CESA Ever Done it? Tell your Story

[Charlie99]

Here's an old thread CESA from 100 feet?.

Here is a report of a practice CESA from 90' that I did.

 

[Gary D.]

Did I read that right? You have done many CESAs from over 100 feet? Do you mean one breath and saying "ahhhhh" all the way to the surface? Why? Was/is that Navy training? I am not flaming you, just curious.

I did some in NAUI training prior to the Navy days. Then most of the rest were Navy related.

One breath isn't a problem. The more air you get rid of the more you get. It's an amazing feeling exhailing for two minutes straight.

We did them several ways. Totally free. some with a mask, some with a small PFD, some with a horse collar, some with a hooded horse collar. We did them in about any configuration they could come up with. They are a lot of fun WITH PROPER TRAINING!!!!!

Gary D.

 

[matts1w]

I did some in NAUI training prior to the Navy days. Then most of the rest were Navy related.

One breath isn't a problem. The more air you get rid of the more you get. It's an amazing feeling exhailing for two minutes straight.

We did them several ways. Totally free. some with a mask, some with a small PFD, some with a horse collar, some with a hooded horse collar. We did them in about any configuration they could come up with. They are a lot of fun WITH PROPER TRAINING!!!!!

Gary D.

Sometimes I wish training was like it was "back in the day."

Thanks.

 

[Rick Inman]

I haven't done them from 100', or like the very studly Gard D. has done them, but I do about 8 to 10 of them a year from 30' to 40'. There's a place we call the 32' Hole at Boulder Beach in the Spokane River, where I always start my dive by doing a CESA. It's all about getting in the zone with your exhale. The tendency is to blow too fast, but if you just open your throat and let it gently flow, it's easy.

For me, I like the fact that if I every needed to do it for real, life or death, it wouldn't be my first try.

Disclaimer: Do not do a CESA without proper training and supervision. To do so may result in grave injury or death.

 

[cool_hardware52]

When I first started diving a CESA was simply called ascending, as in "When it gets hard to breath, ascend." Seriously, when we used J-valves to warn us of a low air supply, it was not too unusual to reach back and find either that it had been pulled down accidentally during the dive or that it was not operating as it should be. Making a safe ascent from recreational depths, in a no decompression situation is really not that hard.

I remember those days. No guages, no spg, no bottom timers, no BC's. Just a 72 and a double hose reg. More than once I've reached for the rod to find it was already pulled, kelp was good for that. No big deal, I was never very deep anyway. Not really a CESA, as I always got at least one more breath off the reg as I got shallower.

Tobin

 

[HowardE]

Charlie99.. thanks for finding that one... This has been informative...

Rick, if I understand you, you are saying that you practice it a few times a year?

That sounds like not a bad idea. I think I may try to bug an instructor I know to supervise something like that from oh... 30-40' to try it in the ocean. I did do it in the pool... but that was only from 10' nothing really.

Thanks to those of you who shared your stories.

 

[drbill]

I've only done one in 44 years (well, except during certification). It was totally unexpected- tank valved clogged suddenly at 70 ft. and provided NO air period. I had just exhaled so there was little air in my lungs.

I had only been down 3 1/2 min so I wasn't worried about getting bent, just a potential embolism. Ascended the 70 ft in about 60-70 seconds desperate for air but keeping it controlled. Did not drop weights.

Good thing I have excellent lung capacity but I must admit it wasn't an easy ride up. I certainly hyperventilated when I got to the surface. Always carry my pony now.

 

[Rick Inman]

Rick, if I understand you, you are saying that you practice it a few times a year?

Yup.

I've only done one in 44 years ...

That was an excellent thread, Bill. Do you have the link handy?

 

[FFMDiver]

gotta love this previous post...

"I know that my AOW instructor did an ESA from about 90'. He had his camera with him and had enough time while ascending that he was able to set his camera down on a ledge of the wall he was diving, hopped back on the boat, tanked up got back in, grabbed his camera and joind back up with the group he was diving with and they did not even know he was gone."