Question about comfortable depth

[TSandM]

To the OP -- if, at the end of your certification class, you aren't comfortable any deeper than you can stand up in, your instructor has not done his job very well.

In your class, you will learn how the equipment works and how to use it, and you will practice a good many skills designed to make sure that you are comfortable in the water, and can cope easily with the most commonly encountered problems. Although you CAN surface without any gas from 60 feet (exhaling all the way), you don't really want to -- so the class teaches you to watch your gas supply, and to stay close to your buddy, so that if you have the very rare catastrophic failure, you can share gas with him and end your dive in a calm and controlled fashion.

 

[redacted]

... we do esa training the 100 foot long pool most people make it all the way its easy in the ocean because you get a breath or 4 on the way up.

Maybe but don't count on it. Consider the failure of an LP hose breaking off at the 1st stage. Gas will deplete very quickly and any pressure buildup as you ascend will also be lost immediately. An equipment failure resulting in an OOA may not produce any usable pressure as you ascend.

 

[CamG]

A failure of that nature should be identified before the dive in a pre dive inspection of your gear.
I have had o-rings leak / blow at ports and second stages.
Hoses leak , free flows, etc.
One real OOA at 45' because of a valve shut down.
All the situations were handled as I was trained and normal ascents without any CESA.

We were taught and teach proper gear checks out of water, then the same in water with bubble checks.
Proper maintenance and inspection can catch 90% of hose issues.
There are always unseen instances that could puncture or sever a hose but they are tougher than you think.
Try to cut one sometime it will surprise you.

Proper training will cover most the the OP'ers questions.
If he or she is not comfortable I would suggest training with another instructor.
It is critical to NOT hold your breath while ascending!

CamG

 

[oly5050user]

As a new diver considering diving there are some things that seem counter intuitive. Like never holding your breath and letting air out of your BC as you ascend.
When you take a class you will learn about these things.

The best is not to plan to surface from 30-60ft etc but instead plan to be self sufficient at any depth.

With all that being said I would be comfortable with a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent from 30ft or so. When you do this kind of ascent you are supposed to keep your regulator in your mouth and make an ahh sound all the way up. This is so that you keep your airway open so that the air can escape from your lungs as it expands when you surface. If you try to hold your breath you will most likely cause very serious damage in some cases worse than the bends.

The other reason to keep your reg in your mouth is you might get another breath of air of it as you ascend and the air in the lines expands

. My body isn't the most efficient with air right now so I think that is a good depth for me. Others can do it from deeper.

I have added a redundant air source capable of taking me from 100ft or more in case I have a failure in my primary air source.

Your statement as to air in the line expands is incorrect..Reality is you cannot access the remaining air in the tank at depth because surrounding ambient pressure is close to and or greater than the pressure left in the tank. Gas (air) cannot naturally go from a lower pressure area to a higher pressure area-your lungs.. As you ascend the ambient pressure decreases and becomes less than the pressure remaining in the tank, so now the air can go from a high pressure area to a lower pressure area, and it is now accessible..

 

[00wabbit]

Your statement as to air in the line expands is incorrect..Reality is you cannot access the remaining air in the tank at depth because surrounding ambient pressure is close to and or greater than the pressure left in the tank. Gas (air) cannot naturally go from a lower pressure area to a higher pressure area-your lungs.. As you ascend the ambient pressure decreases and becomes less than the pressure remaining in the tank, so now the air can go from a high pressure area to a lower pressure area, and it is now accessible..

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Frosty]

Purchase good equipment, and keep it maintained, and you won't have to worry about complete equipment failure.

Sorry mon--fantastic in theory but in real life it just aint so. I'd suggest that you try " Purchase good equipment, and keep it maintained, and you greatly reduce the chances of complete equipment failure"

 

[TMHeimer]

All good responses from the experienced. I will add that I routinely practise a CESA from 30 feet. I have not tried it deeper than that. I asked an instructor years ago what do you do if you have no air at say 80 feet. He said you just do the same thing (and hope, I guess). I will say that when I get significantly deeper than 30 feet another switch turns on. Don't know if you'd call that "less comfortable" or not. Those things are relative. The deeper you are the longer it is to the surface, which means more of a concern--not that you shouldn't be always safety conscious at 10 feet. The key of course is to be prepared in what your doing. If I'm down say 110' I am thinking a bit differently than if I'm down 20.

 

[FinnMom]

If you feel so uncomfortable that thoughts like this are occupying your mind, start out at relatively shallow depths and don't go deeper until you start to feel more confident. Having the calm and presence of mind to switch to an alternate air source is going to require building up some some calm & confidence.
I think it's a benefit for lots of our students that most of the places we can take them in their first year are only 6-10m. It lets them feel less worried about sinking into the blue and concentrate on other things. Advance at a pace that lets you feel comfortable and keep enjoying what you are doing. There's more life and color in the shallows anyway.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Scuba diving is not something to dabble in. A competently taught class through a dive center or instructor affiliated with a recognized certification agency, taught by a competent and insured instructor informs as well as teaches. Knowledge and skill development leads to comfort in the water. Knowing is preferable to speculating. Scuba diving is serious fun. That means its lots of fun, but also a serious activity that can be dangerous if not approached properly. That what Jim Lapenta is talking about. But with proper training, proper equipment, and a proper sense of responsibility and safety in all aspects of diving, it is very safe. Don't speculate. Take a class. If once you do so you prefer to dive to only limited depths, that's fine. Everyone should dive within the limits of their credentials, sklls and comfort level.
DivemasterDennis

 

[itrvlr]

How can I determine my "comfort level" ? I mean, what should I watch for as I am going deeper ? Are there signs (headache, vision problems, etc) that I am approaching depth that is a limit for my health status ?

Scuba diving is not something to dabble in. A competently taught class through a dive center or instructor affiliated with a recognized certification agency, taught by a competent and insured instructor informs as well as teaches. Knowledge and skill development leads to comfort in the water. Knowing is preferable to speculating. Scuba diving is serious fun. That means its lots of fun, but also a serious activity that can be dangerous if not approached properly. That what Jim Lapenta is talking about. But with proper training, proper equipment, and a proper sense of responsibility and safety in all aspects of diving, it is very safe. Don't speculate. Take a class. If once you do so you prefer to dive to only limited depths, that's fine. Everyone should dive within the limits of their credentials, sklls and comfort level.
DivemasterDennis