Ascent rate without the high tech gadgets

My question came from another board but I'm looking for a more specific recommendation.

How do you determine a safe ascent rate if your computer and /or timer or any other such gadgets fails? I was taught ascend with your smallest bubbles from each exhalation. That was supposed to give you close to a 60'/min ascent rate. Nowadays agencies are teaching or at least recommending slower ascent rates.

Personally if i ascend without an ascent meter i ascend as slow as possible and try to go much slower than my bubbles. This is especially true if i am free ascending without a line or visual reference. However, its much easier said than done. Cheers

If my computer fails, I use my backup depth gauge and watch(Aqualand). If that fails too, then I use the anchor line or down line. If I have no anchor or down line, then I deploy my lift bag on a line and use that - my line is marked at fifteen feet for a safety stop as well. If my lift bag fails then I use my safety sausage in the same manner. If that fails then I guess I'll have to drop back to the "smallest bubbles."
But I doubt I'll ever get that many failures in a row.
Rick (not DIR)

Rick, if all that fails at once, it's a clear warning that it's time to find another sport! hehe

jbd,

The bubbles are always there and can be relied upon the one time all the "high tech" stuff fails! On every other occasion use what you normally do...

And one more back up: YOUR BUDDY!

In fact, Barbara and I always ascend together and it is normally by the "go and check" technique: i.e., we start our ascent and after a short time check the depth gauge, ascent warning ticks on the computer--and the n2 ads ticks. If the gauge says we are going too fast, we slow down. I do not stare at my gauge because I want to look around one last time at the wonderful stuff I am there to see!

If my "high tech" stuff should ever fail, I think I would just follow Barbara up...we still tend to go up at 60'/min and are having a hard time adjusting to 30'/min..but getting there.

Joewr

Hey all,

You know, I never have tried to determine the ascent rate of a bubble. I first learned to determine ascent rates BEFORE I got a computer, and that was pretty easy. 60 ft/min is a foot per second (yeah, duh! I know...). Use your dive watch sweep second hand or just watch your gauge and count, one Mississippi, etc.

HOWEVER... that being said, I try to limit MY ascent to 30 ft/min. I am in NO HURRY to develop an embolism (bad pun) or increase my chance of DCS. L k for this concept coming soon to a Diving agency curriculum near you! I am grateful that my computer came programmed that way!