you are likely to go from normal breathing to zero air in a second

 

[uncfnp]

The difference in feel can vary a lot , depending on your first and second stage quality. The more compensated your regulators are, the more you are likely to go from normal breathing to zero air in a second

That is likely true and has been part of the discussion in the past. But my experience has been on modern balanced regs. Again, it is subtle but it is there. At least for me.

 

[noj3333]

2) Never, ever, do a negative entry even if someone suggests you do so. So many mistakes or problems can be recovered safely if you are bouyant on the surface. If you need to get down fast that only takes a few extra seconds to dump air and go head down kicking.

^^This. I've done negative entries before in Coz. I didn't understand their need, why didn't the boat just head a few hundred yards up current and allow us to splash, as a group, with some air in our BC's?