Can only dive 50ft, is it worth it?

[SeaHorse81]

Nick, I'll cast yet another vote for calling DAN.

I'll also note that if you get clearance to dive from someone who really knows your medical issues and how they all relate to diving, 50 feet is lots of room to have great experiences. As others have said, there's plenty to see in lots of places, but don't forget: you also still get to be weightless, levitate at will, and have 3D freedom of movement in any depth. Totally worth it.

I wish you luck, and congratulate you on surviving such a horrific experience. Diving or not, every moment is a gift, and I'm glad you get to have lots more of those.

 

[kimbalabala]

Unless you are actively looking and asking for deep dives in the Keys you might have a hard time getting as deep as 50'! We spent a week in Key Largo recently and I think the deepest my computer recorded was 46' - and we saw lots of great stuff - shark, turtles, grouper, barracuda - and btw, so did the snorkelers!!

Plus 1 for the advice to call DAN. I'm not saying that your doc is wrong, but I know from experience that unless you get a dive doc involved you will continue to doubt, so it's best to just go directly to the experts.

Everything that I have read and learned regarding scuba indicates that there is increased pressure on all of your organs at depth - reemphasized by my gp recently when he specifically said "at depth there is additional pressure on your heart and brain". I was also told that the reason I have to pee after a dive (haven't mastered peeing in a wetsuit yet!) is because the pressure on the kidneys causes you to produce more urine. Myth or fact? Not sure - but I do know I have to pee after every stinking dive!!!! I couldn't even hazard a good guess as to how the entire musculoskeletol system is or isn't effected by pressure at depth.

Btw, my oldest son experienced a spontaneous pneumothorax when he was a teenager and we were told at that time that he would never be able to scuba dive or sky dive. One of his lungs has been chemically glued (essentially) to the lining of his chest.

Hope you pursue your dream - I love diving.

 

[txaggie08]

Even if that limitation is correct, I would absolutely still dive. TONS of great reefs in the 30 foot range, and a large portion of the better fw diving is under 30. Still VERY possible to have good time, and the reality is a great number of divers never get there AOW certification, which means they're supposed to be limited to 60ft anyway

 

[D_B]

DAN .. call them, and maybe see more than one Dr familiar with diving medicine before accepting the risk

Even 33 feet, 1 atmosphere, would be wonderful to dive to and well worth it

If your cleared to dive, you can find instructors to train you , they can and do train divers with disabilities , my friend will now only be able to dive to 33 feet after a severe injury and due to an implanted pump , but has already found an instructor versed in training disabled divers and done some pool work

... and if you do become a diver, join DAN .. a worthwhile organization doing much to expand diving knowledge and keep divers safe

 

[Oldbear]

Nick,

I hope that you get cleared. Just like you, diving is something that most on this forum have a deep passion for.

As far as a 50' limit...I would give a resounding yes; it is worth it.

One of my favorite dives is in the Bay of Naples (Italy). Most people have heard about Pompai being buried by ash when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. But in what is now the Naples Bay are Roman ruins that sank during the eruption. It is so cool to dive among Roman statues, villas, mosaics on the sea floor and a host of other artifacts in about 20' of water.

Good luck and I am glad you are taking the proper steps to partake in the sport safely. :glad:

~Michael~

 

[oly5050user]

Fortunately for the OP, most instructors are not quite so inflexible and unreasonable.

If you feel strongly that this individual should take the chance on killing himself with your name on the c card,go for it..Any type of limit that a MD places on a student medical disqualifies him from taking a class from myself or anyone in our facility. Any reasonable professional instructor will hold an individuals safety more important than to get a few dollars. Not everyone in the world is able to dive.. Better yet ask your insurance carrier what they think if an individual with a limiting condition on their medical what you should do. The Md is afraid to ok this for a reason. He/she knows that if this person gets hurt they get sued. A dive instructor is not qualified to make that decison.. So the OP stays shallower than 50',only goes to 45' and suffers a injury,guess who gets an invitation to court..Either a MD says op is ok to dive or not.No other comments will suffice.

 

[SandyRobinson]

Even 33 feet, 1 atmosphere, would be wonderful to dive to and well worth it

33 feet is 2 atmospheres but absolutely great diving in this range.

 

[ianr33]

What the doctor could be concerned with would actually relate to the surrounding water pressure exerting force on the body rather than breathing air in at depth. This force will put pressure on the new ribs. Now, being that they are titanium I wouldn't think that wouldn't be a major consideration

They seem to be holding up to the 15 psi of pressure they are exposed to every day just fine!

At 1000 feet the pressure will be around 460 psi. people have dived to that depth on SCUBA. How do their ribs survive that?

 

[Sheri SGR]

Completely worth it. Nearly all my beach diving in So Cal is less than 40 feet. Sharks, nudibranchs, crabs, lobsters, pipefish, and more. Lucky you can still dive there is plenty to see!

 

[redacted]

They seem to be holding up to the 15 psi of pressure they are exposed to every day just fine!

At 1000 feet the pressure will be around 460 psi. people have dived to that depth on SCUBA. How do their ribs survive that?

I'd bet they train for many years to develop the skill to take in just the right amount of gas to balance the pressure inside the lungs with the water pressure; leaving no pressure imbalance on their ribs. I wish I could learn to do that.