Yelled at for MOF

[CuzzA]

Being back on the surface with 500 psi should be adequate ... that's enough reserve to last you a long time on the surface. Who cares what you have back on the boat ... you are, after all, back on the boat. The whole point of surfacing with a reserve is to have adequate gas to deal with whatever conditions you might have to deal with to get yourself out of the water.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Which could include crap conditions, temporarily lost at sea.

 

[Dan]

That was my thinking for a long time, and while it still makes sense, I have softened on it, in favor of taking what gas I might need on the surface into account in gas planning. I would like to think I plan to surface with enough gas to inflate my BC (though that could be done orally) and keep the reg in my mouth for the whole surface swim back to the boat should I decide to do so, and while awaiting my turn for the ladder. If the conservative advice is to be back on the boat with 500 psi, then maybe surfacing with 600 or 700 psi is a good idea.

Same gas planning here.

Also, snorkel is just in the way. For divers who have dove through fast current & hanging on rock for dear life, that snorkel is very annoying. It will vibrate, pulling the mask strap & promoting mask flooding. My hands are already occupied with holding a rock with my left hand & hugging the camera with my right hand, now need to clear the mask too? Forget it!

 

[Steve_C]

I added caribiner onto my camera bracket so I can clip it onto the BCD chest D-ring to free both hands for removing & strapping the fins over my forearms, while holding on the guide rope & for pulling myself via the guide rope towards the boat during the rough sea with reg on the mouth & mask on.

Camera on heavy duty strap clipped to BCD on lower right. Never unclipped but is lengthened under water. Reclip short before ascent. However, more than once with some swells coming through I have found myself hugging the ladder as boat & I went up and down. Do not want camera on me. Camera has two extensions now, a flash and a seadragon light. Do not want anything loose with me and the ladder being intimate. My BCD tends to have some water in pockets etc so like to pause for a few seconds once well up the ladder to let it drain somewhat.

 

[rjgiddings]

You could have just countered with a really snarky, "I KNOW YOU ARE, BUT WHAT AM I " ? That worked pretty well in elementary school. Or said something like, " Well, I wasn't in distress until you started your psychobilly freakout...now I might be a stressed diver. "

It sounds like this gentleman was trying to be assertive in his control of the pool. At all times. With everyone. But in this case was a bit over the top.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Being back on the surface with 500 psi should be adequate ... that's enough reserve to last you a long time on the surface. Who cares what you have back on the boat ... you are, after all, back on the boat. The whole point of surfacing with a reserve is to have adequate gas to deal with whatever conditions you might have to deal with to get yourself out of the water.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well, you would have better insight than I would, since it was in part your gas planning article that prompted me to consider such things.

I suppose the "be back on the boat with 500 psi" thing also contemplates that a diver might encounter something unforeseen that delays him, beyond the anticipated swim back, wait for the ladder, etc.--a true reserve.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Does anyone else with a necklaced alt ever put their mask around the side of their neck or is it just me?

Every time I get out of the water. Doesn't bother me one bit.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Well, you would have better insight than I would, since it was in part your gas planning article that prompted me to consider such things.

I suppose the "be back on the boat with 500 psi" thing also contemplates that a diver might encounter something unforeseen that delays him, beyond the anticipated swim back, wait for the ladder, etc.--a true reserve.

True ... and you should base your gas planning decisions in part on your own risk management assessment, based on diving conditions. There are no hard and fast rules that would best apply under all circumstances. What I was alluding to, though, was don't get too hung up on how much gas you should have at the end of a dive. Think instead in terms of how much you need to complete the dive, with reasonable reserves factored in. What a lot of people would realize, if they would consider their gas supply in those terms, would be that they are using a tank that's too small for the dive they want to do ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Bob DBF]

If your air supply is so precious that you'd miss the few breaths you'd be taking on the surface, then I'd contend you're not carrying an adequate air supply to begin with ... a consequence of diving with those oversize beer cans that seem to be so popular among tourist dive ops.

Being back on the surface with 500 psi should be adequate ... that's enough reserve to last you a long time on the surface. Who cares what you have back on the boat ... you are, after all, back on the boat. The whole point of surfacing with a reserve is to have adequate gas to deal with whatever conditions you might have to deal with to get yourself out of the water.

I understand your point, and for those who follow a DM or plan to surface at, or near the boat or shore exit it is good advise. For those of us who's plan involves a significant surface swim after and/or before our dive, using the gas on the surface is a waste, and could wind up with one being out of gas when it is actually needed. One size does not fit all.

Also, snorkel is just in the way. For divers who have dove through fast current & hanging on rock for dear life, that snorkel is very annoying. It will vibrate, pulling the mask strap & promoting mask flooding.

As you said, planning. I don't wear a snorkel on my mask when it is detrimental on the dive, most of my dives do not have that issue. At that point I would plan to surface by the boat, and if I did need my snorkel, at some point, it will be tucked under my BFK straps


Bob

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I understand your point, and for those who follow a DM or plan to surface at, or near the boat or shore exit it is good advise. For those of us who's plan involves a significant surface swim after and/or before our dive, using the gas on the surface is a waste, and could wind up with one being out of gas when it is actually needed. One size does not fit all.

True, but he did mention getting back on the boat, so I assumed he was talking about boat dives ... which tend to not involve long surface swims. There are, of course, exceptions ... like the northern Channel Islands, where they double-anchor the boat and you swim back to it regardless of where you surface.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Bob DBF]

Your exception is my usual dive. If not hunting for game or treasure, I sightsee on my dives, and unless conditions dictate otherwise, I don't mind a fair size surface swim back to the boat or shore.


Bob