Ascending faster than 60ft/minute

[rjpv]

Hi again folks,

So I am reading my PADI OW manual and it says in several places, rather ominously, not to ascend faster than 60ft/minute. And that slower is better.

However it is light on details about what happens if you go faster. Supposing you continued to breathe normally, what can happen if one, say, ascends uncontrollaby because one was juggling one's weight belt and dropped it?

And, in more pragmatic terms, what will *likely* happen to a diver in 60 ft or less of water and well within no-stop limits if he were to make an uncontrolled ascent?

 

[Bubble Junky]

Fast ascents increase the risk of the bends (DCS).

 

[rickydazla]

So I am reading my PADI OW manual and it says in several places, rather ominously, not to ascend faster than 60ft/minute. And that slower is better.

However it is light on details about what happens if you go faster.

Are you sure? Have another look. Particularly at any section concerned with decompression sickness... I am an SSI instructor btw, otherwise I would give you a specific page...

 

[chrisch]

Fast ascents are associated with decompression illness. In fact many people think this is one of the worse of all diving "bad habits". The PADI 60ft/min is far too high and most sensible advice is about half this figure. I would consider 60ft/min an "emergency" ascent.

By ascending quickly you do not give the dissolved gas in your body time to exit the tissues. Any small bubbles that form will grow and become problematic, while a slower ascent would give the body time to deal with many the small bubbles that form by trapping them in the lungs.

PADI have long promoted a slow ascent "Slowly Ascend From Every dive"

A short safety stop near the surface is also a good way to give your body time to deal with any small bubbles that may have formed. Over the years many divers have suffered DCI despite being well within the allowed time of accepted dive tables. By practicing a slow ascent and a safety stop you are much less likely to join the numbers of these unfortunate people.

To answer your second point, an uncontrolled ascent can result in rather unpleasant things like a burst lung or passing out at the surface (which can lead to sinking and drowing - something I have seen for real).

Chris

 

[DiveMaven]

You must be using an old OW book.....PADI changed the ascent rate from 60 ft/min to 30 ft/min in their books about 2 years ago. If you got this book at your LDS, you might want to return it and ask for a current copy. If you borrowed the book, everywhere you see 60 ft/min cross it out and change it to 30 ft/min.

 

[Chad_Ordelheide]

Whatever the rate is, it seems my computer is always beeping at me that i'm going up to fast...and that happens when I feel I'm barely creeping up the line!!! Almost every bubble I can see is going up while I slooooooowly follow.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

You must be using an old OW book.....PADI changed the ascent rate from 60 ft/min to 30 ft/min in their books about 2 years ago. If you got this book at your LDS, you might want to return it and ask for a current copy. If you borrowed the book, everywhere you see 60 ft/min cross it out and change it to 30 ft/min.

Someone in a discussion yesterday cited the PADI book as teaching them 60 ft/min recently too. I was surprised too, several agencies have adopted 30 ft/min. I heard a rumor that perhaps there is too much capital or revenue around the RDP for them to consider 30 ft/min (That joke made by a PADI DM, don't shoot the messenger).

If you've got a PADI ow book that states 30 ft/min please cite the page and pub date. Thanks.

 

[mccabe]

I pretty sure the PADI ascent rate is 18 metres/60ft per min. This is a perfectly safe rate and dont see why it should be made slower.

Anyway, lung over-expansion is a big concern on an uncontrolled ascent - not good, doesnt feel nice!!!!!

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

I was certified just over a year ago, and was taught 60ft/min, or a little slower. I've read that going much slower than 60ft/min has no discernable benefit -- that it hits a point of disappearing returns.

In Cozumel, the three minutes of hang time, "standing" in the water column, were actually my favorite part of several of the dives. During my safety stops, I saw turtles, nurse sharks, and goofed around with my dive buddy.

 

[uglyredshoes]

I pretty sure the PADI ascent rate is 18 metres/60ft per min. This is a perfectly safe rate and dont see why it should be made slower.

Anyway, lung over-expansion is a big concern on an uncontrolled ascent - not good, doesnt feel nice!!!!!

Yup, i am on course now and i am reminded that the standard is 60ft/min.

I am not sure but i was reading an ATOM dive manual, calculated according to PADI standards. 60ft/min is the ascend rate for depts greater than 60ft. Anything shallower is generally calculated with the ascend rate of 30ft/min.

Edit: Yup just verified with the ATOM manual and the PADI tables, the information provided above is similar.