Scuba diving is tons of fun, but it is an inherently dangerous sport – not so much because of marine life that might be encountered, but because we humans are not designed to survive submerged in water without some method of breathing. Our scuba gear is basically an underwater life support system, and the only thing capable of sustaining us is the air or breathing gas that we are carrying. In basic scuba classes, you learned to plan ahead for air consumption, and you also learned that it’s vital not to count on calculations alone, but to keep a close eye on the amount of air that you’re consuming. One mistake can lead to truly disastrous consequences.
While we hope that you will never experience an out of air emergency, we also want you to know that it is vital to prepare for such a situation and have a solid contingency plan in place. Understanding that out of air situations do happen and realizing that the potential for one of these emergencies to happen to you is real can greatly enhance your ability to prepare for the eventuality of an out of air situation and to survive it. Here, we’ll take a look at some ways to increase your chances of surviving in the event you are ever out of breathing gas.
The Best Option? Avoid Running Out of Air
While most dive plans are created with the intent of allowing for an ample air supply, things can and do happen. Most out of air emergencies happen due to technical difficulties, human error, or a combination of factors. The lessons we’ve learned from previous mistakes include:
-
Check, recheck, and triple-check essential equipment. By conducting routine checks, you eliminate much of the potential for an out of air situation; this is particularly true when it comes to essential items such as your octopus, regulator, valves, pony, and computer. Make triple checking a must, and never skip any steps. If you do this, your odds of enjoying a lifetime of trouble-free diving greatly increase.
-
Plan your dive, and dive your plan. We have all heard this simple piece of advice countless times, yet many of us elect to dive without appropriate planning, and there are often times when we either choose not to dive our plan or events happen that prevent diving according to the plan we have created. Stick to this advice as much as possible, and never overstep the boundaries of training, equipment, and experience.
By following these two rules, you greatly reduce the chance that you will ever experience an out of air situation. There are exceptions; if you are caught in a current, trapped inside an overhead environment, or experiencing other unusual circumstances, it is possible that an out of air situation could ensue.
Second Best? Buddy Breathing
In open water class, we all learned how to buddy breathe. While many divers practice buddy breathing frequently to keep this skill honed, there are many others who don’t see the need for it. Besides practicing buddy breathing on a regular basis, there are some other ways you can ensure that you and your dive buddy will be able to help one another if the need ever arises. When choosing a buddy, pick someone who has about the same level of experience you do, and be sure that you feel completely comfortable diving with that person.
First and foremost, watch your buddy’s back, and be sure you select a partner who will keep a close eye on you as well. All too often, divers ignore or seem to forget about their buddies; when this happens, the amount of distance between buddies’ increases, and the ability to reach one another easily in the event of an emergency is hampered.
Second, be sure that you and your buddy establish various methods of communicating that are appropriate to the dive at hand. While it might seem redundant to go over these methods on each and every dive, doing so will help keep the lines of communication open, and will serve to remind both of you of the importance of proper protocol.
By remaining attentive, you make the odds of surviving an out of air emergency in which buddy breathing is necessary much greater. Practicing will help to prevent the panic that can ensue in the event air supply is cut short, and being familiar with a buddy’s breathing routine and equipment can help both of you feel more comfortable.
Carry Spare Air
If you don’t want to leave your fate in the hands of fortune, carry spare air, either in a pony or in a smaller tank. Check your pony with the same exacting attention you give the rest of your dive gear before each and every dive, ensuring that it is in good operating condition and testing the air it contains to ensure breathability.
In the event you need to use your secondary air supply, switch to it before you run out of air in your main cylinder if possible. This way, you do not have to worry about spare air. After switching to your pony, be sure that your buddy knows what is going on and begin to start ascent. You should have enough air to make a normal decompression stop.
Emergency Swimming Ascent
There are some times when everything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong. It’s in cases like this that an emergency swimming ascent may be necessary. Take the last deep breath from your tank and start a controlled ascent.
During your ascent, do not hold your breath, since the air in your lungs will be expanding and could cause a lung overexpansion injury. Try your best not to ascend faster than a rate of one foot per second, and do all you can to keep yourself from panicking. Swimming gently will allow your body to make the most of the air in your lungs, and ascending too fast puts you at an even more increased risk of developing decompression or surface blackout.
Use your BC to assist your ascent, deflating it as you approach the surface. The moment you break the surface, get a good breath, then manually inflate your BC to ensure that you are positively buoyant. Signal for help if you have not already been spotted. Carefully monitor yourself for symptoms of decompression sickness afterward, and seek medical attention if you need it.