Calling them deep dives?

[Mike]

I've been going through dive site descriptions for Bonaire in preperation for a May trip and I keep seeing descriptions of 'deep' dives associated with 60-80 foot depths?

I've always kind of qualified 'deep' as being over 100 ft.

Is the references to 60-80 feet being deep related to the divers who frequent Bonaire who don't have a lot of dives in the 100 or deeper range? I've read over and over again comments to the effect of so much to see in Bonaire in the 30-50ft depth range. Is that why people are referring to 60-80 as being deep, because it's in contrast to so much of the diving being in the 30-50 ft range? Just seems strange to me to keep reading dive reports using descriptions for deep dives at such shallow depths, 60-70 ft dives with warnings to watch your air, or watch your depth.

 

[DiverVince]

Mike..Not to my knowledge and I really haven't noticed this. If I'm diving air I generally will not go below 110. I do equate anything 100 feet or more as a deep dive. EA @ 32% MAX I do is about 95.
60 to 70 feet just "average depth" for a dive.
I think the confusion comes in with observations that the deeper you go, generally the less there is to see. The top 60 feet for me is where I spend at least 80% of my dive time.

 

[Damselfish]

both PADI and NAUI define deep as over 60ft.

 

[DCBC]

I suppose "Deep" is subjective and is dependent on a person's training, experience, equipment and the type of gas used. I suspect that for most divers today, a deep dive on air is over 100'.

Bonaire has some excellent deep diving. I dove the Windjammer on air (210') in 1979. Helium wasn't available on the island back then and "deep air" wasn't considered in the same way as it is today. Interesting...

 

[Walter]

Everything is relative. I remember before I started diving, I was dating a woman who was taking diving lessons. As a result, I was a bubble watcher on the boat when she got certified. After her first dive, we chatted. I discovered she had dived to a depth approximately equal to the height of a three story building - 30 feet. I remember thinking that was really, really deep. When I started diving, 30 feet seemed pretty shallow, but 60 feet seemed deep. After a little experience, 60 feet started to feel like a shallow dive, but 100 feet was still deep. Today, 100 feet no longer feels deep at all. Everything is relative. Those site descriptions are written primarily for folks just getting started in diving. For them, 60 feet is deep.

 

[Mike]

Do you guys consider the Hooker to be a 'deep' dive?

The location I've dived the most is Cozumel and deep dives are considered approaching 130, such as Maricibo or Punta Sur, your 1st dive of the day in Cozumel is routinely going to be at 80ft -90ft followed by a surface interval and a 2nd 'shallower' dive in the 40-60ft range.

 

[GeneV]

I can't speak for other agencies, but as Damselfish mentioned, PADI defines recreational deep dives as starting at or below 18m/60ft but no deeper then 40m/130ft.
And as DCBC mentioned it's subjective. I've done wreck dives in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, where the max depth was around 70ft that I would consider deep, what with poor viz, heavy thermal protection and cold temps. On the other hand I've been on wrecks in the Caribean that were at the same depth that I really don't consider deep dives.

 

[Docc]

Do you guys consider the Hooker to be a deep dive?

Nope. You can crawl in the sand by the Hooker and never get below 96 fsw.

 

[Mike]

Thanks for the answers. So what I'm gathering from this is it's relative to the divers and what they are used to.

Lots to see in Bonaire in 60ft and shallower, so anything deeper then that gets considered 'deeper' diving over time for those who spend a lot of time diving just Bonaire.

Sound about right?

 

[Jersey]

Yep - it's a relative thing. Kind of like Greens and Blacks in skiing - what constitutes a black in NE PA is a green or blue in CO or WY. But per standards anything below 60 is considered deep. DM briefings state max depth 100 feet, but then tell you they stay more shallow, between 50-60. Bonaire isn't like diving the walls in GC or pinnacles in Saba with great and big stuff deep. Yes, there is some 'stuff' but most of the action is between 0-60. Don't misconstrue - there are deeper dives. We crossed over to the outer reef at Alice in Wonderland and at 80 feet the reef appeared to be a good 30 - 50 below us. But we were diving single Nitrox tanks and not going down (MOD 111). With some additional equip (at least a pony), I'd love to drop in and check out the coral, see if it is a pristine as it appeared... Just means I need to plan that dive for the next trip!