2airishuman
Contributor
Many a diving question I've pondered, not just here but in real life, has been shut down with some variation on "that only matters for tech dives." I'm struggling to understand the mindset. To me it's like getting in your car and leaving your seatbelt off because the weather's nice and you're not driving fast.
Most of the equipment, training, and practices that make a cave or deco dive safer is going to improve safety for looking at the pretty fishies at 60 feet. The risk of a rapid ascent from "recreational depths" is not zero. Why not think about gas planning, and carry a second primary regulator, and focus your mind on solving problems in a way that allows a deliberate ascent?
Any dive can turn into a solo dive. Any dive can turn into a tech dive (no immediate access to the surface because of entanglement or the needs of a buddy). Many dives, e.g. wall dives, can turn into deco dives, with just a momentary loss of buoyancy control.
In other activities that have inherent hazards, the norm is to expose people to information and training that is beyond the boundaries of what they can do without qualified supervision, while still reinforcing the boundaries.
Most of the equipment, training, and practices that make a cave or deco dive safer is going to improve safety for looking at the pretty fishies at 60 feet. The risk of a rapid ascent from "recreational depths" is not zero. Why not think about gas planning, and carry a second primary regulator, and focus your mind on solving problems in a way that allows a deliberate ascent?
Any dive can turn into a solo dive. Any dive can turn into a tech dive (no immediate access to the surface because of entanglement or the needs of a buddy). Many dives, e.g. wall dives, can turn into deco dives, with just a momentary loss of buoyancy control.
In other activities that have inherent hazards, the norm is to expose people to information and training that is beyond the boundaries of what they can do without qualified supervision, while still reinforcing the boundaries.