Tip du jour

[Uncle Pug]

How do you ascend in a controlled manner without a working depth gauge or computer?

Much easier and with far more control than with one says I.

Instead of watch numbers change on a small screen and trying to keep them going the right direction and at the right speed....

I watch the stuff in the water.

(This might not work as well for those of you who dive in crystal clear water void of debri or tiny living creatures.... but in the nutrient rich waters of the PNW this works well.)

I watch the stuff and use it as a visual cue... if the stuff is going up then I am going down... and if the stuff is going down then I am going up... and what ever the rate of ascent/descent of the stuff... that is my rate of descent/ascent.

Watching the stuff I can make a slow controlled ascent without ever looking at my depth gauge/computer.

Lately I have been working on another method that does not involve watching anything... but it is not the tip du jour.

 

[Cave Diver]

I was taught by my OW instructor that one way to judge ascents was to find the tiniest bubble I could (about the size of the head of a pin) and ascend at an equivalent rate.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Cave Diver once bubbled...
find the tiniest bubble I could (about the size of the head of a pin) and ascend at an equivalent rate.

I was taught back in the dark ages of 60fpm ascents to pick a bubble the size of a pea

But for those who want to do controlled ascents with stops.... watching the stuff in the water works better...

The bubbles... no matter how small won't work for the stops.

 

[Cave Diver]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...
But for those who want to do controlled ascents with stops.... watching the stuff in the water works better...

Sorry, I didnt notice anything about stops in the original post. But, since you mentioned it, watching stuff in the water will give you reference of being stopped, but if you aren't using a depth gauge etc. how will you know the actual depth at which you stop?

I also didnt comment on descents, because my preference for descents when lacking visual references is to just bump a little air in my BC when I feel the need to clear my ears. That usually seems to keep me at a nice, even, slow descent rate, but the frequency that I feel the need to clear my ears is likely different than what someone else may feel. Therefore I didnt feel it was a 'teachable' method.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Watching the bubbles is better than watching a gauge IMO... and the smaller the better!

I didn't mention the stops in the initial post but it is where the control really becomes important and that is why using the stuff in the water for a visual reference is so handy... you can start slowing yourself down to a crawl as you approach the stop.
iYou are right... if you don't have a working depth gauge you wouldn't know the depth of the stop...

What would be a possible solution in this case?

 

[Cave Diver]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...
You are right... if you don't have a working depth gauge you wouldn't know the depth of the stop...

What would be a possible solution in this case?

First thought to my mind is this is a situation where you hope your buddy has a working guage. After that would be a liftbag and a spool. Or, if you are really up on your spectrum analysis (providing water is clear enough to allow light in) you might check color of your gear to get an approximation on depth.

However, I am betting none of these are the answer you are thinking of, so please relieve the anticipation...

 

[Cave Diver]

Hey Unkie?

Get the feeling we are the only two people up and rambling around this board tonite?

 

[Uncle Pug]

Cave Diver once bubbled...
However, I am betting none of these are the answer you are thinking of, so please relieve the anticipation...

Just looking for ideas...
I think it would be rare that both of our depth gauges would fail at the same time though it is certainly possible... we bought them at the same time from the same place so who knows.

Anyway... on ascent one of us controls the stops and the other takes care of the lift bag deployment and winding the line back in as we ascend between stops. Should a gauge fail the one with the working gauge would then call the stops.

Should both gauges fail then we would have to estimate a 10' ascent and use our backup timer to wait out the stop (watching the stuff in the water ) and then make another approximated 10' ascent.

I think that this is something Shane and I need to practice! Next dive we are going to do gaugeless ascents with approximated stops and then download the stingers and see how we did.

BTW.... what do you think would happen if in a real staged decompression dive the stops (time right) were done at depths different than discrete 10' increments?

 

[Uncle Pug]

Cave Diver once bubbled...
Hey Unkie?

Get the feeling we are the only two people up and rambling around this board tonite?

Yes... but you are the one really up late John....
I am a few hours behind you.
And in a few more hours the folks in Thailand will be on board

 

[Cave Diver]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...
BTW.... what do you think would happen if in a real staged decompression dive the stops (time right) were done at depths different than discrete 10' increments?

Well first off, if you needed to try to approximate depth without a working depth guage you might be able to get by with an alternative method. If you know you have xx number of feet on your spool, you could deploy the bag until it hit the surface. *MOST* people have an arm span that is equivalent to their height, and since most people know their height, you could unspool one arms length at a time off of your spool until the spool was empty. You would then have a somewhat close approximation of how much line was deployed, giving you your subsequent depth.

This of course assumes a perfect world where this is no current to carry the extra line off and wrap it all around you and your dive buddy.

After rewinding your spool, you could again use the arm span method to estimate your new depth.

Now, back to your original question about what if stops done at depths different than the called for 10' stops. I think the first factor would be whether the stops were started before or after the first planned stop. If deco began shallower than originally planned it would increase the DCI risk. If it was started somewhat deeper I think it would be less of a factor as there seems to be merit in deep stops. Of course this all depends on exactly how much deco obligation we are talking, what depth the dive was to, and where the first deco stop is etc.

What is your take on it?