buddy by the right shoulder of their BC. 6. Allow your buddy to take two breaths of air from the regulator and then pass the regulator back to you. Never let go of the hose. You must maintain contact and control of your air supply at all times. 7. Take two breaths of air from the regulator and then pass the regulator back to your buddy. 8. Give your buddy the up signal and wait for their up signal back and begin your ascent when the situation is stabilized. 9. Repeat the exchange process while doing a slow, controlled ascent to the surface. Once you start buddy breathing and ascending, do not try to change rhythm or techniques during the ascent. During buddy breathing, you must remember to exhale small bubbles whenever the regulator is out of your mouth. You and your buddy must control your buoyancy and you must maintain physical contact. Unless you practice buddy breathing on a regular basis, it is unrealistic to expect that you could perform it in an emergency. Divers who are not skilled in buddy breathing but attempt to do it anyway during an emergency risk serious injury. Chapter 3- Diving Skills Independent Emergency Ascents If you run out of air and you cannot obtain air from your buddy, you must make an independent ascent to the surface. There are two types of emergency ascents: swimming and buoyant. The one you do depends primarily on your status at the time you realize you are out of air. Swimming You do an emergency swimming ascent when you run out of air at shallower depths (about 18 meters or 60 feet). They can be done from greater depths but contingency air supply is superior and recommended for deeper water diving. You simply look up to maintain an open airway and swim to the surface while exhaling a continuous stream of bubbles from your regulator (figure 3-54). You always keep the regulator in your mouth during an emergency swimming ascent, because as the water pressure decreases, you may get another small breath of air from your cylinder. You must also remember to be ready to vent air from your BC to control your buoyancy during the ascent. During your NAUI Scuba Diver certification course, you will practice emergency swimming ascents (ESAs) during your confined-water training sessions. During these sessions, your instructor will tell you to inhale and then start your ascent. You must remember that in a real emergency, you will exhale and then try to take a breath but little or no air will be available. You will also discover that the expanding air flows out from your lungs almost naturally with very little effort on your part. Buoyant You do a buoyant emergency ascent when you run out of air at greater depths. You drop your weight belt and gently exhale all the way to the surface. If you are wearing a wetsuit or drysuit and drop your weight belt, you must get yourself horizontal in the water and be facing up to create as much surface area as possible to slow your ascent. Diving Skills 79 FIGURE 3-54. KEEP THE REGULATOR IN YOUR MOUTH WHEN DOING AN EMERGENCY ASCENT.
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