Uncontrolled ascent - almost what to do?

[dmoore19]

Were you too light on previous dives or did you change your weighting for the deep dive?

 

[BlueOcean2015]

Doing a weight check is something that is taught in every open water course. How are you not able to do te his yourself?

And again, what happened on your ascent?

No is not. There has never been the time to check.

---------- Post added October 12th, 2015 at 01:24 PM ----------

Were you too light on previous dives or did you change your weighting for the deep dive?

No I was not light on previous dives, and all the other dives where to short to almost empty the bottle. And I KNOW I should do a weight check, but I cannot dive alone, and my buddies did not want to spend time on that and neither did my instructors.

 

[RJP]

Did the instructor not have any ideas about what to do in case of an uncontrolled ascent? How about ideas for ensuring you're properly weighted in the future?

Both of these things are covered in OW and any decent Deep course. The fact that they apparently were not is troubling.

 

[FinnMom]

Grab a rock. I've done it a few times when the divemaster insisted I didn't need the lead I wanted. They won't complain about you touching things when you are looking for a rock to compensate for their stupidity.

My 1st open water drysuit dive I was a bit concerned about runaway ascents and paired with an experienced diver I'd never met before, real nice guy. My worries apparently weren't all that well hid. After the dive he said "Gee, you really like this quarry a lot!". ???? "You sent the whole dive swimming up to the various rock formations and giving each one hug".

 

[BlueOcean2015]

Did the instructor not have any ideas about what to do in case of an uncontrolled ascent? How about ideas for ensuring you're properly weighted in the future?

Both of these things are covered in OW and any decent Deep course. The fact that they apparently were not is troubling.

The thing is that I know how much weight I should use in a wet suit but not in a dry suit. I was not sure I had the correct weight on me, I was a bit unsure, so I did ask one of the instructors and another experience diver, and did told it was normal to feel a little light at the end at the dive at 1 meters depth. (I did try to empty my bottle in another dive, but I did not have any problem with keeping my feet down before it was in 1 meter and lower). I know I should have put on some more weight because I was not sure about my weight but I thought it was fine...

---------- Post added October 12th, 2015 at 01:46 PM ----------

Did the instructor not have any ideas about what to do in case of an uncontrolled ascent? How about ideas for ensuring you're properly weighted in the future?

Both of these things are covered in OW and any decent Deep course. The fact that they apparently were not is troubling.

Iam sure they are going to use time on proper weighting in the future. We did talk about it after and I ask why we did not use time on it, and I actually did ask for it in our pool dives and other times when we where going to check our weights and trim. But we never did.

 

[Stoo]

Just to buck the "just add more lead" trend... How did you get down in the first place? If you were able to descend easily, then you have enough lead on. If you had to fight your way down, then that should have been your first clue that either you need to add lead, or you had air trapped someplace and need to learn how to dump it effectively.

"Adding lead" is the catch all solution it seems, and it leads to all sorts of problems down the road. It's the easiest solution for an incompetent instructor to take, rather than teaching the student how to dive properly. Proper weighting and buoyancy/trim skills are basic foundations and shouldn't be passed off so easily.

On the other hand, maybe you REALLY did need some additional lead, and as others have pointed out, a proper buoyancy check is critical.

 

[BlueOcean2015]

Did the instructor not have any ideas about what to do in case of an uncontrolled ascent?

,

I did not have an uncontrolled ascent, because I hold on to the instructor on the ascent so went up together. It was an almost uncontrolled ascent. He did try to slow down the ascent. But I do not think it is the wright thing to do just to swim further when the depths gets lower and lower, and he did NOW I had trouble holding myself down. The situation
was not solved, and then I gave the up signal because I would prefer to stay in control and to start ascent when I choose to, and not when I could not stay down anymore. Then slowly I started to ascent. I waited for my instructor to do something/grab me because I would not take him up with me if it was not OK with him. Finally he did try to get to me and I swam down to him and hold on to his arm.

---------- Post added October 12th, 2015 at 02:01 PM ----------

Just to buck the "just add more lead" trend... How did you get down in the first place? If you were able to descend easily, then you have enough lead on. If you had to fight your way down, then that should have been your first clue that either you need to add lead, or you had air trapped someplace and need to learn how to dump it effectively.

"Adding lead" is the catch all solution it seems, and it leads to all sorts of problems down the road. It's the easiest solution for an incompetent instructor to take, rather than teaching the student how to dive properly. Proper weighting and buoyancy/trim skills are basic foundations and shouldn't be passed off so easily.

On the other hand, maybe you REALLY did need some additional lead, and as others have pointed out, a proper buoyancy check is critical.

I went down easily. I started to have problem when I have used more air than usually. I think I just need 1 kg more.. but I that I will figure out with someone else

 

[Bob DBF]

Iam sure they are going to use time on proper weighting in the future. We did talk about it after and I ask why we did not use time on it, and I actually did ask for it in our pool dives and other times when we where going to check our weights and trim. But we never did.

I would insist on a proper weight check, and verify it on my own with a few buddy dives before going on any more deep training. I have nothing against training, but going from one class to another without taking the time to practice and work out any issues (say weighting and buoyancy) in a benign environment can turn into an accident down the road under less forgiving conditions.

Diving is one of the endevors where placing restraint on ones desire to do everything as fast as possible is a good idea.



Bob

 

[danvolker]

OK. I am kind of blown away that the OP did not consider putting his feet and fins over his head, and swimming downward to counter the buoyancy....
The fact that the OP got down in the first place, indicates that only a minor amount of effort would be needed to keep the diver at a slow ascent rate, or to hold a stop--even if it means having to be in a head down position the entire way up.

Again, the instructor should have been teaching ascents and descents, by first teaching that you swim up, and you swim down. The BC is not an ELEVATOR..It is a device to get you neutral.... If the elevator is not working, swimming with your fins, up or down, is still the primary skill.

 

[BlueOcean2015]

OK. I am kind of blown away that the OP did not consider putting his feet and fins over his head, and swimming downward to counter the buoyancy....
The fact that the OP got down in the first place, indicates that only a minor amount of effort would be needed to keep the diver at a slow ascent rate, or to hold a stop--even if it means having to be in a head down position the entire way up. .

I decided to go up head first because I was low on air and was on 10-12 meters so it was not catastrophic to go up but it could have been if I stayed down because I was running out of air. I was in a dry suit so to try to control my ascent feet up is not something I think I could do. I can swim down and get my feet down. It would be difference in a wet suit perhaps.

Again, the instructor should have been teaching ascents and descents, by first teaching that you swim up, and you swim down. The BC is not an ELEVATOR..It is a device to get you neutral.... If the elevator is not working, swimming with your fins, up or down, is still the primary skill.

Where do you read that I use my BCD as an elevator?

---------- Post added October 12th, 2015 at 02:52 PM ----------

I would insist on a proper weight check, and verify it on my own with a few buddy dives before going on any more deep training.

Bob

True! And that is was I am going to do. Iam going to work on my trim and weighting.