Solo skills to practice?

[Boston Breakwater]

Regarding #8. Turning off the valve isn’t a true simulation for OOA. Better is to breathe a pony down to zero while at your safety stop.

Practice the skills you are uncomfortable doing and skills you need an instructor’s help to perfect.

Hello. I would't suggest breathing ANY tank down to zero. Regardless, of size, or gas. Especially a Steel tank.
Cheers.

 

[AfterDark]

Greetings solo divers and instructors.

I'm going to have some one-on-one time with an instructor at the beginning of my next vacation. With the help and oversight of the instructor, what skills do you think I should practice? Could you give me some feedback on my list?

1. DSMB deployment
2. maskless DSMB deployment - thoughts?
3. mask removal, deploy and use spare mask
4. OOA, switch to pony bottle
5. maskless ascent?
6. maskless swim?
7. ascent on DSMB line
8. simulate OOA by closing tank valve?

I'm not sure about #8. I wouldn't generally think this was a good idea, but I'm considering it. I've never been OOA, and don't know what it really breathes like. Does closing the tank valve simulate a real empty tank? If not, might it simulate another common failure mode?

Regarding #8 Trying to Simulate an OOA condition is IMO a waste of time. The one IMO big important factor you can't simulate is surprise, not knowing you are going to be OOA. What does one do in an OOA scenario? Switch to an alt. air source or CESA, since this is the SOLO site there's no buddy. So IMO that's what you should practice switching regs or CESAs whether or not you have air in your tank is irrelevant and could even be unsafe for training. Breathing your tank down could cause water to enter your tank and 1st stage, if the ambient pressure at depth exceeds your tank pressure.

IMO having your alt air 2nd stage in the same place every dive and practicing a switch until you can do it without thinking is the proper training for an OOA situation.

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree- no practicing OOA! I practice CESA from 20-30' regularly. Don't care about those who say it's not safe to do so. I'm not holding my breath and ascending slowly. It may be somewhat unsafe if trying it from 80', or on your 3rd dive after OW course.
As someone once posted--why know the procedure of doing a CESA if you're not sure you can still do it?

 

[Lostdiver71]

Agree- no practicing OOA! I practice CESA from 20-30' regularly. Don't care about those who say it's not safe to do so. I'm not holding my breath and ascending slowly. It may be somewhat unsafe if trying it from 80', or on your 3rd dive after OW course.
As someone once posted--why know the procedure of doing a CESA if you're not sure you can still do it?

Do you try doing a CESA after exhaling? The most likely scenario is that you will exhale, try to take a breath and get nothing out of the regulator! It can still be done but is much more difficult and I am definitely not recommending that you try it! That is why I carry a pony bottle when solo diving, even on shallow dives.

 

[TMHeimer]

Do you try doing a CESA after exhaling? The most likely scenario is that you will exhale, try to take a breath and get nothing out of the regulator! It can still be done but is much more difficult and I am definitely not recommending that you try it! That is why I carry a pony bottle when solo diving, even on shallow dives.

Actually, I start my ascent with maybe half full lungs, figuring there'd still be some air in the lungs from the last "suck" before OOA....Just my theory. After the CESA skill is finished at the ocean on some of the OW courses I assisted I would mention that to a student or two--that the instructor tells you to take a good breath before ascending because that greatly reduces the chances of panic and bolting. You probably won't have full lungs in real life.

 

[loosenit2]

Regarding #8 Trying to Simulate an OOA condition is IMO a waste of time. The one IMO big important factor you can't simulate is surprise, not knowing you are going to be OOA. What does one do in an OOA scenario? Switch to an alt. air source or CESA, since this is the SOLO site there's no buddy. So IMO that's what you should practice switching regs or CESAs whether or not you have air in your tank is irrelevant and could even be unsafe for training. Breathing your tank down could cause water to enter your tank and 1st stage, if the ambient pressure at depth exceeds your tank pressure.

IMO having your alt air 2nd stage in the same place every dive and practicing a switch until you can do it without thinking is the proper training for an OOA situation.

One way to simulate the effects of adrenaline is to perform heavy exercise before the drill. for example in some military shooting drills we will run to the range and then immediately begin shooting. Not a perfect system but your heart thumping from heavy exercise is a reasonable substitute for the effects of adrenaline and surprise in combat. How then would we do this safety underwater, Perhaps a question to explore.

Another thought is that practicing OOA drills while solo on every dive builds muscle memory, and muscle memory is a second technique for overcoming the loss of brain cells during an emergency.

 

[AfterDark]

One way to simulate the effects of adrenaline is to perform heavy exercise before the drill. for example in some military shooting drills we will run to the range and then immediately begin shooting. Not a perfect system but your heart thumping from heavy exercise is a reasonable substitute for the effects of adrenaline and surprise in combat. How then would we do this safety underwater, Perhaps a question to explore.

Another thought is that practicing OOA drills while solo on every dive builds muscle memory, and muscle memory is a second technique for overcoming the less of brain cells during an emergency.

IMO the drills are enough, potential over exertion u/w could lead to CO2 overload. A previous poster referred to going OOA on an exhale which is more likely to happen then not. One can exhale wait a second to simulate the time taken to attempt an inhale but getting nothing, then switch to the alt air reg. Just doing the switch until it becomes second nature muscle memory if you wish is enough IMO. You'll act as you train when it counts.

I went out OOA once real life due to the malfunction of a borrowed dbl hose regulator I was using, rebuilt by the owner incorrectly because it started leaking air sometime during the dive, finally hitting 0psi at 70FSW.
The tank also borrowed from the same guy had a K valve and of course with a 1960's double hose no SPG. So after an exhale and vacuum on the next inhale and no buddy visible in the 10' vis I had only one way to go up, so up I went.

That's what I mean by surprise being hard to simulate.