Horizontal Ascent tips?

[roakey]

Originally posted by jbd
ascents. Are these ascents done all the way to the surface or do you go vertical at some point to look for any objects above you?

You roll from side to side and look back (up is back in this position) just like you'd look behind you when standing.

And if you've shot an SMB that should clear the surface area except for the 14-year-olds on jet skis who'll see it as a slalom pylon.

Roak

Ps. I had a dive flag *stolen* by a boat once. I heard it come overhead, idle, then take off. When I surfaced, no flag.

 

[jbd]

I recently had someone try to take my dive flag. Fortunately I was moving and it flet like a fish taking the bait on a fishing line. I jerked the line and seconds late the boat took off. Thankfully they didn't get the flag.

 

[Spectre]

Originally posted by Green_Manelishi
Once "mastered" it is a good idea to stay close to, or
hold onto, the line so that if you encounter a current you
are not swept away from your "upline" and find yourself
drifting.

Ok... here's a new question. My assumption for the rationalization for horizontal ascents was to be able to swim against the current while ascending [much more difficult when ascending vertically]. So if that's not the case... what's the reason?

 

[metridium]

More efficient offgassing.

 

[jbd]

because the whole body is at one depth instead of spread over a range of 5 to 6 feet.

 

[Spectre]

Originally posted by metridium
More efficient offgassing.

Ok... I [sorta] understand the benefits of being horizontal during your stops... but under normal NDL recreational diving, is the offgassing efficiency gained from ascending horizontally instead of vertically really substantial enough, or are there other reasons?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

depends who you talk to.

my reasons:

1) looks cool ;-)

2) less frontal exposure in a current

3) better swimming position

4) if it really is NOT such a big deal to be horizontal vs vertical
then why do training agencies make a big noise about "only
a foot or two of pressure difference can cause problems
equilizing your middle ears ..."

 

[jbd]

any real knowledge but IMHO for the scenario you describe probably not a big advantage. For our deep diving, long bottom time bretheren even a small advantage would be well worth it. I've never heard of any other advantages to being horizontal during ascent.

 

[roakey]

Originally posted by Spectre
Ok... here's a new question. My assumption for the rationalization for horizontal ascents was to be able to swim against the current while ascending [much more difficult when ascending vertically]. So if that's not the case... what's the reason?

There was a huge knockdown drag out over improved off gassing in a horizontal position, here's the pointer:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t4933/s.html

I finally got so disgusted with the discussion I just dropped out. There are a number of folks that think they know more about decompression than the WKPP that does 8-10 HOURS of decompression on a single dive.

Maybe when DAN publishes the advantages of horizontal off gassing (and claiming that they invented it) folks will listen. I threw every analogy I could think of to help some folks visualize what was going on, but it was all for naught. I simply gave up.

Roak

Ps. The discussion pointed to kinda starts out in the middle since it was split off from an existing discussion and it lost some context.

PPs. Note I've been blasting fin-pivots for quite some time.

 

[rcohn]

The main advantage I see to horizontal ascents and safety stops is increased vertical drag which should minimize vertical motion, improving depth control.

I don't believe the enhanced off gassing is significant or supported by any scientific arguments or evidence of which I'm aware. Just because the WKPP believes something doesn't mean it's true or that they have any solid scientific basis for the belief.

Ralph