Deep Air - Here we go again....

[Blackwood]

If I took the money I spend on helium and applied it to a boat, I'd be able to afford something like this:

And then I'd be stuck with it.

Your point about wisely allocating funds is well taken, but for most, a boat is unwise.

 

[DCBC]

If I took the money that was spent for helium gas and mixed-gas training for me and applied it to a boat, I'd have something like this (too bad I wasn't given the option).

 

[Slamfire]

I was thinking of a boat like this:

This is Swankenstein's boat. He posts frequently on the Western Canada forum, usually cool photographs of his dives around Vancouver Island.

Besides, Marc, you don't count. You dive deep air. You previously stated that your max END is 110. :crocodile:

 

[LiteHedded]

Sites get closed for all kinds of reasons ... we've lost a few around here to development and/or local politics ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

that's correct.

 

[holeup]

I just saw this, wish id seen it before. Training on helium or any other mix does not toss a guy into deep dives immediately. We work up to it or at least i and most of the guys i work with did.
But i have seen some guys trained on heliox and tri mix i would not want to dive with, again i know some tech divers whove never used any mix that I would not be affraid to bring on a deep dive either. Depends on the diver, his attitude, skills and experience.

 

[Kevrumbo]

If you're in warm tropical 27deg C waters, no current, good viz, on an external easy tour of a wreck (like in Truk Lagoon), you can cognitively accommodate to deep air. You have trained muscle memory to handle most contingencies albeit you may be slower to process, problem solve and react . . .so you strategically mitigate your activities to avoid potential tactical overload in an emergency situation --i.g. don't penetrate the wreck; don't physically exert yourself to CO2 retention levels & starting the vicious dark narc cycle; don't do any extensive computations on-the-fly to your deco schedule; go no deeper than 60m or ppO2 1.4 etc. --keep it all nice, easy and simple. . .

For my two-week Sri Lanka April trip on the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, I've allocated about $1500 for helium & O2 --initially planning 24 total dives utilizing 21/35 trimix with eanx50 and O2 deco for a depth range of 51 to 54m. However if conditions are optimally benign like the tropical setting described above for an external survey dive the first few days, I'll conserve helium by using a lighter 21/20 mix --or even just diving deep air-- and utilize the higher 21/35 (or 18/45 trimix) later on in additional stage bottles for extended penetrations inside the aircraft carrier.

 

[LiteHedded]

how much does helium cost in sri lanka?

 

[Kevrumbo]

Figuring about .065 cents/litre, or around $1.82/cf for helium. Might be more since we're currently haggling trucking transport costs it seems, leading right up to the departure date. . .

 

[LiteHedded]

yikes

 

[Slamfire]

If you're in warm tropical 27deg C waters, no current, good viz, on an external easy tour of a wreck (like in Truk Lagoon), you can cognitively accommodate to deep air. You have trained muscle memory to handle most contingencies albeit you may be slower to process, problem solve and react . . .so you strategically mitigate your activities to avoid potential tactical overload in an emergency situation --i.g. don't penetrate the wreck; don't physically exert yourself to CO2 retention levels & starting the vicious dark narc cycle; don't do any extensive computations on-the-fly to your deco schedule; go no deeper than 60m or ppO2 1.4 etc. --keep it all nice, easy and simple. . .

For my two-week Sri Lanka April trip on the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, I've allocated about $1500 for helium & O2 --initially planning 24 total dives utilizing 21/35 trimix with eanx50 and O2 deco for a depth range of 51 to 54m. However if conditions are optimally benign like the tropical setting described above for an external survey dive the first few days, I'll conserve helium by using a lighter 21/20 mix --or even just diving deep air-- and utilize the higher 21/35 (or 18/45 trimix) later on in additional stage bottles for extended penetrations inside the aircraft carrier.

This is what we've been talking about. Adaptability to diving conditions and the rule of intellect over dogma cannot be sacrificed to a rigid set of standards. And, wouldn't it stand to reason that if you are to be adaptable to various diving conditions you might find some "deep air" (formal or informal) training useful?

Kev, from your SB profile I read than in addition to GUE you had training with IANTD, NACD, and TDI. Would you say that your deep air training was useless?