PfcAJ
Contributor
Unfortunately, diving deep air (END >100 or so ft) can affect more people than just you. Someone has to recover your body, it puts the spotlight on a negative aspect of diving, your family suffers, the dive op can suffer, and in the case of cave diving, sites can be closed by the government or landowners.
Diving deep on air is more like driving drunk than anything else. The drunk more often than not seems to think he "feels ok" and "can handle it". This deep air training (which is criminal, imo) is like telling someone to cover one eye when drunk. Right...
Diving without incident is NOT the same as "safe" (despite the claims of others). People routinely think they do things that are safe, but aren't really safe. Don't believe me? Ask these guys:
Heywood Day, 140' 1962, Ron Hughes, 150' 1963, Paul Giancontere, 200', 1965 Brend Joost, 160', 1968, Stephen Alexander, 210', 1969 Pat McIntree, 150',1969 Brett Naisbet, 150', 1969 Wayne Dillon, 210', 1969 Francis Wilson, 160', 1969 Paul Bartlett, 140', 1970 Robert Causey, 180', 1970 Bud Sims, 300', 1970 Fred Schmidt, 150', 1970 John Cruselle, 180', 1971 Frank Martz, 300', 1971 Robert Vaughn, 200', 1971 Doug Deurloo, 150', 1971 Ray Elman, 260', 1972 Alex Nesbitt, 200', 1972 ThomasCranmer, 200', 1972 Paul Dietrich, 240', 1972 Dan Cole, 220', 1972 Rich Broman, 140', 1972 Stephen Millott, 250', 1973 Christine Millott, 250', 1973 John Bockerman, 250', 1973 Gordon Roberts, 250', 1973 William Smith, 200', 1973 MelvanTillman, 150', 1973 James Waddington, 140', 1973 Robert Wyatt, 210', 1973 Deane Valentine, 190', 1973 George Van de Nord, 190', 1973 Paul Reinholm, 170', 1974, 1974 Dana Turner, 290', 1974 Charles Barone, 180', 1975 Daniel Howard, 180', 1975 Steve Herman, 180', 1975 Mike Goddard, 170', 1976 Arthur Williamson, 140', 1976 Sven Sorenson, 140', 1976 William Wood, 180', 1978 Carl Miles, 180', 1978 Terry Collins, 260', 1981 James Bentz, 260', 1981 Bill McFadden, 200', 1988 William Cronin, 140', 1988 Kenny Potts, 200', 1990 Lloyd Morrison, 250', 1990 Billy Liiard, 180', 1991 Ormsby, John 230' 1985 Feldman, Steve 235' 1991 Soellner, Ed 145' 1992 Rouse, Jr, Chris 235' 1992Rouse, Sr Chris 235' 1992 Santulli, Robert 220 1992Sheck Exley 400' aed, Nick Commoglio 450 Rob Palmer last seen 110 meters, Rob Parker 250' Ed Suarez 250' Carl Sutton 280' Legare Hole 240' Andy Bader 240' Craig Swaverly 275'.
That is an incomplete list and does not include more recent fatalities. Some of those guys were amazing divers (Bill McFadden, the Rouse's, Sherwood Schile, Sheck Exley) and yet, they encountered problems and were unable to overcome them. Even more people have had issues at depth and narrowly missed death. The poor guy down on the Speigel comes to mind as a great example. He was diving deep (narc'd) and ran out of gas, rushed to the surface, and is now in a wheelchair.
Diving deep means you use your gas MUCH faster, and as such, you have far less time to deal with issues. Combine the ticking clock and haze of narcosis, and you've got a real issue on your hands.
Today, we know better. Early introduction of helium is not the boogey man it once was.
Diving deep on air is more like driving drunk than anything else. The drunk more often than not seems to think he "feels ok" and "can handle it". This deep air training (which is criminal, imo) is like telling someone to cover one eye when drunk. Right...
Diving without incident is NOT the same as "safe" (despite the claims of others). People routinely think they do things that are safe, but aren't really safe. Don't believe me? Ask these guys:
Heywood Day, 140' 1962, Ron Hughes, 150' 1963, Paul Giancontere, 200', 1965 Brend Joost, 160', 1968, Stephen Alexander, 210', 1969 Pat McIntree, 150',1969 Brett Naisbet, 150', 1969 Wayne Dillon, 210', 1969 Francis Wilson, 160', 1969 Paul Bartlett, 140', 1970 Robert Causey, 180', 1970 Bud Sims, 300', 1970 Fred Schmidt, 150', 1970 John Cruselle, 180', 1971 Frank Martz, 300', 1971 Robert Vaughn, 200', 1971 Doug Deurloo, 150', 1971 Ray Elman, 260', 1972 Alex Nesbitt, 200', 1972 ThomasCranmer, 200', 1972 Paul Dietrich, 240', 1972 Dan Cole, 220', 1972 Rich Broman, 140', 1972 Stephen Millott, 250', 1973 Christine Millott, 250', 1973 John Bockerman, 250', 1973 Gordon Roberts, 250', 1973 William Smith, 200', 1973 MelvanTillman, 150', 1973 James Waddington, 140', 1973 Robert Wyatt, 210', 1973 Deane Valentine, 190', 1973 George Van de Nord, 190', 1973 Paul Reinholm, 170', 1974, 1974 Dana Turner, 290', 1974 Charles Barone, 180', 1975 Daniel Howard, 180', 1975 Steve Herman, 180', 1975 Mike Goddard, 170', 1976 Arthur Williamson, 140', 1976 Sven Sorenson, 140', 1976 William Wood, 180', 1978 Carl Miles, 180', 1978 Terry Collins, 260', 1981 James Bentz, 260', 1981 Bill McFadden, 200', 1988 William Cronin, 140', 1988 Kenny Potts, 200', 1990 Lloyd Morrison, 250', 1990 Billy Liiard, 180', 1991 Ormsby, John 230' 1985 Feldman, Steve 235' 1991 Soellner, Ed 145' 1992 Rouse, Jr, Chris 235' 1992Rouse, Sr Chris 235' 1992 Santulli, Robert 220 1992Sheck Exley 400' aed, Nick Commoglio 450 Rob Palmer last seen 110 meters, Rob Parker 250' Ed Suarez 250' Carl Sutton 280' Legare Hole 240' Andy Bader 240' Craig Swaverly 275'.
That is an incomplete list and does not include more recent fatalities. Some of those guys were amazing divers (Bill McFadden, the Rouse's, Sherwood Schile, Sheck Exley) and yet, they encountered problems and were unable to overcome them. Even more people have had issues at depth and narrowly missed death. The poor guy down on the Speigel comes to mind as a great example. He was diving deep (narc'd) and ran out of gas, rushed to the surface, and is now in a wheelchair.
Diving deep means you use your gas MUCH faster, and as such, you have far less time to deal with issues. Combine the ticking clock and haze of narcosis, and you've got a real issue on your hands.
Today, we know better. Early introduction of helium is not the boogey man it once was.