Deep Diving on Air

[smellzlikefish]

You work as a DM every day and have 25-49 dives? Really?

 

[BradyMcd]

Divers breathing air at depths greater than 60 m (200 ft) face an increasing risk of an oxygen toxicity "hit" (seizure).
Knowing that why would anyone ever risk deep air bounce dives.

 

[TSandM]

I think I heard the best argument against deep air diving the other day. The story was of a diver who traveled all the way to Truk. He did a dive on the San Francisco Maru, and went into one of the holds specifically to see some shells or bombs that were known to be there. I think the depth was around 150 to 170, and then he came up and did the rest of the dive somewhat shallower.

When he got out of the water, the boat captain asked him how his dive was, and he said it was fine, but he was disappointed he hadn't seen the bombs.

When he checked his camera, he had a whole mess of pictures of them.

If I'm not going to remember what I did, there seems little point in doing it . . .

 

[1.3]

The Point is:
The best economical strategy is to use air on initial external forays on the deep wrecks, while using trimix on subsequent deep dives especially those over 45m depth requiring wreck penetration.

The best economical strategy is to start diving a rebreather.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I think I heard the best argument against deep air diving the other day. The story was of a diver who traveled all the way to Truk. He did a dive on the San Francisco Maru, and went into one of the holds specifically to see some shells or bombs that were known to be there. I think the depth was around 150 to 170, and then he came up and did the rest of the dive somewhat shallower.

When he got out of the water, the boat captain asked him how his dive was, and he said it was fine, but he was disappointed he hadn't seen the bombs.

When he checked his camera, he had a whole mess of pictures of them.

If I'm not going to remember what I did, there seems little point in doing it . . .

Which is why I've come back annually to Chuuk since 2007 to refresh the memory: To see the wonderous artifacts, experience & imagine the history, and view the beautiful invertebrate & fish life around these wrecks as they're all now starting to collapse after nearly 70 years at the bottom of the lagoon . . . (And hopefully buddy-up with a great photographer as well).

Tanks/deck of San Francisco Maru

kevrumbo's Page - Unified Team Diving

[Thank You Pete Mesley for some fantastic shots. . .!]

That's the point Lynne: a yearly journey well worth the high Helium/Oxygen costs & Deep Air risks for the experience gained --And for previous one time hard lessons learned.

 

[Bombay High]

I think I heard the best argument against deep air diving the other day. The story was of a diver who traveled all the way to Truk. He did a dive on the San Francisco Maru, and went into one of the holds specifically to see some shells or bombs that were known to be there. I think the depth was around 150 to 170, and then he came up and did the rest of the dive somewhat shallower.

When he got out of the water, the boat captain asked him how his dive was, and he said it was fine, but he was disappointed he hadn't seen the bombs.

When he checked his camera, he had a whole mess of pictures of them.

If I'm not going to remember what I did, there seems little point in doing it . . .

Exactly ....

Narcosis is the reason to NOT dive deep on air. A O2 tox episode is highly unlikely in the 60 metre range . The narcosis will more likely be your downfall.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Exactly ....

Narcosis is the reason to NOT dive deep on air. A O2 tox episode is highly unlikely in the 60 metre range . The narcosis will more likely be your downfall.

Specifically in an Overhead Environment, narcosis due to Deep Air will likely be your downfall in a contingency situation while Cave Diving --an environment with potentially complex navigation ("T's", jumps, gaps etc) where you don't have direct access to the surface 99.9% of the time.

On a Wreck Dive with Deep Air you always have the initial choice at depth, of prudently staying in open water or going into the overhead environment and accepting the risks involved. Unlike a Cave Dive, you can still have a wonderful external tour of a wreck (especially in Chuuk Lagoon), mitigating the dangers of overhead diving on deep air by wisely not choosing to penetrate in the first place.

IMHO, that's the real pertinent & objective point. . . (not some subjective irrelevant muse on "the non-aesthetics of not remembering a dive on Deep Air")

 

[Hank49]

If I'm not going to remember what I did, there seems little point in doing it . . .

Funny how we start thinking that way after about age 30 or so.......

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Funny how we start thinking that way after about age 30 or so.......

... and at about age 60 you start to realize how little you remember about what you did regardless of how deep you were or what you were breathing at the time ...

.. Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[NAM001]

someone should have a list of links somewhere that lists the threads dealing with deep air. someone opens a thread , someone responds with the list of links and the thread is dead. Think of all the disk space that would save.Those that do it are going to do it. after all it is safe to do it cause 225" is less that 1.6.

Human nature will always demand pushing the limits. Cause the limits are not real limits IE 225 is not over 1.6 ppo

Society always sets limits that are over conservative. Itsa the nanny state, its a letigous state, its an economic issue what ever
halloween superman costume has the warning that the cape does not allow the wearer to fly. IGNORE WARNINGS , THEY ARE FOR THE STUPID..

If i fail is t is someone elses fault. Look at the OP Would not have done it except.......

There is no diference deep vs shallow. Again Look at the op

Responces often try to nit pick the OP. (ata vs ppo2) Or attempt to respond rationally to someone that does not use rational thought process.

So please someone come up with the list of links for deep air....