Who practices emergency free ascents?

[dumpsterDiver]

I used to play around and ditch my tank in 50 feet of water, turn it off and slowly swim up. Rest for a couple of minutes on the surface, swim down and put the tank on. It is very simple if your ears clear.

It is a fun activity in clear water like a spring, but I think that it has only marginal utility in that when practicing this you are totally rested and calm. If you are out of breath and having an emergency, then 50-70 feet is a long way to swim with or without a tank on. I use a pony for 60 feet or more.

 

[rawls]

Practice them all the time with students from 30fsw. Haven't practiced them any deeper. As far as leaving your tank with your buddy...and now you have no air...Hmm...I would say not, but I also know it isn't an easy call with a friend in trouble. Heck...I'm sitting here thinking about the friends I dive with and realize it would be a far cry from an easy call. It goes back to that word...safety. I can't help anyone if I don't look out for my own safety. And it brings back to mind the Rescue class...now you have 2 victims...scenario...

 

[jbd]

I realize that NJMike set the parameter that the buddy was stuck and couldn't move but there was frequent mention of entanglement. My thinking is that if the buddy is entangled, usually that means his gear is entangled so why not have the entangled buddy remove his gear and then the two divers simply do an air sharing ascent?? Come back later to retrieve the gear.

 

[Narco Polo]

I practice ( from time to time ) this from 120 Ft, the real question is what to do next ?

your buddy is still below ( with a marker ??? ) , you are not sure to get help on time , you really *may* need some help for yourself , so I practice it for two reasons :

to make sure it's possible , and to save myself , not my buddy , if the dive goes really wrong , eventually with a visit to the deco chamber but alive .

I am not saying everybody must master that skill , it's something you need to consider for yourself , by the time the dive goes wrong , no certification will help you but yourself .

until now I had no need to use it in critical condition

Narco

 

[jeckyll]

I realize that NJMike set the parameter that the buddy was stuck and couldn't move but there was frequent mention of entanglement. My thinking is that if the buddy is entangled, usually that means his gear is entangled so why not have the entangled buddy remove his gear and then the two divers simply do an air sharing ascent?? Come back later to retrieve the gear.

Again, I think it comes down to: How to control the buoyancy on the ascent?

If my buddy has to ascend without his BP & STA, that's 16 lbs, not counting the tank! This would leave him rocketing to the surface and how am I supposed to provide him air? I mean I've got a long hose, but that sucker is only 7 feet

And if he's got a solid hold of me, now we are _both_ rocketing to the surface. Perhaps in warm water this would be a good posibility, but in coldwater it seems to be a great way to get both divers in trouble.

 

[jbd]

Again, I think it comes down to: How to control the buoyancy on the ascent?

If my buddy has to ascend without his BP & STA, that's 16 lbs, not counting the tank! This would leave him rocketing to the surface and how am I supposed to provide him air? I mean I've got a long hose, but that sucker is only 7 feet

And if he's got a solid hold of me, now we are _both_ rocketing to the surface. Perhaps in warm water this would be a good posibility, but in coldwater it seems to be a great way to get both divers in trouble.

Given the buddy's obvious positive bouyancy---how negative could you get by dumping all the air from your BC(whatever type it is) prior to making the ascent? Certainly the buddy would want to dump any air from a drysuit; possibly even consider partially flooding a drysuit.
Obviously this is not an ideal situation but it seems like a better choice than leaving someone to potentially die.

 

[jeckyll]

jbd: No doubt that you wouldn't want to leave someone!

I guess I just really don't like the choices. I have yet to be in a situation where this type of choice would have to be made and am curious if it's really something that people encounter in any kind of frequency. Any entanglement hazzard I can think of can either be cut, or would be so think that is should be able to be unwound. Then again, most places I dive don't have alot of fisherman nets ...

 

[StraitsdiverGeo]

Entangled or trapped, I think practicing CESA's or any skills for that matter is a good idea. But a CESA+bottom time+depth= trouble.
I was looking a another thread about diving with out an Octo. Sure you can dive with or with out most of your gear in different situations, we all know theirs a million and one different ways to look at. with all our training and knowledge. The bottom line is always the same, is it safe?
Most any time I dive, I try to stack the odds in my favor. This a consideration for my dive Buddie as well, am I posing a hazard to Him or Her or to myself?
I love diving and my friends too! I don't know if I could explain to someones family that I could have saved them if only I had this??? Sorry, if this seems a little heavy but I don't think could leave someone behind.

Regards, George

 

[RJP]

I practice ( from time to time ) this from 120 Ft, the real question is what to do next ?

Hold on there - are you saying you practice a CESA without a tank/BP/BCD from 120ft?

Not to beat a dead horse, but the OP asked about a CESA free ascent, not just a "free ascent" and not even just a "CESA free ascent" but a "CESA free ascent without your tank/BP/BCD."

 

[Web Monkey]

I realize that NJMike set the parameter that the buddy was stuck and couldn't move but there was frequent mention of entanglement. My thinking is that if the buddy is entangled, usually that means his gear is entangled so why not have the entangled buddy remove his gear and then the two divers simply do an air sharing ascent?? Come back later to retrieve the gear.

I'd go with that one.

It's hard to imagine being tangled enough that a second person with a line cutter, BFK and shears couldn't at least cut the diver free, even if not the equipment.

Terry