Deep Air

[Blackwood]

100' is a mark some choose as a max END on the basis of personal experience *and* across subject testing and experience

*and* ease of blending

 

[Diver0001]

... and because they told you what to think (to the tune of "the Machine")

 

[rjack321]

Here's a question.

Do you think the previous generation of deep air divers would have become deep air divers if helium, proper training and tools like Vplanner had been as readily available to them as they are to us?

We know the song they sang, but would they have sung a different tune if they could have.... :thinking:

R..

They were experiementing on themselves at the time.

I think they'd be STUNNED to learn that people are decoing on stuff like 35/25 and 50/25 (among other deco gases) and getting out of the water faster and feeling better because of it.

Helium is STILL the voodoo gas that nitrox was 10yrs ago - if not more. The biggest misconceptions being:
its saturates faster and will bend you
its extends your deco
its only for narcosis management in deep diving

There is extremely limited understanding of the role of CO2 in diving fatalities/incidents even today. As well as an underappreciation for ppO2s (still). So there is way more to the whole picture than they knew back then and I think its unrealistic to expect their understanding to have been that radically different. Afterall someone had to do the initial (probably scary) diving on the voodoo gas with some pretty unknown tables handmade by Bill Hamilton or someone like that.

 

[ucfdiver]

... and because they told you what to think (to the tune of "the Machine")

Not exactly. Sure...GI3 warned us all about deep air diving (if that's what you're referring to), and he has by far one of the most impressive safety and accomplishment records of any diver in our time frame, but don't think that's the only reason those of us who frown on deep air do so.

Look at it this way....at some point drinking and driving wasn't illegal, because we didn't have the data to prove that it's a bad idea. Now it is, but I don't refrain from drinking and driving because of our laws, I don't do it because it's been PROVEN to cause fatalities, and I don't see the need to push my luck.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Okay . . .I've got another week long Truk Lagoon Trip coming up (where helium last year was $4/cf; $0.14/litre).

The plan is to initially survey the external features in the "break" of the Aikoku Maru, looking for the passageway to the engine room & the infamous "bone" room on non-penetration deep air dives at 54m. Subsequent dives will be to evaluate & test cognitive faculties with 20/20 mix --END 39meters at a cost of $160 for the backgas in twin 11L tanks (double AL80's); other option is 18/45 standard mix --END 30m at a cost of over $300 for one set of twin 11L tanks, if I'm not comfortable on the lesser 20/20 mix. The primary goal is to eventually penetrate at a planned depth of 54m for no more than 15meters linear distance and 25min bottom time. SAC rates planned are 15L/min (0.5cf/min) nominal and 22L/min (0.75cf/min) contingency. Ratio Deco schedule 1:2 used for all bottom mix scenarios (Air, 20/20 and 18/45), using eanx50 and O2 for deco gases. Probably will utilize a 11L stage of bottom mix as well.

Anyway, that's the kind of pre-planning & decision making I'm up against right now before leaving in two weeks . . .thoughts, ideas and useful comments appreciated.

 

[Matt S.]

I'm just saying that a little narcosis makes me think things through more than when I have a clear head.

Jack Daniels does exactly the same thing for me!

 

[rjack321]

Anyway, that's the kind of pre-planning & decision making I'm up against right now before leaving in two weeks . . .thoughts, ideas and useful comments appreciated.

Since you have bent the poo out of yourself making poor decisions underwater in the past, I think you should spring for the helium. Its cheaper and less hassle than the chamber.

Or do some shallower dives. Or make the trip a little shorter to compensate for the helium costs. There are ALWAYS alternatives to diving right on the edge of disaster. You've had some lucky disasters in the recent past, don't push your luck again.

 

[rjack321]

Jack Daniels does exactly the same thing for me!

Beer goggles!!

 

[LiteHedded]

Okay . . .I've got another week long Truk Lagoon Trip coming up (where helium last year was $4/cf; $0.14/litre).

The plan is to initially survey the external features in the "break" of the Aikoku Maru, looking for the passageway to the engine room & the infamous "bone" room on non-penetration deep air dives at 54m. Subsequent dives will be to evaluate & test cognitive faculties with 20/20 mix --END 39meters at a cost of $160 for the backgas in twin 11L tanks (double AL80's); other option is 18/45 standard mix --END 30m at a cost of over $300 for one set of twin 11L tanks, if I'm not comfortable on the lesser 20/20 mix. The primary goal is to eventually penetrate at a planned depth of 54m for no more than 15meters linear distance and 25min bottom time. SAC rates planned are 15L/min (0.5cf/min) nominal and 22L/min (0.75cf/min) contingency. Ratio Deco schedule 1:2 used for all bottom mix scenarios (Air, 20/20 and 18/45), using eanx50 and O2 for deco gases. Probably will utilize a 11L stage of bottom mix as well.

Anyway, that's the kind of pre-planning & decision making I'm up against right now before leaving in two weeks . . .thoughts, ideas and useful comments appreciated.

my thoughts would be be careful and have fun

 

[ucfdiver]

my thoughts would be be careful and have fun

and make sure your DAN insurance is up to date