Why dive Deep Air?

[k374]

well this guy seems to claim 293 ft on what seems like air (there are no markings on his tanks that suggest anything other than air)

YouTube - 293 feet deep(89 meter) by zoli 11.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

The 130' limit was put in place by the US Navy because that was the limit time and depth wise that allowed a reasonable amount of work to be done on scuba with twin 90 cu/ft tanks.
It had absolutely nothing to do with narcosis as scuba was allowed to 200 feet for short duration jobs and surface supplied air for long duration jobs and still is.
In the beginning rec agencies simply adopted what the Navy did without questioning why the Navy did what it did even though most rec diving was done with single 72 cu/ft tanks. Since then rec agencies have thrown in various depth limits for various reasons unrelated to narcosis in most cases..

From what I understood, the US Navy also factored regulator performance into the equation and the US Navy chose the ascent rate of 60 feet per minute based upon a working split between the speed a scuba diver wanted to ascend vs. the speed at which hard hat diving tenders wished to hoist.

While the recreational agencies adopted US Navy diving practices then began to change recommendations to protect deco weenies and the lowest common denominator form of diver, agencies such as GUE and UTD base their recommendations for recreational diving on narcosis, decompression modeling, and equipment performance related to diving gases.

 

[captain]

From what I understood, the US Navy also factored regulator performance into the equation and the US Navy chose the ascent rate of 60 feet per minute based upon a working split between the speed a scuba diver wanted to ascend vs. the speed at which hard hat diving tenders wished to hoist.

While the recreational agencies adopted US Navy diving practices then began to change recommendations to protect deco weenies and the lowest common denominator form of diver, agencies such as GUE and UTD base their recommendations for recreational diving on narcosis, decompression modeling, and equipment performance related to diving gases.

In regards to regulator performance it was in a time when the Navy's primary regulator was the US Divers DA Navy Approved and later the DA Aqua Master double hose regulators both of which were approved to 200'
Your take on the 60mfp accent rate is correct.

 

[ben_wilson3301]

Weren't we all taught safety first? What is possible and what is advisable are very different things. While we shouldn't all have to suffer for the mistakes of a few, we often do. PADI and NAUI don't teach deep diving because of the dangers involved. Im sure that alot of you can, and do dive to the extremes of your bodies, but I think most wish you wouldn't. Mostly so that restrictions on everyone's diving don't become the norm, or costs for certifications don't increase do to insurance prices on the dive shops and PADI.

 

[jpbutler]

And no, it isn't a big deal to dive to 120. Squirt a bit of helium in there and go. At least you'll remember it.

There is just too much empirical evidence of people remembering 120 - 130 foot dives on air or nitrox to let such an ignorant statement go. Do you really believe all that you are saying?

 

[ianr33]

. PADI and NAUI don't teach deep diving because of the dangers involved.

PADI allows air to 165 ft on its Tec 50 course.
Tec 50 Course
NAUI Trimix is good for 250
http://www.naui.org/technical_divers.aspx#150

Depends what you mean by deep I suppose.

 

[oly5050user]

well this guy seems to claim 293 ft on what seems like air (there are no markings on his tanks that suggest anything other than air)

YouTube - 293 feet deep(89 meter) by zoli 11.

Back in 1967 Hal Watts record on air was 390'..

 

[captain]

There is just too much empirical evidence of people remembering 120 - 130 foot dives on air or nitrox to let such an ignorant statement go. Do you really believe all that you are saying?

Repeat after PfcAJ, deep air bad, very very bad.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Back in 1967 Hal Watts record on air was 390'..

I don't think Hal remembered placing the marker on the line.

 

[PfcAJ]

There is just too much empirical evidence of people remembering 120 - 130 foot dives on air or nitrox to let such an ignorant statement go. Do you really believe all that you are saying?

I've done the same dive (roughly 100ft, give or take) on both nitrox and 30/30. I was shocked at how much I had missed on 32%. I've also had plenty of reef dives in the 100ft range. When I dove to 150 on 21/35 the first time, I was amazed a how vibrant everything looked. It really makes a difference, try it