DIR video of open water divers

[WreckWriter]

AaronBBrown once bubbled...
Why is this technique "better"? I read about a horizontal position being possibly more effecient for off-gassing, but so is very light exercise, which you would not be getting in the horizontal position.

Most of the people I dive with do move around during deco, horizontally. Most folks swim around in slow circles.

Tom

 

[Soggy]

O-ring once bubbled...
You are already in the correct position to "flare" in order to control ascent speed.

You are upside down to flare...My understanding is the flaring position is facing the surface. I find it much easier to move to a face up position from vertical rather than rolling from horizontal.

Different strokes for different folks. I'll stick with my vertical safety stops.

 

[O-ring]

Different strokes for different folks. I'll stick with my vertical safety stops.

 

[The Iceni]

AaronBBrown once bubbled...
How does one do a horizontal ascent? My understanding is ascending is done by remaining neutral (or slightly negative), kicking up and venting air. Since propulsion would also be horizontal, the only way I can think of doing a horizontal ascent is by using the "magic elevator" which can lead to an uncontrolled horizontal ascent. Someone please enlighten me.

Tend to agree with you Aaron except I try to remain neutrally bouyant. OK for wetsuits, maybe.

Problem is rules, guidelines or whatever are often applied incorrectly. With my membrane dry suit and bulky "thermals" I would not dream of ascending horizontally simply because the only way the air can escape from my dry suit is from the autodump on my left shoulder. I never want to find myself top heavy as a consequence of venting only the gas in the "front". The inevitable consequence of this is a bouyant inverted ascent!

That is not to say that I do not offgas in the horizontal position when at a stop. (The whole of my body is at the stop depth, my feet are not a metre or so deeper with a consequntly lower offgasing gradient). This is an entirely different kettle of fish from the ascent itself since there is no constantly increasing volume of gas locked in my drysuit (and BC!) that needs to be vented.

I am not for or aginst DIR, ridicule or for rigid rules misapplied but for safe diving techniques properly appled with a modicum of common sense.

What is right for a Caribbean reef or wall dive may not be right for the a wreck in The North Sea or the Atlantic or Arctic Oceans, or for a quarry or a sump.

 

[landlocked]

O-ring once bubbled...
You are already in the correct position to "flare" in order to control ascent speed. You are in the correct position to swim to your buddy should he/she experience an OOA or other emergency. Not to mention, it is easier to swim against a current horizontally than vertically. There is a possibility that it is more efficient for offgassing. It also acts to reinforce good trim in that you get used to being in that position for all your diving.

Good answer. Thanks.

 

[Soggy]

Dr Paul Thomas once bubbled...

With my membrane dry suit and bulky "thermals" I would not dream of ascending horizontally simply because the only way the air can escape from my dry suit is from the autodump on my left shoulder. I never want to find myself top heavy as a consequence of venting only the gas in the "front". The inevitable consequence of this is a bouyant inverted ascent!

Very good point. Part of my problem in understanding this is likely that I am almost always in a shell drysuit, and a horizontal ascent wouldn't work too well. To make matters worse, my exhaust vent is on my forarm as opposed to my shoulder.

 

[O-ring]

Problem is rules, guidelines or whatever are often applied incorrectly. With my membrane dry suit and bulky "thermals" I would not dream of ascending horizontally simply because the only way the air can escape from my dry suit is from the autodump on my left shoulder. I never want to find myself top heavy as a consequence of venting only the gas in the "front". The inevitable consequence of this is a bouyant inverted ascent!

You can kick your shoulder up a notch and vent that way.

my exhaust vent is on my forarm as opposed to my shoulder.

Roll a little to one side and slightly raise arm to vent.

 

[Soggy]

O-ring once bubbled...


You can kick your shoulder up a notch and vent that way.



Roll a little to one side and slightly raise arm to vent.

Obviously There really isn't any other way to vent from a drysuit. However, in order to vent, your feet need to be below the shoulder. Otherwise air gets stuck in your legs/boots.

 

[O-ring]

Obviously There really isn't any other way to vent from a drysuit. However, in order to vent, your feet need to be below the shoulder. Otherwise air gets stuck in your legs/boots.

Just like when I have just a little air in my wing, I have to kinda kick my arse up in the air and pull the dump for a sec to vent air.

 

[sheck33]

AaronBBrown once bubbled...


Very good point. Part of my problem in understanding this is likely that I am almost always in a shell drysuit, and a horizontal ascent wouldn't work too well. To make matters worse, my exhaust vent is on my forarm as opposed to my shoulder.

I am in a shellsuit as well and it is not a problem, what makes this a problem for many many divers is the fact that they have too much air in their drysuits to begin with. I have never even had any tendency for an uncontrolled feet up ascent.
But again, if you have too much air in your suit it WILL be a problem. As a matter of fact the exhaust on the forearm is the better place rather then the shoulder. Too much air in the suit is very often also the reason people wear ankle weights, you dont need them, those weights 'fix' a problem that doesnt exist.