When does "Gas Management" get taught?

[Web Monkey]

Gas management typically consists of "Be back on the boat with 500PSI" and is about as helpful as "Turn left 2 blocks before Main Street". It only works in hindsight, then it's too late.

Without giving the diver any way to calculate it, it's a useless rule.

Your OW or AOW instructor probably should have covered it in more detail, but I don't beleive they're required to.

Terry

My wife and I got certified last summer (PADI OW, AOW and we have completed the requirements for a "Master Scuba" card). She took a "gas management" class last fall before taking Fundies. As she put it this morning, I've absorbed a fair amount of her training by osmosis (or more honestly, force feeding) and I'm looking forward to my "Essentials" class next month in part for the information about gas management and deco theory. OK.

 

[jonnythan]

I was taught either in my OW or AOW class (they both kinda blend in for me now) through NAUI. Like rescues, I think it's an important skill should be taught as early as possible.

A

What exactly were you taught?

 

[matt_unique]

Rule of Thirds was my first introduction to gas management...I can't remember when that came into the picture honestly.....

It was not until TDI Deco that I learned about SAC and real gas management.

--Matt

 

[StSomewhere]

What wasn't mentioned was the "rock-bottom" concept to get 2 divers to the surface safely on what was left in either cylinder.
However once I heard the concept mentioned, the calculations were easy with what we were taught.

I agree with Gary it should've been taught from day 1 but in my case it wasn't. I'm sure a good instructor would want this included, at least before the AOW deep dive...

FWIW, I first learned about rock bottom, SAC, etc. here on SB. Frankly, its the kind of thinking that sent me down the path towards DIR. :11: You have been warned.

 

[Spratman]

I agree with StSomewhere. I saw it on here, looked around on the Net, and asked the wreck guys I dive with. I'm taking into to tech diving with NAUI, so I figure I'll learn some more about it....

As someone else said, it would be a good idea to consider revamping the OW courses with more useful information. You shouldn't have to be a tech diver to understand basic safety premises like turning pressure....

 

[AndyNZ]

I teach turn pressures at OW and whilst I don't go into too many details indicate that we'll be turning at x bar, to be back at the line with y bar which gives a reserve in case something goes wrong.

I show how to calculate SAC at AOW and show how this can be used to estimate how long a tank will last at a given depth, relating dive planning to air consumption and calculating a turn pressure. I briefly raise the issue of rock bottom calculations for them to go away and think about what would happen if, for example, an o-ring blew on their buddies tank.

Rule of thirds and rock bottom are a little bit over the top for a typical shallow reef dive, but tend to come into their own for deeper dives or overhead environments etc.

 

[jepuskar]

When talking about gas management are we talking about SAC rates, rule of thirds, etc and how they apply to OW diving with no overhead restrictions? Or are some of you saying that the same gas management techniques taught in technical diving should be taught in recreational diving?

 

[TheRedHead]

I don't see it in my SSI OW book, nor do I see it in my friend's PADI OW book....

It's in the SSI Deep Diver specialty book. We were taught SAC rates and gas management in that class.

 

[darkpup]

FWIW, I first learned about rock bottom, SAC, etc. here on SB. Frankly, its the kind of thinking that sent me down the path towards DIR. :11: You have been warned.

The same is true for myself. I was looking for information on an AOW course, and took the advice from others on SB. Bought the AOW book, read it, and found it lacking. To me it seemed like a weekend of resort dives. So, I continued reading on SB, found this thing called the 120 rule for calculating bottom time, and kept reading.

And then Boomx5 bushwhacked me, had me on the phone after my 5th post on SB, forced me to drink cool aid, and the rest is history... It's all true, give or take a lie or two (about Scott).

My OW class in '86 followed the 500 psi rule, but I read about gas management on SB the summer of 2003. The first class I learned about gas management was in '04 during my 1st of 2 DIR-F classes. DIR-F covered 1/3s, 1/2s, all useable, and rock bottom. It wasn't until my RecTriox class in '05 that I actually started understanding it, and where I learned about SAC rates.

~ Jason

 

[ScubaMilo]

Do not remember being taught gas management at all until, adv nitrox and deep diver
(via:IANTD) But did not recieve thorough training and reasoning behind training until intro to tech, (NAUI,with Andrew G) DIR.