Deep diving as a goal - the stigma.

[NOVADiveGuy21]

First: a couple of thoughts, second: a couple of caveats, third: my question.
First: Yes, I am pretty new to diving. As you can see, I have less than 25 logged dives. Also, I don't plan to move into tech or deep diving anytime soon, but it is in my future.
Second: I realize that deep diving requires many things: training, skills, equipment, planning, experience (in no particular order). I am not asking how to go deeper or whether i should.
Third: I know this might draw a heated discussion, but please be civil. I am not trying to do something crazy and I love scuba diving for all of the same reasons that many of us do.
Third: My Question - I have seen time and time again, on this forum and in the many scuba books that I have read, that deep diving (i.e. deeper than rec limits, 200, 300 fsw, etc.), should be a means to an end, not an end to a means. But, what is wrong with wanting to dive deeper to meet person best records? In every sport/activity there are goals. If you run, you usually want to lose weight, run longer, or run faster. If you hike, you either want to climb higher or hike farther. I'm not trying to set a new world deep diving record and I'm certainly not advocating unsafe diving. But if your passion is to dive deeper as a goal, within your skills, training, equipment, and planning experience; what is so wrong with diving deeper for the sake of setting personal records? Every recreational runner knows that they are probably not the next Prefontaine or Usain Bolt, but they keep trying.

 

[lowviz]

Your outlook is so perfect for freediving. Do this first.

http://www.performancefreediving.com/courses/virginia beach.htm

 

[TMHeimer]

I don't think there is anything wrong with it at all. It seems you are aware that it is riskier no matter how experienced you become. Almost anything we do is worthwhile if it means something to ourselves. I only go sparingly to the rec. limits if on a dive boat and the site is deep--I'm looking for shells and they are usually only on the bottom (though at times up on a wreck). If I were ever to go tech. (won't happen) I would not be interested in setting personal records because I would assume the tech. record limits have already been set extremely deep and to be the record holder would both be dangerous and way too much work in planning. But that's just me. I've set personal records in several hobbies that people would shake their heads at.

 

[lowviz]

You can test yourself if you wish. It is dangerous. You will be a "cut above" if you succeed. Food for worms if you don't.

4 FreeDiving Tricks to Play on Scuba Divers - YouTube

 

[NOVADiveGuy21]

TMHeimer thanks for your reply. I certainly don't plan on setting any records. I'll leave those to Nuno Gomes. PRs are my thing, so far. my PR is 42 feet. That isn't much, but I love diving and plan to hit at least 88 feet this summer.

 

[Teller]

There is nothing wrong with wanting to push yourself but I don't think many people die running. You need to ask yourself is the reward worth the risk. The reason divers are so sensitive about pushing limits is because in this sport when you make a mistake no matter how much training, experience or equipment you have it may vary well be the last one you make.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

what is so wrong with diving deeper for the sake of setting personal records?

Nothing wrong with it at all. The issue isn't why you want to go deep, it's how you go about getting there. Diving's as much about making good decisions as it is having good skills ... and the deeper you go, the more important good decision-making becomes. Any damn fool can dive deep ... making it back to the surface safely is the hard part. Reading about the risks is easy ... preparing for them in terms of skills and equipment isn't all that overwhelming ... being mentally fit to deal with problems at depth is often the most important, and overlooked, part of preparing for deeper diving.

The thing about setting personal records that so often gets people in trouble isn't the motivation to do so ... it's that sometimes they get so focused on the goal they ignore the warning signs that maybe they're not ready yet ... or that doing it in the way they're planning to isn't a very good idea. People are very good at denial ... particularly when the thing they're denying is getting in the way of what they want to do. People are also very good at imagining themselves to be more skilled at things than they really are ... and in scuba diving, particularly deep diving, that can be trouble.

"Personal best" is a perfectly valid reason to go deep ... if you can stay focused on what's important and go into it with the appropriate preparation, training, experience, and mindset. Ignoring any one of those things ... or talking yourself into believing that you're ready when you're really not ... sets the train in motion and pushes it dangerously close to the edge of the tracks.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DevonDiver]

In essence, there is nothing theoretically wrong with it. However, human psychology and behavior often tends to corrupt theoretical possibilities when they are practiced in reality.

Many experienced divers see a conflict between a desire for 'personal best' and a discipline to adhere to safe diving practices; diving conservatively and within your comfort zone, progressively increasing your experience, self-awareness of your actual capability, education to ensure you are fully cognizant of all reasonable risks, training, equipment and preparation to ensure that those risks are fully mitigated...

