Emergency ascents

[Garrobo]

I keep reading about these Controlled Emergency (Swimming) Ascents. Some say the limit is about 30 feet and some say it's possible from about 60 feet. Seems to me that how much air you got on your last breath would determine the depth from which you would be able to make one. Personally, I would be looking for another diver with a spare regulator to commandeer rather than trying one at depth. I've practices a few with an instructor from 30 feet which worked out OK but haven't yet tried anything deeper. Comments?

 

[ClayJar]

I haven't tried a CESA from deeper than around 30' (in class), and I wouldn't want to. If I'm ever in the position where I've had multiple regulators fail on me, all at once, and there's nobody around for help, I'll certainly "blow and go", but I'd no more do a deep CESA for "practice" than I'd run my car into a concrete barrier in order to know that I could survive that.

Frankly, if I ever go through so many simultaneous failures as to require a CESA, I'm not going to be in the same physical or mental state as I'd be when trying it, anyway. What would be the relevance? I prefer to continue to do what I can to make the likelihood of ending up at CESA as minuscule as possible. If I ever *do* end up there, it *should* work, but I'm not going to put myself through it in the meantime.

 

[ReefHound]

You have to make it from whatever depth you have to make it. I haven't tried from deeper than 30 feet either and it isn't something I care to practice. Finding another diver with air (where's your buddy?) is a preferred option but remember that if you are swimming laterally for one you are not getting air from expansion and if you can't make it to them you are really screwed. At least with the CESA you are going the right direction.

 

[Gary D.]

For those that think they are only possible from shallow depths need to rethink it. I was in a group where we did lots of them from 100’ and not quite as many from 119’. They are possible from much deeper depths but you need to keep your head on straight.

Gary D.

 

[PvtStash]

I'm not certified yet, but this sounds like something I would practice.

Only at vshallow depths at first of course, but then increasingly deeper as confidence is gained.

Its right there in the acronym, the C part... Controlled, and how else one develope Control without practice eh? You Dont want your first CESA to be in a "have to" situation and I think one would gain a little psychological protection (panic reduction) by developing that Controlled part. I think maybe I'd shoot for goal of somewhere between 60-100'.

Does anyone practice these?

 

[texdiveguy]

For those that think they are only possible from shallow depths need to rethink it. I was in a group where we did lots of them from 100’ and not quite as many from 119’. They are possible from much deeper depths but you need to keep your head on straight.

Gary D.

What kind of group were you in while doing these 119' CESA's?

 

[texdiveguy]

I keep reading about these Controlled Emergency (Swimming) Ascents. Some say the limit is about 30 feet and some say it's possible from about 60 feet. Seems to me that how much air you got on your last breath would determine the depth from which you would be able to make one. Personally, I would be looking for another diver with a spare regulator to commandeer rather than trying one at depth. I've practices a few with an instructor from 30 feet which worked out OK but haven't yet tried anything deeper. Comments?

Better yet....carry a redundant gas source!

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

In case anyone is interested:

Samson RL, Miller JW (eds.) Emergency Ascent Training. 15th Undersea and Hyperbaric MedicalSociety Workshop. UHMS Publication Number 32WS(EAT)10-31-79. Bethesda: Undersea andHyperbaric Medical Society; 1977; 100 pages. RRR ID: 4260

 

[sharkattack]

And why would you do them at all unless you needed to? Not sure why anyone would practice these. From any depth. If you absolutely had to do one from how ever deep, it is a last ditch effort to get air because you have none. So you keep your airway open and ascend

 

[Web Monkey]

I keep reading about these Controlled Emergency (Swimming) Ascents. Some say the limit is about 30 feet and some say it's possible from about 60 feet. Seems to me that how much air you got on your last breath would

It's an Emergency, which means that this is your last possible option, aside from death or divine intervention.

This means that preferably the limit is zero, since you don't ever want to have to do one. However since the alternative is death, the real limit is "however deep you are" when you realize you've really *****ed the pooch.

You have to figure that given the amount of air in your lungs and your depth, you could easily be exceeding 100'/min, maybe by a lot. If you've been down for a while, this could be a real problem.

Say for example you were down at 100'+ near the edge of the dive table and ran OOA with no buddy. Could you get to the surface? Probably. Would you be happy about it or live very long. Probably not.

Terry