From:
http://www.dive-technical.com/news.htm
A Journey to 308m/1010 ft.
Within days of completing my June 6th 2000 dive to 254m/833ft, my thoughts had already started to contemplate the possibilities of the ultimate dive. The 305m/1000 ft dive, could it be done! That could be, I was in very little doubt of.
Nov. 6th I woke up, well not really woke up because I never really slept. But today I was going to try my best to break 305m/1000 ft. I felt strangely calm I knew that if I could do it, it would be today. Even though there were three planned dives it would be today, or it wouldnt be.
I had told everyone that today was a shakedown, a warm up. I had said this to take some the pressure off, it had. I was as ready as I could be. I said goodbye to Gab and the kids. They were asleep still, I left and went to dive.
The team had done an incredibly job. They had worked endless hours, much of their work I would learn latter. Puerto Galera had for long been regarded as the center for tech in SEA. But today it saw a group of dive shops (competitors) come together to further diving.
Atlantis Dive Resort. La Laguna Beach Club, Asia Divers, Action Divers, Captain Greggs, South Sea. All joined together to get me to 305m, I was meet at Atlantis by some all the team. Andy Pope a silent driving force behind the success. He had managed to get Joe here the team medic- at a weeks notice.
I could feel the teams tension, for them this was going to be a very hard day. Mark, Ron, Jorge and Axel where already hard at work, loading the equipment. I traveled to the site as the camera and descent line was being laid. I transferred to the Galera, Chuck the owner of Captain Greggs had again offered enormous help. Frank Doyle of LBC had not only spent hours pumping tanks, but now I could see had donated most all his equipment and boats to the effort. I checked my kit, it was the best available. Apeks regulator, OMS Wings and tank, Otto dries suits. Each of the companies had demonstrated what is important Commitment to diving. Tony Gower had over the last few days become a pillar at strength working with Axel, Mark, Targa and Efren to run the team. John you just do the dive and leave the rest to us. Seems to ring a bell. I stepped to Galera only feet from the live and relaxed on the surface I focused on the dive and thought of Exley Bowden and Gomes if their mark was to be beaten it had to be beaten properly.
I started my descent initially much slower than I had wanted; I reached the 90m switches after 3: 45. I was going to slow after 120m it started to speed up the 130 spare tank passed and the darkness came, with the darkness came to cold. This was my seventh time below 155m, so the transformation was not such a shock. My descent to the 200m/656 ft spare tank of bottom mix was uneventful. I focused in on my position in the water column, my remaining gas supply and monitored for signs of HPNS. As I approached the 250m/820 ft marker an ominous tremor ran through me. It was well within the critical point of helium -this is the point where the body will lose heat faster than it can produce it due to the helium- normally this is countered by commercial divers by the breathing mix being heated, this luxury was not possible on scuba. At this point the water temperature was 4 degrees it had been since the 200m/656ft point. John Womacks Otto Extreme dry-suit was great it also helped in managing another potential problem. Stopping at the bottom.
As the 275m, marker slide by, the tremor became more pronounced. My vision blurred. Now I knew HPNS but it was manageable The Tx 100s where breathing superbly, I never doubted them, but I did expect an increase in resistance, there was none. All of the Apeks regulators where attached to the half inch port. I shone the OMS light down, nothing, just the light disappearing into black. I shone it to one side and looked down. In the distance I could see the lights of the camera one of the team Jongin Lee had made the camera casing much to National Geographics amazement it worked- they distant glow gave me a target. I knew I was well below Jim Bowdens and Gomes depth. I hit the inflator, the line kept slipping through my hand.
It took forever, slowly the OMS 100lb wings filled, but still the line slipped through. I now inflated the dry-suit as well the light was getting closer. I knew that if I hit the end of the line to fast I would get ripped of the end. Relax John, just relax you are slowing. The camera was on me, I was still slightly negative, but manageably so. I checked my gas, 100bar left plus 180bar in the single OMS 20L. I unclipped the slate and wedged it into a knot. I then I peered down, darkness. An occasional muscle jerk dragged me back, I slowly swan up the line.
