Interesting topic. Submariners have been practicing the "submarine escape" ascent since the 1930s. At the sub base in Groton Conn. they used to have the "escape tower" that was 100' feet tall and would jetison cold, wet recruits up the tube to see if they could do it. They took down that tower many years ago due to the impracticality of escape from a sub at 300 plus feet during the cold war. They went to a simpler procedure of just learning how to do it from a pool depth with the escape hoods.
Over the past 6 years both the US and British Navies had been collaborating on an escape procedure from as deep as 600 feet, but this is with an inflatable suit bag that turns into a personal life boat.
The general procedure for a sub escape is to don a hood called a "Stienke Hood" it is inflated and the escapee will float to the surface at a rate of approx 150 feet per minute exhaling all the way. Because the escapee has only had a few minutes gas load at depth (going from 1 atm in sub to ambient in escape hatch) decompression is of little issue however gas embolism is still a major concern.
Back to diving
CESA and BESA for the most part are last ditch procedures when nothing else is left. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that in full gear you would be lucky to make it much past a 60-80 foot travel distance and that is if you are:
Aware, Trained, and keep your crap together.
My good dear friend Tony died in August 2000 from an emergency ascent from 110 fsw. There was probably no one who has his stuff together more than Tony. **** happens.
Out of air is NOT an option. Plan your dives to have enough gas so that YOU survive every time. If you think you can rely on the CESA or BESA to save your *** you might have a disapointing afternoon.
Be careful out there.
Over the past 6 years both the US and British Navies had been collaborating on an escape procedure from as deep as 600 feet, but this is with an inflatable suit bag that turns into a personal life boat.
The general procedure for a sub escape is to don a hood called a "Stienke Hood" it is inflated and the escapee will float to the surface at a rate of approx 150 feet per minute exhaling all the way. Because the escapee has only had a few minutes gas load at depth (going from 1 atm in sub to ambient in escape hatch) decompression is of little issue however gas embolism is still a major concern.
Back to diving
CESA and BESA for the most part are last ditch procedures when nothing else is left. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that in full gear you would be lucky to make it much past a 60-80 foot travel distance and that is if you are:
Aware, Trained, and keep your crap together.
My good dear friend Tony died in August 2000 from an emergency ascent from 110 fsw. There was probably no one who has his stuff together more than Tony. **** happens.
Out of air is NOT an option. Plan your dives to have enough gas so that YOU survive every time. If you think you can rely on the CESA or BESA to save your *** you might have a disapointing afternoon.
Be careful out there.
