Out of Air at 84 ft

[ShakaZulu]

This thread has been at 84ft for too long, I think we all need to go up for some air...........

 

[simbrooks]

Its only been 7 days, hardly even touched the NDL for a post

 

[msandler]

at last someone hit the nail on the head !!!!
self dependency look after yourself !! dont expect others to do it for you !! < unless being trained of course > you should have the skills and equipment get get out of most situations.. your buddy can help if needed... thats a bonus,,,
self dependency... like it !! brilliant feeling.. try it.....

He might have hit the nail but he completely missed the board. Anybody can (and many did) recite what a 1st day OW student would know. The point is; 5h!T Happens. And when it does, its never expected. So what is your best chance for survival?! Experience will allow you to make the "best" decision (or lesser of the two evils) with the least delay.

If you have air and are relatively safe, you can (and should) take your time, think, assess and act. In this case, the only correct decision is to do something immediately! Don't delay, your life is at stake and you are going to drown in a matter of seconds. Head up or head to the buddy, but do it immediately. There is no way of knowing which choice would save your life and which wouldn't with any certainty. The guarrantee is; if you do nothing you will die.

 

[wacdiver]

DA,

It would seem logical that if an OOA diver could not see anyone, anywhere due to visibility conditions then that diver should be heading up. There simply is no other choice. If visibility conditions are tropical and the buddy is beyond 50 feet from you horizontally then the only logical solution is to ascend via CESA since you are almost as close to the surface as you are to the buddy anyways.

The main idea with this exercise is to teach them not go to panic mode at the first sign of trouble regardless of how "bad" the trouble is. There are options available--stay aware of them.

In regards to buddy skills etc, etc. I do stress this. I also re-enforce it during the pools sessions. As noted earlier I will surprise them with problems. During the practice portion of the pool session I have them involved with a "mission". While they are so occupied I watch for signs of deteriorating buddy awareness. When I see it, I create an "emergency" for them to deal with. If I create a problem for one student the buddy is expected to be there to deal with it or available to render assistance if needed. I simply don't take them to OW certification if they don't seem to have a good understanding of this.

Too bad there are not more instructors like you out there!!! (pls no flames I know there are allot of good Ins out there but we hear about too many BAD ones and not enough about the good ones)
You seem to be very comprehensive and make sure your OW's are well prepared. BRAVO
ALOT of shops could use a lesson in REAL INSTRUCTION practices. Heres to ya