Posted by Wayne on September 24, 2002 at 15:04:10:
In Reply to: nacbb posted by ptf on September 24, 2002 at 14:48:50:
When Lisa took the test at 10, she put the buddy breathing lower than the emergency buoyant ascent. I asked why she did that and she said to her it was better to go "screaming to the surface"* and have one injured diver than to risk that both are severely injured and there is nobody to get help.
I think she understood the problem of buddy breathing and it being one of the last resorts. While she got the question wrong, I was glad she was thinking about it instead of memorizing stuff from a book.
I was assisting during the open water dives of three of my four daughters. I always watched the CESA nervously and if the option of not doing it as an OW student was available, I would not have opted out for them. I think it is good that they do this under the watchful eye of an instructor who has one hand on them and another on a well anchored rope.
Wayne
* "screaming to the surface" is what we called the EBA so she would remember that she was exhaling by making noise.