Quote: (Originally Posted by
Divechick)
Are there any circumstances where the best option would be just to hit the unconcious diver's wing inflate button and send them up? (Assuming there is surface support).
Or is it too difficult to tell reliably at depth whether they have stopped breathing?
Just my own thoughts...
If you send the unconscious diver by him/herself up by injecting the BCD without bringing the person up yourself, there is a chance that the diver will be floating face down in the water at surface - and the mouthpiece could have been dislodged along the way (from overpressure of fast ascend, as example).
With OTS-CL, it is fairly easy to tell the diver is still breathing by looking/feeling the CL inflating and deflating.
All-enclosed BMCL would be more difficult. And compound with thick wetsuit/drysuit, it could be difficult to feel the chest moving up/down with each breath.