I think that, initially, I would be more comfortable diving to depth from which I could emerge fast enough to not require breathing (for example, in case of a total equipment failure). What that maximum depth would be, considering that the ascend must be gradual ? Assuming that I can hold my breath for at least 20 seconds in a stressful situation.
Question about comfortable depth
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Holding your breath is pretty much going to guarantee that you are seriously injured or even killed. And that's from as little as four feet on a full breath of from your tank. SCUBA is not like free diving. In your class you will learn about something called Boyle's Law that deals with pressure, volume, and density.
As you descend the reg delivers air at ambient pressure. So at additional depth you are taking in more air (that is also denser) to keep your chest from being collapsed. That air as you then ascend begins to expand. Your lungs will as well. To a point. Then they will tear.
Gas will then either 1. enter your bloodstream causing an arterial gas embolism (think stroke but caused by air bubble instead of blood clot),
2. enter your chest cavity putting undue pressure on your heart (perhaps enough to stop it),
3. enter the chest cavity causing your lung (s) to collapse,
4. or migrate under the skin around your neck turning it into something akin to bubble wrap (this is perhaps the best outcome out of all four of these).
I teach the first rule of SCUBA is to never hold your breath. The second is to equalize and never hold your breath. The third is never hold your breath. The fourth is equalize, never hold your breath, and plan your own dive. The fifth is all of the above and never hold your breath. Six is always look cool (and never hold your breath).
Scuba is an extreme activity with a very real risk of injury or death. Divers have died in Open Water classes.
They have died from what you are asking about doing in the pool. It is fun, exciting, educational, and interesting.
It can be safe if you approach it the right way.
That is through comprehensive training from a competent instructor who will teach you the things to mitigate the risk. But it is by no means 100% safe for everyone.
It will hurt or kill you very quickly in some very nasty ways if you don't give it the respect it deserves. Or exceed your training too far too fast. Or choose quick cut rate training just to get in the water.
As you descend the reg delivers air at ambient pressure. So at additional depth you are taking in more air (that is also denser) to keep your chest from being collapsed. That air as you then ascend begins to expand. Your lungs will as well. To a point. Then they will tear.
Gas will then either 1. enter your bloodstream causing an arterial gas embolism (think stroke but caused by air bubble instead of blood clot),
2. enter your chest cavity putting undue pressure on your heart (perhaps enough to stop it),
3. enter the chest cavity causing your lung (s) to collapse,
4. or migrate under the skin around your neck turning it into something akin to bubble wrap (this is perhaps the best outcome out of all four of these).
I teach the first rule of SCUBA is to never hold your breath. The second is to equalize and never hold your breath. The third is never hold your breath. The fourth is equalize, never hold your breath, and plan your own dive. The fifth is all of the above and never hold your breath. Six is always look cool (and never hold your breath).
Scuba is an extreme activity with a very real risk of injury or death. Divers have died in Open Water classes.
They have died from what you are asking about doing in the pool. It is fun, exciting, educational, and interesting.
It can be safe if you approach it the right way.
That is through comprehensive training from a competent instructor who will teach you the things to mitigate the risk. But it is by no means 100% safe for everyone.
It will hurt or kill you very quickly in some very nasty ways if you don't give it the respect it deserves. Or exceed your training too far too fast. Or choose quick cut rate training just to get in the water.
R
redacted
Guest
Planned and practiced redundant gas sources are the key to turning an OOA situation into an inconvenient end to a dive. You may consider the surface, a buddy, and/or a pony bottle or doubles as a redundant source. While I am quite confident I could do a CESA from 60 ft or more. I usually add another redundant source for dives over 30 to 40 ft. If you are not reasonably comfortable with the idea of a CESA from 30 ft right after your training, you may want to seek more training.
mikeawags
Registered
Purchase good equipment, and keep it maintained, and you won't have to worry about complete equipment failure.
R
redacted
Guest
I don't care how good the equipment is or how well it is maintained, total failure is always a possibility. Are you prepared?
jIM STEELE
Contributor
Sport divers verse tec divers, as sport divers should never relay on there on there gear gauges, mask, air,fins ect. in norcal we teach freediving in our scuba classes because of ablonie diving and the fish and game regs. one should not dive much deeper than twice you can free dive to most new divers that would be about 50 feet, we do esa training the 100 foot long pool most people make it all the way its easy in the ocean because you get a breath or 4 on the way up. go to your lds and work on the controlled swimming assents that could save your LIFE
---------- Post added April 14th, 2013 at 01:44 PM ----------
do the class and pool at your ymca ,rec dept or local dive shop and your open water classes in the warm water place or better do the whole thing before you go, the training in cold water and you will learn better buoyancy control and nav. and you will impress your dive masters.
---------- Post added April 14th, 2013 at 01:44 PM ----------
do the class and pool at your ymca ,rec dept or local dive shop and your open water classes in the warm water place or better do the whole thing before you go, the training in cold water and you will learn better buoyancy control and nav. and you will impress your dive masters.
00wabbit
Contributor
As a new diver considering diving there are some things that seem counter intuitive. Like never holding your breath and letting air out of your BC as you ascend.
When you take a class you will learn about these things.
The best is not to plan to surface from 30-60ft etc but instead plan to be self sufficient at any depth.
With all that being said I would be comfortable with a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent from 30ft or so. When you do this kind of ascent you are supposed to keep your regulator in your mouth and make an ahh sound all the way up. This is so that you keep your airway open so that the air can escape from your lungs as it expands when you surface. If you try to hold your breath you will most likely cause very serious damage in some cases worse than the bends. The other reason to keep your reg in your mouth is you might get another breath of air of it as you ascend and the air in the lines expands. My body isn't the most efficient with air right now so I think that is a good depth for me. Others can do it from deeper.
I have added a redundant air source capable of taking me from 100ft or more in case I have a failure in my primary air source.
When you take a class you will learn about these things.
The best is not to plan to surface from 30-60ft etc but instead plan to be self sufficient at any depth.
With all that being said I would be comfortable with a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent from 30ft or so. When you do this kind of ascent you are supposed to keep your regulator in your mouth and make an ahh sound all the way up. This is so that you keep your airway open so that the air can escape from your lungs as it expands when you surface. If you try to hold your breath you will most likely cause very serious damage in some cases worse than the bends. The other reason to keep your reg in your mouth is you might get another breath of air of it as you ascend and the air in the lines expands. My body isn't the most efficient with air right now so I think that is a good depth for me. Others can do it from deeper.
I have added a redundant air source capable of taking me from 100ft or more in case I have a failure in my primary air source.
dumpsterDiver
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