"If you don't like a guest turn off their tank, inflate their BCD and send them to the surface."

Now obviously the member of staff who said this was joking but the image of this happening amused me (obviously if it was only from a few metres under and no harm came to the person).

 However, this made me think about the serious issue of a safe ascent. After practicing demonstrating instructor skills this morning, one of them being a 5 point ascent, it made me realise how important it is to ensure that divers are clear about the correct way to ascend from a dive. I admit that it is something I usually take for granted, that every certified diver knows how ascend safely but after some of the experiences I have had in the past; with divers inflating their BCDs on ascent and others holding their breath it made me decide to never make assumptions regardless of the level of diver certification and always briefly mention it in my briefing from now on.

The correct way to do a 5 point Ascent

It is very important that you communicate clearly with your buddy and ascend safely in a controlled manner avoiding any overhead obstructions. The correct way to ascend is by doing a 5 point ascent, using the acronym STELA to ensure you remember the stages:

1) SIGNAL: Signal and agree with your buddy that you're ascending -Ascend signal? Okay?

2) TIME: Check the time to identify your exact bottom time.

3) ARMS: Raise your right arm to protect you and raise your left arm whilst holding onto the inflator hose to control your ascent rate.

4) LOOK: Look up and around you to ensure a safe passage to the surface.

5)ASCEND: Kick towards the surface holding your inflator hose to control your speed.