I've worked in the dive industry for several years now and a discussion that comes up regularly is the pros and cons with performing the "Controlled Emergency Swimming Assent" or "CESA" on the PADI open water course. In fact, the general consensus is that there are no "pros" in doing the vertical assent. If the student can perform the skill horizontally, which is more difficult, why bother with the vertical skill. Its reasonably common for the student to have to perform this skill more than once to reach the required standard which means multiple descents and assents for the student and especially for the instructor when they have multiple students. This has resulted in ear problems such as barotrauma and instructors have even been known to suffer Decompression Sickness from multiple CESA's. Both BSAC and CMAS have abandoned this skill and is it time for PADI to do the same? Lets face it, if a diver gets into a "no-air" situation (which they shouldn't!) and needs to get to the surface quick, they are going to do it! All the instructor should have to do it teach the the technique to do this in the safest way possible. If enough people are like minded, maybe we change the way things are done. I invite your comments.
Is it time to sink the CESA?
- Thread starter steveobie
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DevonDiver
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I'd be happy if they ditched the vertical (OW dive) CESA element. I would like to see more focus on attaining and sustaining postive buoyancy on the surface...after CESA or AAS ascents. More practice of oral inflation and weightbelt ditching.
According to PADI, the performance of repeated training CESAs has no statistical link with DCS. There is an article about it. I want to know where those statistics come from though....
I plan CESAs for the beginning of the first dive in a day...thus reducing chance for DCS issues. However, I have not found a way to prevent ear problems caused from multiple descents and ascents.
According to PADI, the performance of repeated training CESAs has no statistical link with DCS. There is an article about it. I want to know where those statistics come from though....
I plan CESAs for the beginning of the first dive in a day...thus reducing chance for DCS issues. However, I have not found a way to prevent ear problems caused from multiple descents and ascents.
I like it the way it is.
I do believe that people have to do it vertically to get the full experience, including as Devon said attaining and retaining positive buoyancy on the surface once you get there.
Also, I don't believe you can reinforce the "constant exhale" enough with new divers because let's face it, when the **** hits the fan they're going to need that 'click' in their brain that remembers their training or they'll end up holding their breath. Repetition and making it as realistic as you can builds confidence and will help them do the right thing if it comes down to it.
R..
I do believe that people have to do it vertically to get the full experience, including as Devon said attaining and retaining positive buoyancy on the surface once you get there.
Also, I don't believe you can reinforce the "constant exhale" enough with new divers because let's face it, when the **** hits the fan they're going to need that 'click' in their brain that remembers their training or they'll end up holding their breath. Repetition and making it as realistic as you can builds confidence and will help them do the right thing if it comes down to it.
R..
It's not just a PADI related discussion. Whilst BSAC and CMAS may have ditched the CESA, there are plenty of other agencies that still teach it...
yep.
As far as I am concerned, a student doesn't pass CESA until they have Orally inflated their BCD and achieved positive buoyancy at the surface. After all, what is the point of getting to the surface if your just going to sink back down without air anyway?
FTR, I dislike doing CESA's because it trashes my ears but I do think it is an important skill for the students to master and like I said if they are truly OOA then buoyancy is critical. Unfortunately, any OOA brings to question the training a student received and the ability of the student.
Some time after I aquired my OW cert I hired a DM to go with me to a shallow (30') reef to practice doing CESA's. Best money I ever spent. We did the horizontal bit in a pool when I first started. Waste of time I thought at the time since I really didn't fully understand the concept. I've been doing some solo diving lately (actually I consider all dives as a solo dive) and with no buddy's air to hang onto I feel a lot more in control being able to do emergency ascents correctly. Deep dives? Forget it. That's where a pony or some other guy's octo comes in to play. I think that dive shops should offer and push CESA training to newly certified divers.
I certainly don't expect new divers to be perfect. Bouyancy control and trim are arts that take time and practice to get good at. The "binary" skills like mask clearing, regulator recovery, and CESA are either done right or not done. There is no "pretty good just practice and you'll get better"
Let's get back on topic before this turns into a popcorn-fuelled "are divers qualified to dive" discussion!!
I think the CESA has it's place and should be retained. I don't see the harm in presenting it as another way out of an emergency. Will it have any effect? The resolution of an OOA emergency is going to be somewhat dependent on a diver's presence of mind as well as their training. I've seen experienced divers panic and relative newbies deal with OOA situations calmly. How their state of mind is affected by their training is for another discussion but getting back to the CESA - I see no harm in giving divers another option for dealing with an out of air situation. Even if it's just to remember to keep humming on the way up, it's still an option.
With regards to the DCS thing - I do remember reading an article in a publication from Suunto that suggested 6 CESAs from 9 metres does significantly increase the prescence of microbubbles in the bloodstream which are an indication that a diver is heading towards a state bordering on being bent - it was a little booklet that I highly recommend as reading, if you can find a copy. It was an explanation of the RGBM model theory and how it applied to diving. It even talks about how dive professionals who dive almost every day are hovering on a state where their blood is almost continually bubbly... verrry insteresting reading indeed!
Hope that helps
C.
I think the CESA has it's place and should be retained. I don't see the harm in presenting it as another way out of an emergency. Will it have any effect? The resolution of an OOA emergency is going to be somewhat dependent on a diver's presence of mind as well as their training. I've seen experienced divers panic and relative newbies deal with OOA situations calmly. How their state of mind is affected by their training is for another discussion but getting back to the CESA - I see no harm in giving divers another option for dealing with an out of air situation. Even if it's just to remember to keep humming on the way up, it's still an option.
With regards to the DCS thing - I do remember reading an article in a publication from Suunto that suggested 6 CESAs from 9 metres does significantly increase the prescence of microbubbles in the bloodstream which are an indication that a diver is heading towards a state bordering on being bent - it was a little booklet that I highly recommend as reading, if you can find a copy. It was an explanation of the RGBM model theory and how it applied to diving. It even talks about how dive professionals who dive almost every day are hovering on a state where their blood is almost continually bubbly... verrry insteresting reading indeed!
Hope that helps
C.
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