I think the whole "always buddy breathe" thing is overblown in shallow water

Last month I was doing a hull inspection in San Diego harbor, maybe 15 feet down, and my regulator started free flowing out of nowhere. Buddy was 30 feet away on the other side of the boat. Instead of swimming over and sharing air, I just did a controlled emergency ascent. Took maybe 10 seconds. People act like you're going to die if you don't grab a buddy's octopus every time, but in shallow warm water with a direct shot to the surface, going straight up is faster and safer. Has anyone else actually timed how long a CESA takes versus buddy breathing?

3 comments

3 Comments

morganmartinez3d ago

Right, but what about the risk of lung overexpansion with a fast ascent?

aaron8803d ago

@morganmartinez I had a fast ascent once and let's just say my lungs weren't thrilled either.

karen_carter3d ago

Yeah, I used to blow that off but your point actually makes sense.