Who here has done a real life CESA and what was your experience?

[TSandM]

Wow . . . zero viz in FISH. That's wild, and very cool, and if I'm ever separated from a buddy for that reason, I'm not sure I'll mind.

When we do contingency planning as I have been taught to do it, you plan for a major failure of anything -- and that includes the team. But you don't plan for TWO major failures, and buddy separation and loss of gas is two major failures.

 

[Thalassamania]

As I think about it, the real issue is not buddy separation, it's when do you discover that you're separated and what, and when do you do something about it. If it takes an emergency to find out that your buddy's not there for you... then you've got a problem. If, on the other hand, whenever you notice that you're a bit too far away you tighten up, chances are that when something goes wrong your buddy will be there for you.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Wow . . . zero viz in FISH. That's wild, and very cool, and if I'm ever separated from a buddy for that reason, I'm not sure I'll mind.

When we do contingency planning as I have been taught to do it, you plan for a major failure of anything -- and that includes the team. But you don't plan for TWO major failures, and buddy separation and loss of gas is two major failures.

Cold water and marginal viz conditions --I would plan for those two major failures, the possibility for both happening in that environment specific situation (separation and a concomitant worst case scenario of reg ice-over/free-flow) is very real. Gas shutdowns and air-sharing drills as a team . . .and an individual gas shutdown drill with a tank valve modulation CESA to your deco stop and the surface.

 

[Thalassamania]

Your buddy should always be close, but a freeflow should not require immediate buddy assistance, even if you are bingo air. My first action would be to solve the problem myself, hopefully as my buddy stands, attentively, by.

 

[mkccowboy]

A CESA was part of OW training (mid 80's) and I believe we did them from about 40'. They followed a "blow and go" model where you started exhaling, then started swimming up.

Same with my OW training (1977). We were told prior to our first OW dive that we would have to perform an OOA drill. We were told that an instructor would turn our air off. We were to begin buddy breathing (didn't have an octopus at that time) with our buddy until the instructor gave us the ascent sign. At that point we performed our EA to the surface. As I recall we were at about 45 - 50' when I did my ascent. Instructor that shut the gas off, remained with my buddy while another instructor monitored and graded my emergency ascent.

Haven't had to make one since but it was good training to know you can do it.

 

[Gary D.]

Haven't had to make one since but it was good training to know you can do it.

That is all we have ever asked. Is to just know how and that "YOU CAN" do it. It's a shame that people have removed a tool from the tool chest even if it was rarely if ever used.

Gary D.

 

[Thalassamania]

That is all we have ever asked. Is to just know how and that "YOU CAN" do it. It's a shame that people have removed a tool from the tool chest even if it was rarely if ever used.

Gary D.

... and then lied about why it was removed.

 

[no excuses]

Did a CESA back in the early 90's from 110-115' of the OR coast and exhaled all the way up and gained like two breathes on the way to the surface wile never going faster then my bubbles. Did not ditch weights, had to vent air from BC and dry suit all the way up. Did not go to the hospital, did not passs go and did not collect $200 lol. In fact swapped tanks and my buddy and I made a couple more dives that day. Would dive same day same ocean all the time back then and also a lot of one up (in boat) and one down in water, had to have some one in the boat for a live boat lol. It was not a problem and never panicked. I would not recommend it but it was still not a major issue to me at the time. I was a lil young and dumb but thats how we rolled .

 

[Gary D.]

... and then lied about why it was removed.

Exactly!

People get something in their head and just will not think outside the box.

I have seen it many times where a vehicle involved in a minor non-injury accident has the doors jammed tight enough or the vehicle is in a position where the doors won't open. They sit there screaming that they are trapped until someone convinces them to just climb out the window.

Several years ago a young gal got into her bf car that was being customized and didn't have "ANY" door handles on it at all and shut the door. The vehicle was in a garage and a neighbor called 911 when they heard her screaming that she was trapped and couldn't get out. :shocked2: It took a few minutes to calm her down so she could climb out the driver's window that was down. Once she was out she thanked us for saving her life. DUH! Later we learned where the magnetic switch was.

Some people will just NOT think outside the box unless they are shown how to do something. So why not teach someone that they CAN get to the surface when things go to crap. I guess it all goes back to time vs money even if it does place people at risk.

Gary D.

 

[Web Monkey]

Some people will just NOT think outside the box unless they are shown how to do something. So why not teach someone that they CAN get to the surface when things go to crap. I guess it all goes back to time vs money even if it does place people at risk.

AFAIK, the CESA is still an OW requirement. Who doesn't teach it?

I'm not a big fan of people using it in place of dive-planning and gas management, but as a last-ditch alternative it's better than nothing.

Terry