Making a CESA "ahhhh sound?"

[namerg]

Hello,
Can someone describe/explain me the "ahhhh sound"

The manual says:
"Simply look up and swim to the surface making a continuous ahhhh sound into your regulator. The ahhhh sound assures that you exhale expanding has, which is necessary to avoid lung overexpansion injury"

So my question, if you are exhaling air while making the ahhhh sound all the way up. At some point but short you have to inhale air through the regulator, right ? Unless you are really, really close to the surface and don't inhale.

Thanks for your help,

 

[Roatan Joe]

Wrong... The air in your lungs continually expands as you swim up, which helps to continue exhaling all the way up. I recommend students to make an EEEEEEEEEEEE sound all the way up, which seems to help with not exhaling too much too soon.. Whichever method, it's not that difficult. While sitting in front of your computer give it a try. You should be able to do it for 20-30 seconds with practice, and you're not even getting the benefit of expanding air. During CESA you absolutely are not allowed to take a breath on the way up. You are simulating an out of air situation, so there's no air to breath. At least that's what the exercise is suppose to be simulating. You will do it from a depth of 20-30 ft.

I see your not certified. Don't worry too much about the exercise. Your Instructor should go over it with you step by step before asking you to do it.

 

[pafindr]

When doing a CESA it's because you have run out of air so inhaling will not help you much.

When going up the air in your lungs begins to expand so you don't want to cut off your airway by holding your breath. Also you don't want to exhale all of the air from your lungs at one time so the "ahhh" sound constricts your airway enough so you avoid an over expansion injury and hopefully you will have enough air to make it to the surface.

But to avoid having to do a CESA just keep an eye on your air gauge.

 

[Roatan Joe]

When doing a CESA it's because you have run out of air so inhaling will not help you much.

When going up the air in your lungs begins to expand so you don't want to cut off your airway by holding your breath. Also you don't want to exhale all of the air from your lungs at one time so the "ahhh" sound constricts your airway enough so you avoid an over expansion injury and hopefully you will have enough air to make it to the surface.

But to avoid having to do a CESA just keep an eye on your air gauge.

PSST... He's not certified, he will have to do CESA in training... Watching his air gauge isn't gonna get him out of doing it. Haha..

 

[TSandM]

As stated, and should be clear in your book, the CESA -- Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent -- is a coping strategy when you have run out of gas, and your buddy is not close enough to share with you (TWO major mistakes!). So you begin the ascent without the ability to inhale from your regulator, because you are out of gas. You swim up at the maximum safe speed (generally 60 fpm), and as you go up, the air that remains in your lungs expands. You have to vent this air, just as you have to vent the air in your BC, because it's expanding, too. The continuous "ah" or "ee" sound ensures that gas is vented from your lungs as you go.

Now, it may be possible to get a little air from your regulator before you reach the surface, simply because the ambient pressure may drop enough to permit the first stage to deliver a little bit of gas. (When you are "out of air", it doesn't mean the tank is empty; it means the tank pressure has dropped low enough that the first stage can no longer deliver gas downstream.) That is why you are taught to keep the regulator in your mouth during this drill, although to complete it successfully, you have to make it to the surface without inhaling (I've never actually understood why). But it's easier than you think. I remember struggling with this skill in the pool, where we did it horizontally, and being pleasantly surprised that I actually had to exhale FASTER during the OW skill, because the air in my lungs was expanding enough that I could feel it.

 

[WarrenZ]

My Instructor said it didnt matter if you made a AAAAAAAAAAAAA eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee or better yet OHHHsssshhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii sound. The goal is to maintain an open airway so that expanding air in your lungs has a path to escape.

 

[namerg]

Now, I see. I better watch my SPG all the time. Thank you guys.

 

[jorge.a.mahauad]

As an instructor I want the aaaaa sound because it will make the regulator vibrate. That vibration in my hand as I hold the student is the reassuring feeling that they will not get hurt, which is the #1 objective of the skill. Having the vibration will also let me have another eye in other key points of the skill that need to be checked while ascending, controlling speed, correcting mistakes, etc.

 

[namerg]

So, all the following qualities of breathing continuously, do not ever hold your breath, the ahhhh sound etc etc are gained by practice, practice or prior to all that you have to train your lung with certain breathing exercises ?

Thanks for your help,

 

[TSandM]

You will work on all these things during the confined water portion of your class. They really are not that difficult to master.