Should all divers have a redundant air source on every dive?

[drbill]

Even when I dive with a buddy I know, I take a totally redundant pony. My "usual suspects" are also UW imagers so we are both focused on our work and not on one another. With a pick-up buddy it is especially important. The only time I don't ("can't") is when I'm traveling by air to distant sites.

 

[Buoyant1]

Seriously? Didn't your OW certification include an underwater swim test? Mine did ... 50 feet for OW ... 75 feet for several higher-level certifications.

Now, I'm not saying that your buddy shouldn't be within two-three fin kicks ... but if you're proficient you should be able to travel farther than that without breathing. The key is to keep your cool and not have to struggle at it.

And besides that, if you're relying on a buddy, then diver awareness is at least as important as distance. You'd better have some way to get your buddy's attention ... because otherwise they just might be moving away from you while you're trying to catch up with them ... and that would be downright aggravating if you happened to need their air at the time ... :depressed:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well, note the "eyebrows".....

 

[Walter]

Seriously? Didn't your OW certification include an underwater swim test? Mine did ... 50 feet for OW ... 75 feet for several higher-level certifications.

...and that was without fins.

 

[ssidiv3r]

Seriously? Didn't your OW certification include an underwater swim test? Mine did ... 50 feet for OW ... 75 feet for several higher-level certifications.

Now, I'm not saying that your buddy shouldn't be within two-three fin kicks ... but if you're proficient you should be able to travel farther than that without breathing. The key is to keep your cool and not have to struggle at it.

And besides that, if you're relying on a buddy, then diver awareness is at least as important as distance. You'd better have some way to get your buddy's attention ... because otherwise they just might be moving away from you while you're trying to catch up with them ... and that would be downright aggravating if you happened to need their air at the time ... :depressed:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I agree that you should be able to swim much farther than 2-3 fin kicks without breathing, but the distance you are from your buddy is also dependant on vis. I try not to be 30ft from my buddy in 10-15ft vis

...and that was without fins.

True. I remember one OW class that got all geared up for the test and was told they couldn't use their fins. They took the fins off but kept their boots on They were huffing and puffing by the time they finished

 

[Buoyant1]

...and that was without fins.

Wow...you "seasoned" divers are all starting to sound like my parents when they told us about how they got to school! "Up hill in three feet of snow carrying all our books...BOTH WAYS!"

I only had to swim the length of the pool under water, I don't remember if I wore fins or not though. Then we did a CESA in the pool from the deep end to the shallow end to practice and from about 30' at the quarry.

 

[Blackwood]

...and that was without fins.

In doubles.


Seriously, though, some of my more advanced training required breath-hold swimming 50 or more feet on a line fully geared up (drysuit, dubs, deco bottle, etc.) to initiate sharing at the end with various issues (mask off, blinded, etc.). It's good to know you can do it, but it's not a situation I'd put myself in.

 

[Buoyant1]

I agree that you should be able to swim much farther than 2-3 fin kicks without breathing, but the distance you are from your buddy is also dependant on vis. I try not to be 30ft from my buddy in 10-15ft vis



True. I remember one OW class that got all geared up for the test and was told they couldn't use their fins. They took the fins off but kept their boots on They were huffing and puffing by the time they finished

wouldn't it be worse with ONE fin? (more likely scenario) Never thought to try that though...

 

[Scuba-Stu]

but if you're proficient you should be able to travel farther than that without breathing. The key is to keep your cool and not have to struggle at it.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I agree with ya Bob but I would also add that this kinda of depends on how 'good' that last breath of air was.

 

[TSandM]

I agree with ya Bob but I would also add that this kinda of depends on how 'good' that last breath of air was.

Actually, this really isn't true. What limits breath-holding for almost all of us is CO2 production. Whether you begin breath-holding with your lungs full or empty doesn't matter very much, because you aren't going to run low on oxygen before the buildup of CO2 overcomes your conscious inhibition of respiration. (The reason I say "almost all of us" is that freedivers learn to stifle the urge to breathe long enough to get hypoxic.)

 

[ssidiv3r]

wouldn't it be worse with ONE fin? (more likely scenario) Never thought to try that though...

Possibly, but only if they weren't able to use the dolphin kick