CESA Training

[Gareth J]

It's interesting, the experienced divers and instructors are saying practicing CESA is an extremely foolish idea.
Those with free diving training may have a different slant, with their additional knowledge and experience. Free diving is a different thing altogether, and practicing snorkelling and breath hold diving is a positive, both for fitness and technique.

CESA, or free swimming ascent is taught by all diving organisations as a last resort. The principle statement is no diver should runout of gas. The reason the buddy system is taught is to avoid the need for a CESA in the event that what should not happen does. In situations where the buddy system is insufficient, or perceived to be insufficient, then redundancy is practiced.

There are all sorts of complications with free ascents, from expansion injuries, CO2, DCI, drowning among them.
A better course of action than practicing CESA, would be to do an ADP or twinset course and to learn and practice using redundancy.

 

[TMHeimer]

It's interesting, the experienced divers and instructors are saying practicing CESA is an extremely foolish idea.
Those with free diving training may have a different slant, with their additional knowledge and experience. Free diving is a different thing altogether, and practicing snorkelling and breath hold diving is a positive, both for fitness and technique.

CESA, or free swimming ascent is taught by all diving organisations as a last resort. The principle statement is no diver should runout of gas. The reason the buddy system is taught is to avoid the need for a CESA in the event that what should not happen does. In situations where the buddy system is insufficient, or perceived to be insufficient, then redundancy is practiced.

There are all sorts of complications with free ascents, from expansion injuries, CO2, DCI, drowning among them.
A better course of action than practicing CESA, would be to do an ADP or twinset course and to learn and practice using redundancy.

Should CESA still be taught in OW then (horizontally or otherwise)?

 

[Gareth J]

Should CESA still be taught in OW then (horizontally or otherwise)?

As a BSAC instructor I can't teach it. It is covered in theory lessons, but not as a practical lesson.
Instead there is a heavy emphasis on buddy skills, and then redundant kit configurations.

Most BSAC instructors will teach with some form of redundancy in open water (be that pony or twinset). If teaching commercially (any agency), redundancy is required!

 

[johndiver999]

It's interesting, the experienced divers and instructors are saying practicing CESA is an extremely foolish idea.
Those with free diving training may have a different slant, with their additional knowledge and experience. Free diving is a different thing altogether, and practicing snorkelling and breath hold diving is a positive, both for fitness and technique.

CESA, or free swimming ascent is taught by all diving organisations as a last resort. The principle statement is no diver should runout of gas. The reason the buddy system is taught is to avoid the need for a CESA in the event that what should not happen does. In situations where the buddy system is insufficient, or perceived to be insufficient, then redundancy is practiced.

There are all sorts of complications with free ascents, from expansion injuries, CO2, DCI, drowning among them.
A better course of action than practicing CESA, would be to do an ADP or twinset course and to learn and practice using redundancy.

I'm not sure I agree with the "last resort". A CESA is preferable to a an emergency buoyant ascent, where the diver may be dropping lead or ballast or using other means to reduce the need to "swim" in order to reach the surface. We might be getting into semantics, but dropping lead on an emergency ascent could be even more dangerous, I think.

 

[VikingDives]

Should CESA still be taught in OW then (horizontally or otherwise)?

I think it works out great for students to have the training, I'm not sure that open water provides anything other than reinforcement.

I've always thought horizontal CESA is a bad way to train. Diagonal in the pool works well (as does vertical).

My preference is the SDI way, which allows students to try and breathe should they need to...

The person who hates the CESA the most is the instructor with 10 or 12 students in a group. 15ish PADI CESAs is enough to make you regret teaching a class, even if you don't get bent.

 

[Coztick]

I wouldn't practice CESA from 30 m because urge to breathe is controlled by CO2 build-up, you won't be venting enough CO2 on the way up to prevent it, and in the time it takes to do 30 m at safe ascent rate, it's going to build up enough to make the experience really suck. So if I really wanted to do that, I'd first get enough freediving training to comfortably hold my breath for a couple of minutes.

I'm no freediver but I think those that are do a whole breathe up routine on the surface before attempting long breathe holds.
I'm guessing most CESAs are done because a diver can't get their next breathe.
I'm pro redundancy on all dives because this old welder isn't betting his life on making the surface or chasing down an Instabuddy with a gopro.
I'm just not that confident...

 

[Blackcrusader]

I would rather re-breathe into my BCD and use that recycled air for a less dramatic ascent than do a CESA from 30m as a last resort. Now for all those people who think this is horrendous and you will die from a lung infection.

Do all those people get lung infections and die? No.

 

[TMHeimer]

I would rather re-breathe into the BC as well, if from 30m. I agree with most of the other suggestions lately as well (though vertical in a pool from 9-10' makes no sense). And of course about the stress instructors have with so many on a course. All been discussed before. My only point is if it is taught it should be practiced now and again, or else teaching it is pointless.
Whether it should be taught at all is a whole different discussion.

 

[VikingDives]

I would rather re-breathe into my BCD and use that recycled air for a less dramatic ascent than do a CESA from 30m as a last resort. Now for all those people who think this is horrendous and you will die from a lung infection. Ask yourselves about the Air2 regulator that is fitted on the inflator hose for emergency use to get air from through BCD when they donate their primary to an OOA diver.

Do all those people get lung infections and die? No.

https://www.amazon.com/Scubapro-Air-Alternate-Inflation-Regulator/dp/B001P5ZXUQ

While I agree with you about breathing out of a BCD (no need to re-breathe on an ascent). This is a strawman arguement. Air2's aren't using any of the air from a BCD, as you well know. You detract from your point when you do things like this.

 

[Blackcrusader]

While I agree with you about breathing out of a BCD (no need to re-breathe on an ascent). This is a strawman arguement. Air2's aren't using any of the air from a BCD, as you well know. You detract from your point when you do things like this.

They can be used for BCD rebreathing as well as manual inflation of the BCD.