The ascent seemed to take forever I knew I was well behind time wise. The descent had taken forever the first 100m had been slow, four minutes. But then it had speed up. Below 150m I was speeding, but still it took a fraction under 13 minutes.
I was trying to maintain 25m to 30m per minute to 200m. I passed the 200m tank slowing it down to 15m per minute pausing for 20 seconds, likewise at 175m. I made my first gas switch at 150m, extending the stop time to a full minute. As I turned on the valve of the tank it free flowed wildly. I quickly took a breath and shut down the valve. Looking down I saw it was the tank valve, turning the valve on and off to breath I slowly progressed towards the spare at 130m. To say it was a relief when I reached it was a understatement. I quickly clipped the spare to my crutch strap and carried on up.
Latter Ron Loos who was waiting at 90m for me described seeing a huge cloud of bubbles come up. They already knew I was late, they now knew I had had a blowout. After what seemed an eternity, Ron and Mark lowered themselves down to 100m. They suddenly saw my lights, breathing out a long breath they quickly ascended to 90m. I showed Ron the table I was working from and carried on the ascent. Before leaving I clipped of the tank which had played up.
At 66m I was meet by Frank Doyle of La Laguana beach club and Kfir Zorev. As I left the 66m I was hit by a wave of vertigo, moments latter I knew I was going to vomit. The next 10minutes was spent vomiting and not knowing which way was up. It settled down a bit after a while, I checked my gauge noting that I had burned through my mix quickly, due to the vomiting. I looked at Frank and noted the calm eyes that come with years of dealing with problems under-water. We settled in to work our way slowly up. When I reached 50bar Frank long hosed me all of the team where breathing my mix at their time of support- so it did not compromise the decompression schedule. Finally I switch back to the decompression cylinder, leaving Frank to ascend. They where replaced by Targa Man, Axel Lechward and the team paramedic Joe Mcla bnry.
Joe immediately ran Neurological checks on me, all where fine. Latter he said he was convinced it was not DCI. But extended the profile to be safe. Between bouts of being sick and vertigo the thought of another now eight hours in the water was not relished. In fact a more miserable time is hard to remember. The planned equipment exchange at 36m went well, much easier than in the practice runs. Getting rid of the huge OMS low-pressure 20 l triple pack that had served me so well on the bottom was, a pleasure.
Whenever I felt sorry for myself, I reminded myself, no one had asked me to do this dive. I was here of my own choice.
The remaining time was long, boring and for me very uncomfortable. The vertigo eased, but the vomiting came in phases. It was aggravated by the weather conditions deteriating, this causing the platform to roll. I was amazed at the faces that appeared before me. Other Puerto Galera Instructors had come to see if they could help, none asked for anything in return.
Every 15 minutes I switched back to a trimix 16/44 for 5 to 8 minutes. This was done at the 21m, 12m and 6m stops. This eased the damaging effects of breathing high PPO2s for to long.
I ascended from 6m taking around 90 minutes to reach the surface. Kfir Zorev stayed with me during this time. Night had fallen and the team had rigged a series of torches. It added an almost surreal effect. Surfacing to see Axel, Ron, Joe, Tony and other team members was great. It was over.
The vertigo/vomiting where caused by an inner ear bara-trauma. Cause I am still unsure of. I had had a bit of hay fever the day before, but nothing serious. Reading up afterwards it looks like an Inner ear Fistula, recovery period was about 10 days.
Can I go deeper yes Im sure I can. But I wont. There is no point the 305m/1000ft dive was the ultimate goal. I can now move on to fresh challenges. The wreck of the Yamashiro is calling.
* One of the major problems with this style of dive is actually verifying you have been there. No depth gauges work, to my knowledge none exist (that would be manageable). So you are left with one alternative, a measured line.
On all of my dives we used a free hanging line. This was lowered under supervision. After it was lowered I was given a signed slate, which I had to clip of on the bottom. This is then raised when I have transferred to the trapezium. It is then measured on dry land I have never taking into account stretch factor This line had a minimum of 70kg on the bottom. I am told that would add a further 3% to 8% with good quality American line. Ours was Philippine nylon line.
