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

[Doc Intrepid]

J --

I hope you will forgive my utter ignorance, as betrayed by the following question, but are there no flooded quarries or freshwater lakes within a couple hours of where you live in the U.K.?

There are places in the U.S. where it can be either difficult or boring to find places to practice, my own experience would include New Mexico (Blue Hole) and Colorado (Emerald Lake near Leadville) - places exist, but they are limited and there is not much to see there. Still, they represent places to visit on a weekend to perform practice dives.

I agree with you that practice dives are pretty vital to keeping one's skills up to par.

Are there no such places near where you live in Brighton, UK?

I have read of the exploits of British cave divers on TDS, (and a crazy lot of guys they sound like, too,) but know very little about whats available in the UK for inland recreational divers.

Again, sorry for my ignorance regarding the UK diving scene.

Regards,

Doc

 

[Rhone Man]

Are there no such places near where you live in Brighton, UK?

Brighton is on the coast. I have no idea if there is any decent diving, but there is certainly water.

 

[Saudi-Diver]

There is loads of decent diving done around the south coast of England, as long as your comfortable in a Dry Suit, Loads of dives to suit divers of all different abilities. Check out

http://www.divernet.com/cgi-bin/articals.pl?sc=1031 its a guide to Uk Diving.

 

[SDAnderson]

1. Why did it happen?
Solo diving + "J" valve screw-up in the early 1970's, as with some of the others in this thread.

2. What depth?
~ 80 ffw

3. What was your reaction?
"Again? @$%#!" Went out and bought one of those fancy new SPG thingys before the next dive.

4. What was your ascent rate?
Within acceptable limits. I did leave some of the smaller bubbles behind, however.

5. Did you have to go to the chamber?
No. The only damage done was to my pride.

6. General experience/thoughts/advice/anything else relevant
Practice may make perfect but, having done a CESA twice in the wild, I'm content to forgo perfection.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Brighton is on the coast. I have no idea if there is any decent diving, but there is certainly water.

Thanks, Rhone,

I've certainly done many practice dives in the ocean, where there is easy shore access both by vehicle as well as getting into/out of the water, but in my experience practice dives are often more beneficial if done in relatively confined water (no surf, no surges, etc.) If not a freshwater lake or quarry, then some confined cove, sound, or estuary that offers the diver a relatively static and stable environment in which to practice. (Especially for something like a CESA!)

Appreciate your enlightening me!

Doc

 

[katdiver]

CESA has always been one of those topics with heated exchanges for and against, some agencies only talk about it in theory and it is not practiced. This is a skill as relevant as ever. For me, I've seen it twice, once done by someone trained and once by someone who wasn't. The rapid ascent by the latter just showed how panick was the only result of not having that skill as an option.

I've never had to perform one for real, but I always do one for my students after I've tied off my line, then it's their turn. This week I demonstrated from 15m, they get to do it from half that depth, but happy to see it works from depth.

 

[Rhone Man]

One day I'd like to do one as a practice from 100 foot or so (alongside a buddy holding an octo at the ready), just to be sure I could do it. I think I could, but much more chance of remaining calm and avoiding a rush in a real situation if I knew I could.

 

[Web Monkey]

One day I'd like to do one as a practice from 100 foot or so (alongside a buddy holding an octo at the ready), just to be sure I could do it. I think I could, but much more chance of remaining calm and avoiding a rush in a real situation if I knew I could.

That would seem to be a significant risk for little benefit.

Terry

 

[Bill D]

The CESA certainly has its limits and risks so I would not push the limits but it is actually an interesting exercise. It is amazing to feel the gas laws at work and keep blowing and blowing and blowing. Perhaps a better practice would be to be at 30 ft and intake only a quarter breath because that might fit the real situation. Still, the key is to practice. As a corollary, remember the old mask remove and replace? I am a volunteer diver at our state aquarium and was cleaning one of our cold water (50 degree) tanks a month ago and one of the fish, a Pacific Sheephead, always likes to nip my hand shortly after entering the tank. This time I wanted to be the alpha fish in the tank so I tapped his tail before he got me. Off he went and I proceeded with the cleaning. A few moments later out of the blue and whammo, he knocked my mask completely off. Besides the sudden coldwater shock I had to find my mask. I chuckled to myself over the incident (its HIS tank), retrieved my mask and replaced/cleared it. I thought it might be broken! Fortunately, I demonstrate this skill frequently in our warm water tanks for our visitors so to me its fun, but it just goes to show the value of practicing!

 

[InTheDrink]

Couple of points: Brighton, yes, lots of diving off here, and I'm hopefully going next week (although the air temperature is so cold at the moment I'm having serious reconsiderations). My main problem I guess is that I'm not dry suit trained yet and I don't have a local buddy. I guess I need to join the local BSAC club and see how that pans out. Even still, I wonder will people want to focus on drills as I do? Hopefully. I just don't have a 'buddy' in Brighton. And on holidays it's all a bit guided.

In relation to CESA from 100ft as a drill - I agree, that sounds very dangerous and a more modest objective from training would hopefully instil the appropriate reactions which could be applied to whatever depth. I do know that my buddy (in Thailand :-() won't do this drill from any depth as he thinks it is dangerous and stupid and can be practised in other ways. I disagree - for one I imagine experiencing the volume of air in one's lungs expanding as you ascend must be quite interesting, reassuring and enlightening.