How does someone run out of air???

[ScubaSteve]

Wait, wait, wait. Yes, it's the internet. But community forums like this are supposed to maintain some minimum standards. After all, we don't permit people posting ads offering viagra, do we? This is called trolling and every forum that deserves that name has a policy about trolling.

I do wholly agree that trolling is unacceptable however the point that initiated this was the fact that the OP may or may not have been certified (only because of what is dive count label said). Fact is, there are many people on this board that do not list their true (or complete) location and do not list the # of dives correctly. Many show as "None - Not Certified" even if they have 800 dives. I do not see this as a breach of any policy as it would be absolutely impossible to police with the exception that an idiot will always stand out (meaning someone who has never dove will become obvious quickly).

 

[boulderjohn]

I think if I ever went OOA I would keep my reg in my mouth (say if I couldn't get to a buddy to share air) and hope for the best, for that reason.

Keeping one's regulator in the mouth is a point of emphasis in CESA training. When I teach OOA, I hammer home to students that they are not to let go of their regulators until they KNOW they have a working regulator to replace it, for that reason.

 

[skmfj]

I wouldn't be laughing about crappy borrowed gear, I'd be pissed.
I lobster dive too. Lot's of people lobster dive but seem to remember to keep track of things like how much air we have left.

With 0-24 dives (provided you're telling the truth about the number of dives) I wouldn't be bragging about the fact that you have run OOA "many times".

Hey ZKY,

Don't tell me that when you Lobster dive, that when you have 500 lbs that you say "time to go" with antennae sticking out of the hole, and 3 more for your limit. Or you have not wedged yourself up against a rock as tight as you can go to get that extra 1/4" to grab the base of the antenna. All the while the regulator is being pulled out of your mouth as you suck a mix of air and water. Or don't tell me you have not taken off you rig and held the reg in your teeth to go into a hole for a bug while sipping the air and water cocktail. I bailed when it got hard to breath, and by today's standard that would be considered OOA. I bet you have done it too. Don't Lie. All for a stupid lobster. I would not do that today, but I have done it in the past.

As for the crappy gear, it belonged to the Captain of the Dive Charter Boat I was working on. I had to laugh. I have to admit we were terrible about how we took care of the gear.

As for experience, in the sign up it asked for logged dives. I can honestly say that I have logged (written down) very few dives. Basically zero. It was not in the original training. However, it appears that you don't log dives either. As for experience NAUI OW certified in 1971. Estimate more than 3000 dives made (actually I lost count after 2). 90% of those dives were minimalist solo.

BTW I was not bragging about the OOA situation I was just suggesting that you can get carried away in the moment and loose track.

 

[InTheDrink]

Vis-a-vis Nemrod et al. - I love all the old 'way back when' guys clubbing up.

Running OOA in order to assist another diver just doesn't make ANY sense. You're of no help to anyone and a potential danger to others.

Jeez surely this is obvious?

 

[Thalassamania]

Ya gotta remember, all the 'way back when guys' went OOA (or close to OOA) at the end of most every dive, it was never of any particular worry or concern, just a fact of life. Jeez, surely this is obvious? We fail to understand what the fuss is about, we didn't think a 100 foot free ascent was even worth commenting on, 'less of course you had to do it through a school of feeding sharks.

 

[InTheDrink]

Is that part of the course you drew up then?

 

[InTheDrink]

p.s. apologies if I seem somewhat narky - jetlagged and slightly drunk. But I hate this relativism: suggesting going OOA and making free ascents from 30m isn't and shouldn't be part of a dive plan. And you will just confuse people by making those kinds of statements.

 

[thanksforallthefish]

Attiitudes change over time .... all "the old guys" are saying is that was common practice in the days when they started diving, they are not advocating that should be the way it is done today.

Look at such things as recycling and polluting the environment how they have changed over the years, no one is saying we should go back to the way it used to be

 

[InTheDrink]

The OP is about 'why does anyone run out of air'.

The old timers appear to suggest it's no big deal.

This might be ok for them, but it is not a view that should be considered safe diving practice. And potentially dangerous on a 'basic scuba' forum.

I also do not like their confusing messages. e.g. penetrating a wreck is dangerous without right training and you were an idiot to do it. Same breath - going OOA at 30m no big deal.

I'm not concerned in the slightest for me but I would ask for some consistency from more experienced divers in this particular forum.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hey ZKY,

Don't tell me that when you Lobster dive, that when you have 500 lbs that you say "time to go" with antennae sticking out of the hole, and 3 more for your limit. Or you have not wedged yourself up against a rock as tight as you can go to get that extra 1/4" to grab the base of the antenna. All the while the regulator is being pulled out of your mouth as you suck a mix of air and water. Or don't tell me you have not taken off you rig and held the reg in your teeth to go into a hole for a bug while sipping the air and water cocktail. I bailed when it got hard to breath, and by today's standard that would be considered OOA. I bet you have done it too. Don't Lie. All for a stupid lobster. I would not do that today, but I have done it in the past.

As for the crappy gear, it belonged to the Captain of the Dive Charter Boat I was working on. I had to laugh. I have to admit we were terrible about how we took care of the gear.

As for experience, in the sign up it asked for logged dives. I can honestly say that I have logged (written down) very few dives. Basically zero. It was not in the original training. However, it appears that you don't log dives either. As for experience NAUI OW certified in 1971. Estimate more than 3000 dives made (actually I lost count after 2). 90% of those dives were minimalist solo.

BTW I was not bragging about the OOA situation I was just suggesting that you can get carried away in the moment and loose track.

OK, so you do have waaaay more dives than you let on, cool. You're as bad as me. I don't have any 3000 dives but to tell you the truth I've lost track, and besides what difference does it make.
I actually only get down to Socal a few times a year to bug dive. I belong to the Seadivers and I go on their trips.
I haven't taken off my rig yet to wiggle my way back into a cave to get bugs, but I'm almost to the point where they've pissed me off enough I may get a 25 foot hookah to get them.
More of my diving is up on the North Coast where we get some big lings and abs.
Sometimes when I'm in Socal I'll do a beach dive and people will say it's a pretty big day and to me the conditions are what we could only dream about up north.

About the air thing, I am somewhat fanatical about my air supply so to me it's absolute stupidity or yahooism to run out of air and to be surprized about it. I have run very low once or twice, but I knew what my supply was and how long I had left to stay down.
Once I was doing a deep wall dive off my boat with buddies and I got a little carried away getting scallops and one particularly nasty puget sound king crab. I knew I was pushing it. I did do all my stops and at the 10 foot stop I started it with less than 100 psi. I showed my buddy and he handed me his second. I signalled no not yet. during the course of the stop my guage went to zero and stayed there for many breaths. I never did run out of air and managed to get my full stop. On the surface I was curious how much air was left so I purged the second stage and it was pretty much flat, just a little hiss. You might say I got my money's worth on that dive. That's the closest I've come to running OOA, but it was no surprise.

Maybe one day we'll wind up on the same lobster boat. Just look for the tall bald guy with the weird looking back plate. We'll grab a beer after grabbing the 10 lb bug.