Posted by Wood on September 05, 2001 at 15:44:12:
In Reply to: Re: Huh? posted by MHk on September 05, 2001 at 14:46:47:
Maybe,
The CO2 build up should be minimal for a 5-6 min ascent shouldn't it? ? Wouldn't think you could do enough damage in that short a time ascending the whole time. I could be wrong. A few kicks should be all that is needed to ascend 10 feet and get the positive buoyancy we need even if negative some. The heavy breathing alone would get someone a little negative on the positive side. Gross negativity, no. Plan B fast.
My rescue mentality is maybe a little old school. "Never Endanger Yourself to Save Another, you just create two accidents.”
From that depth I would be most worried about the loss of buoyancy on the way up. If the diver is truly panicked he is not going to be able to orally inflate anything so I would prefer to put the additional air in my BC if we need it. I am ready to dump if needed, I cannot count on him. I’ve seen some other posts recommending dumping the weights. Why? Shouldn’t we evaluate the situation first? Of course both of these are options but do not fit into every circumstance and should probably be 2nd, 3rd even 4th options. I think we should plan for the best first, be prepared and ready for the worst next. Go with the flow, don’t create a torrent.
Someone with less experience in an OOA that does help inflate his buddy or dump weight may be turning a problem into an incident.
I’ve had 5 OOAE in my career, all with divers I did not know. I never once had to dump weights or inflate their BC for them. I did have to dump air from their BCs to prevent us both from being dragged to the surface out of control. All 5 completed a safety stop before hitting the surface.
I just don’t understand the get to the surface quick mentality. An embolism can kill just as well as drowning, kill you both.
I watch Ballistic ascents every weekend at the "popular" dive site here and am amazed they all live through it. Must be harder to embolize than I think.
You're billing someone hourly while you read this aren't you.