first time

[grahamsm1]

2 years ago I did a PADI OW in Turkey. It went very well, my instructor was excellent making sure that I studied hard as well as making the course fun. The following week I so enthused that I decided to go ahead with the AOW course. Again everthing was good untill the last day. I was given a new instructor who I had not met before. On the last dive which I got to plan we had been down at 30m for 5 minutes when I noticed I using air at a fast rate (I,m better at air coservation now) and signaled to the instructor. We moved up to 20m 90bar for me, moving on I was at 50 bar at 12m and again had my instructor look at my gauge, he indicated we should continue and seemed unconcerned. A little while later at 10m I took my last breath from my tank and realised I was out of air. It was impossible for me to signal the instructor as he was fining away from me at the time. Fortunately the previous weeks training kicked in and I made a controlde asscent breathing out as I went. I was pretty scared but made it to the surface ok. Managed to get the BCD inflated and kept my weights and waited at the surface for the instructor who appeared a few minutes later and seemed surprised that I had run out of air. We then had to surface swim a little over a mile to get to our entry point. Nobody made a big deal out of it including me although I was pretty shooken up. I didn't dive again with that company in fact I didn't dive again for another year. i went back to turkey the following year and ha 18 dives with a different company who were great. As I dont dive that often I now make sure that re-read the PADI manual before a trip and have resolved not to blindly follow other people when I know there is a problem, what was I thinking to just ignore the fact that I was running out of air!!!!!

[GLOC]

Good post Graham.

A couple of things from this post: if you learn the drills well, they will kick in when you need them most; if you are not happy with something an instructor has said or done, ask them about it, if they refuse then take it up with their agencys QA board/contact.

Welcome to YD by the way.

[Finless]

Tricky situation. In retrospect, I suspect you now realise that at 30 bar (latest with unknown kit) you should have signalled up and gone whether he followed you or not.

That is one of the major benefits of the BSAC/school learning environment over PADI. With PADI you need to learn 'the ropes' after the basic skills.

I remember the first time I ran out of gas during a dive. I just didn't believe it and couldn't figure it out which was a VERY poor performance on my part. I still think that simulating breathing a cylinder to empty is something that all beginners should do so that you realise what is happening when the breathing starts getting tight. Thos few seconds can make all the difference and they nearly killed me.

Glad to hear you are getting back into it and that experience will stand you in good stead for your diving future.

[StuartC]

Originally Posted by Finless

I still think that simulating breathing a cylinder to empty is something that all beginners should do so that you realise what is happening when the breathing starts getting tight. Thos few seconds can make all the difference and they nearly killed me.

Brian,
this is part of the PADI OW course - student breathes down a closed cylinder and gets to experience the drop in pressure to no air through the reg, they then signal out of air and go into the out of air drill with their buddy

[Finless]

Originally Posted by StuartC

Brian,
this is part of the PADI OW course - student breathes down a closed cylinder and gets to experience the drop in pressure to no air through the reg, they then signal out of air and go into the out of air drill with their buddy

Oh ......... is it? ........... it wasn't when I ................... oh well, I'm glad they listened to me!

[Dangerous Dan]

Originally Posted by StuartC

Brian,
this is part of the PADI OW course - student breathes down a closed cylinder and gets to experience the drop in pressure to no air through the reg, they then signal out of air and go into the out of air drill with their buddy

I never got taught it on my PADI OW, but had it drilled into me on my HSE course.

Dan

[grahamsm1]

Originally Posted by StuartC

Brian,
this is part of the PADI OW course - student breathes down a closed cylinder and gets to experience the drop in pressure to no air through the reg, they then signal out of air and go into the out of air drill with their buddy

It sure feels different when it's for real, wierdly it still took me by surprise even though I was aware of how low on air I was, certainly more memorable.

[David]

Originally Posted by StuartC

Brian,
this is part of the PADI OW course - student breathes down a closed cylinder and gets to experience the drop in pressure to no air through the reg, they then signal out of air and go into the out of air drill with their buddy

I would like to think its not. Graham was at 30 meters when he noticed the problem starting.

Cool post Graham :-) I bet you watch your gauge a bit more now..... :-)

David

[Finless]

Originally Posted by David

I would like to think its not. Graham was at 30 meters when he noticed the problem starting.

Cool post Graham :-) I bet you watch your gauge a bit more now..... :-)

David

Erm .......... I don't think so? At 90 bar at 20 mtrs which is stacks of gas for an ascent.

[David]

Originally Posted by Finless

Erm .......... I don't think so? At 90 bar at 20 mtrs which is stacks of gas for an ascent.

give the guy a break ow then aow he never dived without an instructor.

"On the last dive which I got to plan we had been down at 30m for 5 minutes when I noticed I using air at a fast rate"

his problem was not his SAC but the lack of instruction.

David