Practicing CESA & ditch and don?

[mdb]

I don't know about ordering them by importance, but here are skills that I devote specific time to outside of regular dives...

basic air share
air sharing ascent simulating decompression stops
gas switches
mask removal and replacement
mask removal and ascent simulating decompression stops
mask removal and ascent with gas switch
lift bag deployment
lift bag deployment with air sharing ascent and simulated stops
toxing diver rescue with stops as necessary for convulsions
valve shutdowns
running line
following line maskless in touch contact
following line maskless in touch contact while sharing air

When possible, we try to do these skills mid-water with no visible reference.

Skills that get practiced all the time are mental games involving situational awareness (constantly switching attention between, equipment, team, & the environment), all the kicks, team communication (passive and active), buoyancy, etc, etc.

That's all I can think of in 5 minutes off the top of my head.

Now I'm going to go home and practice the "fiancee's birthday" skill.



FYI, S-drill is just a fancy name for safety drill, which just means fully deploying your long hose, switching to backup, restowing everything, then switching back to the long hose. Also include a valve drill in there or a modified valve drill (check that each valve is on). These drills are done at the beginning of every dive. In the ocean, I do them on my way to the bottom.

soggy: This all sounds a bit busy. I prefer a nice calm dive. I'm sure we now will hear from the "experts" on how we should all be diving.

 

[H2Andy]

soggy: This all sounds a bit busy.

you'd be surprised how easily you can integrate skills review into a dive

i try to practice a few on every dive; feels good

 

[Meng_Tze]

soggy: This all sounds a bit busy. I prefer a nice calm dive. I'm sure we now will hear from the "experts" on how we should all be diving.

I dont think this is about how 'the experts' tell us how we should dive. But more about why do something and what the alternatives are.

I personally do not see why one would do 'don/doff' in the water to be prepared to get out of entanglement, getting stuck etc. Then people carry cutting implements and dont know how to use them, or can not handle them in a controlled manner. It is about skills that can save you and I have not seen any argument for starting to practice 'don/doff', (other than Mike Ferrera thinking I am a sissy and really should pick up knitting)

 

[caseybird]

Not all skills are done as simulations of "real" situations. Some are done as part of a "kata" that ties together a set of skills for training purposes. We designed our kata so that there is often a mix of strength moves followed by fine motor skills during breath hold sequences.

What is a strenght move? What breath hold sequences do you practice SCUBA diving?

 

[Soggy]

soggy: This all sounds a bit busy. I prefer a nice calm dive. I'm sure we now will hear from the "experts" on how we should all be diving.

That certainly wasn't every dive. Just skills to practice. Most of my dives are just...dives.

 

[Luis H]

I dont think this is about how 'the experts' tell us how we should dive. But more about why do something and what the alternatives are.

I personally do not see why one would do 'don/doff' in the water to be prepared to get out of entanglement, getting stuck etc. Then people carry cutting implements and dont know how to use them, or can not handle them in a controlled manner. It is about skills that can save you and I have not seen any argument for starting to practice 'don/doff', (other than Mike Ferrera thinking I am a sissy and really should pick up knitting)

Three out of the four original reasons I posted (to remove your gear underwater) were not emergency procedures or about safety. It is just convenient to be able to take of your rig and look at it adjusted if necessary, and even swap rigs with your buddy to try his or hers.


Back in the 70’s I was working on putting together an artificial reef in Puerto Rico (from old car tires with concrete blocks) and we found it convenient to have fresh tanks been delivered to us with a regulator attached. We were working at 35 to 40feet and due to the work we were sucking air like crazy. It was very convenient to swap tanks underwater. Plus it was cool since Mike Nelson did it all the time.


IMO, it is not all about emergency procedures and safety, sometimes it is just about having fun and being comfortable underwater in many situations.

 

[Cacia]

Removing and replacing your equipment underwater (which is NOT a ditch and don)

it's not? then what is it?

 

[aquakiwi]

Years ago I've had an occaision to do a CESA (they were'nt called that then) from 30m a bit nerve racking to say the least. That was in my young and silly days. Since then I've learnt prevention is better. Ditching and donning? As a solo diver I've had a tank come loose and had to remove my scuba unit, quite tricky with integrateds.

 

[Nemrod]

"it's not? then what is it?"


The watermanship exercise known as a Doff and Don is adequately described in the New Scinece of Skin and Scuba Diving. I am not feeling verbose enough to describe it fully --you remove your gear in a sequence, turn the air off and surface, then dive back down and in sequence retrieve the gear, turn air on don the gear. Oh, you must also leave your fins and mask on the bottom, yep, it is part of the doff and don, you doff and don all the gear except for exposure protection and weight if wearing bouyant atire.
Being comfortable in the water makes you confident in the water which makes you relaxed in the water which makes everything easier and more efficient and ultimately more fun and that S word I hate the excessive use of---greater safety.

N

 

[Nitrox50]

Hi

If you really want to practice CESA - then get some Nitrox 40 and you can do a few without being worried about DCS. This also goes for Instructors who has to do many up and downs with students....

But in general I would not recommend you to do CESA's just for the fun of it.