Rec limit rule: next breath atmospheric?

[northernone]

Does your dive emergency contingency planning for a recreational OW dive allow being more than one breath away from the surface?

Backstory:
When I learned to dive, (As a child on parents gear or homemade hookah) my maximum depth/time limit was as deep and as long as I could safely return to the surface from with 0 air. That meant no "hard" decompression obligations and no overheads with the skills to ditch gear (entanglement) and swim up to the surface as a freediver would (air way open) at any time in the dive.

Realized I still silently hold this belief and use it in my "recreational" planning.

(Though I no longer practice vertical controlled emergency swimming ascents from my personal maximum depth for a dive without a redundant SCUBA attached to me.)

I'm questioning if I'm drawing line in the right place. I plan single tank dive so I can always get to the surface if I need a redundant secondary air source in case of most issues. (Because unlike a buddy, I always count on it's accessibility, ease of use, dependability and being able to find it!)

For dives deeper, longer or in overhead environments I plan on carrying redundant air sources and won't do a buddy dive if I can't confidentially solo ascend.

Regards,
Cameron

Subscript: in an attempt to respect the forum TOS I didn't include the maximum depth I am referring to. It could be 2, 20 or 200 feet.

 

[Diver0001]

I never practice a CESA from more than 9 meters of depth because that's the maximum depth for training.

In fact, I never pay attention to the CESA as a "safety" procedure. So much has to go wrong before someone needs to do a CESA that it's hard for me to imagine a situation in which it would happen and my buddy couldn't help me faster than it would take to ascend.

My "buddy contact", however, is very good and as soon as the dive is significantly deep we slow down the dive and maintain very strict contact. I also don't dive deep with just anyone. Most of the deep diving I do is done with technical gear and procedures.

R..

 

[Lorenzoid]

I thought I saw this mentioned in another thread--was it you, Cameron? Anyway, no, I have not heard of this practice. It's an interesting thought, though. Maybe I would generalize it to: "never be more than two breaths away from another air source," whether that is the surface, a buddy, or my own redundant air source. For me, that generally is a buddy. I have been fortunate to be able to dive with a reliable, similarly trained buddy, and we have a mutual understanding from our training that we are carrying each other's emergency air.

 

[northernone]

I thought I saw this mentioned in another thread--was it you, Cameron? Anyway, no, I have not heard of this practice. It's an interesting thought, though. Maybe I would generalize it to: "never be more than two breaths away from another air source," whether that is the surface, a buddy, or my own redundant air source. For me, that generally is a buddy. I have been fortunate to be able to dive with a reliable, similarly trained buddy, and we have a mutual understanding from our training that we are carrying each other's emergency air.

It's probably me who mentioned the surface theory before. The "not being more than a breath away from an alternative air source" does sound a good overall guideline. I like your modification which applies to all diving I think.

 

[Blasto]

If it's two breaths away, the first one is in your lungs... where does the second come from?

 

[Wookie]

I carry a pony. It is an equipment solution to an "I don't really want to deal with an out of air problem" problem. CESA is a skill I never want to practice and only want to accomplish in my past. It has saved my life twice, however. Then I got smart. And dive with the pony.

 

[northernone]

If it's two breaths away, the first one is in your lungs... where does the second come from?

Surface. With nearly empty lungs it's possible to safely ascend from 4ft depth calmly. For some of us this is true fir somewhat deeper. "Next breath is ambient air".

 

[northernone]

I carry a pony. It is an equipment solution to an "I don't really want to deal with an out of air problem" problem. CESA is a skill I never want to practice and only want to accomplish in my past. It has saved my life twice, however. Then I got smart. And dive with the pony.

Amen. I am in the same boat and also keep a pony.

(Translation. I do not want to deal with being out of air as well and therefore carry a second cylinder (or rebreather) on my dives to avoid going to the surface to breathe)

 

[DevonDiver]

2 breaths to the surface.... sounds like a Spare Air scenario... LOL

 

[northernone]

2 breaths to the surface.... sounds like a Spare Air scenario... LOL

Thanks for a hearty laugh. I really did chuckle.