In short... that a motivation to push your limits is not compatible with an intention to respect your limits... and that such a motivation is likely to lead to various short-cuts, skimping and compromises from the 'ideal', when the realities of cost and effort to fully prepare for deeper diving are realized.

The issue of 'temptation' is one that certainly has to be considered. It's easy to rationalize against risk aversion when you begin to understand that diving doesn't 'feel' much different at 200ft, than it does at 20ft. It's also easy to rationalize against risk aversion when you do a successful dive to a greater depth, but fail to account for the fact that it occurred safely because nothing chanced to go wrong - rather than because you ensured nothing went wrong and/or dealt effectively with what did go wrong. The difference between a successful dive and a safe dive is often nothing more than the appearance or absence of Murphy's Law.

Divers do a dive - it goes well and they feel comfortable. Divers see that as a reassurance that they are ready to progress deeper. Next time, they go a little deeper.. just a couple of meters - it feels the same, they feel comfortable... they are encouraged to push further again the next time. And so forth and so forth. They begin to wonder 'what all the fuss is about' with deeper diving. But the stark truth is that they're accepting feedback on their capabilities...and the dive safety... based on a best-case scenario... nothing goes wrong. For as long as nothing goes wrong, they are encouraged to push further and further and further.

And then... compromise. As confidence and ambition builds, divers are faced with the expense of properly preparing for deeper dives. This course costs $$$'s. That equipment costs $$$$'s. They have limited opportunity to dive... why waste that opportunity progressively building up depth familiarity after a lay-off? etc etc. Having received little feedback/warning about risk and capability, from the limited diving they have done... it becomes easier to start rationalizing against the expense and effort demanded to properly prepare themselves for greater depths. The compromises and short-cutting begins...

The biggest compromise of all.... the 'acceptance' of risk, rather than the 'mitigation' of risk.

Let's talk about 'Ego' now. He's not your friend and doesn't look out for you. He doesn't like to admit that you cannot do something, or that you shouldn't do something. He looks for any validation or rationalization as a reinforcement to tell you how great you are. Setting, and exceeding, personal limits is like rocket-fuel for your Ego... he loves that.... it's the best reinforcement around. Ego doesn't like Murphy's Law... because Ego doesn't like to admit that some things may be beyond your capability. Ego gives you blinkers.

In contrast, experienced divers have learned that capabilities need to be measured against the worst-case scenario. Typically, that's because - at some point - they've been exposed to some form of worst-case scenario... do enough dives and Murphy eventually visits you. That's how they perceive their comfort zone... and that's how they set their limits.... and that's how they plan, prepare and conduct their dives. That doesn't stop them going deeper - it merely structures their progression. Deep diving means moving into the same zip code as Murphy.

Technical diving goes further... Murphy is now your neighbor. The essence of technical diving mindset is risk mitigation... to the extent of huge financial expenditure and commitment of effort to training and development. No compromises, because the risks are understood. Technical divers are often the most risk averse divers - despite their activities being the highest risk. If you meet Murphy often enough, you learn to respect his influence.

I sincerely doubt that anyone will make a compulsive argument that deep diving shouldn't be done to set personal records.

In theory, it's a goal that enables progression as a diver, whilst balancing safety and a conservative attitude.

In practice however, there are sufficient pitfalls, temptations and mis-calculations that it's not something most experienced divers are happy to recommend.

Hence, you see a lot of divers advising against it... or putting greater emphasis on the establishment of other goals.... ones that are less likely to trip you up and/or expose you to the temptations for self-denial, ego-driven rationalization and the motivation to short-cut and compromise.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

When it comes to "deep diving", there is rec and there is tec. I and my wife are recreational divers. I totally get the desire for doing a deep and then a deeper dive, and frankly, the sense of the water column and depth is something to be experienced, not just read about. Diving within recreational limits is still deep diving without a doubt. I have in fact noted a dive depth of 98 feet and intentionally descend a little to get another 100 footer in my log book. I have exceeded 130 feet exactly 4 times ( out of nearly 1000 dives) twice in an emergency training exercise, and two times retrieving a wandering diver. In each case I did not exceed 150 feet. The point is, I get the idea of wanting to dive deeper. Be safe, plan properly, and stay within recreational limits and ndl's. When your "yen to descend" demands deeper diving, get the proper training for technical, deco diving, dive with those who know what they are doing, and then write about it. Don't be reckless. Always dive within your limits, be safe, have fun.
DivemasterDennis

 

[mdax]

Deep diving, trimix and all that are good if you have the training, equipment and a specific reason...however we've dove all over the world and there are way more cool things in the first 60' than below.