Deep Diving on Vacation

[Quarrior]

This is a follow-on to the a thread in the Incidents and Near Misses forum. It is also purely for learning and nothing more, it has nothing to do with anything that has actually happened.

Here's the scenario:

You're on vacation and don't have a dive partner that you dive with regularly. The shop/op you are working with has a deep dive 130 ft on the schedule that is supposed to be really nice.

Given this is a vacation trip you are using their AL80 tank. Now, knowing that on a 130ft dive if something goes wrong there's no room for error. Do you:

1. Ask if the DM is going to be carrying a sling bottle?
2. Ask for and carry your own sling bottle?
3. Pass on the dive?
4. Do the dive without anyone carrying a sling bottle and risk the unknown?

Keep in mind you are fully trained and qualified for this dive and have been diving below 100ft regularly back home with your regular buddies.

Also keep in mind you are diving with people you don't know and have no idea of how skilled they are.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Personally, if I had any doubts, I would thumb the dive. If I was comfortable with that depth and I'd been regularly making dives to those depths and had my own regulator, I'd go for it. (And I have, and greatly enjoyed it)

When I dived the C-53 in Cozumel, last October, I put myself between the dive master leading the dive and my instructor, who was with me, just for the added assurance.

 

[www.scubamazing.com]

I'd be a 'yes go'. But I would definitley take the precautions. I like the personal sling bottle idea best.

 

[Darnold9999]

It would have to be really really nice, and I would want to do another dive first with my proposed buddy before venturing into that kind of depth. Might thumb it anyway. I would have to be totally comfortable with everything and how I felt that particular day.

As the first dive with the operator/buddy no way not a chance. Have passed on the Blue Hole twice now for pretty much exactly this reason.

 

[in_cavediver]

This is a follow-on to the a thread in the Incidents and Near Misses forum. It is also purely for learning and nothing more, it has nothing to do with anything that has actually happened.

Here's the scenario:

You're on vacation and don't have a dive partner that you dive with regularly. The shop/op you are working with has a deep dive 130 ft on the schedule that is supposed to be really nice.

Given this is a vacation trip you are using their AL80 tank. Now, knowing that on a 130ft dive if something goes wrong there's no room for error. Do you:

1. Ask if the DM is going to be carrying a sling bottle?
2. Ask for and carry your own sling bottle?
3. Pass on the dive?
4. Do the dive without anyone carrying a sling bottle and risk the unknown?

Keep in mind you are fully trained and qualified for this dive and have been diving below 100ft regularly back home with your regular buddies.

Also keep in mind you are diving with people you don't know and have no idea of how skilled they are.

I'd go and sling a second 80 as per 2. Without it, I'd thumb the dive. (I don't like going below 70-80 feet without some redundancy.

 

[Scuba Brad]

I'm with you guys on this one. Newer divers generally take more air, and get excited quicker when trauma starts. If its just for the thrill..........you should rethink.......unless you have plan B and C well thought thru.

Happy and Safe Diving

 

[victor]

I have been in a similar situation but did have a competent buddy. One family went into the water with the daughter on a tank only 80% full, and had an OOA on the wreck. Everyone came home safely however I made sure I was not on a dive boat with them again.

Hard choice, I would hate to miss the dive.
I am assuming good visibility, clear ascent to the surface, a rope to control the rate of ascent.

I would look for a competent buddy with recent experience at >100ft and have a practice dive with them keeping track of relative air consumption.
I would ask the operator if they would put a tank at the safety stop.
Agree with my buddy a minimum air cutoff point.
Agree a dive plan with my buddy and stick to it.
If possible do the deepest part of the dive as soon as possible and come up to around the 100 ft marker.
I would dive my plan, not the group’s or the DM’s and if I was worried then I would bug out.

Now the hard part; what would I do if I thought things were starting to go wrong during the dive. That is the subject for another thread.

 

[Jedderkoppen]

First post here guys so if it doesn't work out right forgive me.

i think it would all depend on if i felt comfortable with the dive. and i think a large part of that is who my buddy is. with 130 feet i really wouldn't be too concerned with air supply. i regularly do 40-60mtr dives on a single and know my consumption and limits. so, this dive would be a 'go' for me.

but, without knowing my buddy all that well, i'd be prepared to pull the plug early if, while we're under, it becomes apparent my buddy doesn't have what it takes.

- JE
CMAS ***

 

[Hooked-Again]

This is a follow-on to the a thread in the Incidents and Near Misses forum. It is also purely for learning and nothing more, it has nothing to do with anything that has actually happened.

Here's the scenario:

You're on vacation and don't have a dive partner that you dive with regularly. The shop/op you are working with has a deep dive 130 ft on the schedule that is supposed to be really nice.

Given this is a vacation trip you are using their AL80 tank. Now, knowing that on a 130ft dive if something goes wrong there's no room for error. Do you:

1. Ask if the DM is going to be carrying a sling bottle?
2. Ask for and carry your own sling bottle?
3. Pass on the dive?
4. Do the dive without anyone carrying a sling bottle and risk the unknown?

Keep in mind you are fully trained and qualified for this dive and have been diving below 100ft regularly back home with your regular buddies.

Also keep in mind you are diving with people you don't know and have no idea of how skilled they are.

Number 1 first; number 2 second; if the answer to these is no, then number 3.

 

[Meng_Tze]

I would not go.

To me its not just a gas issue, its also how competent my buddy is, how I trust his judgement and skills and how I know his mindset is. The risk I find in being 'teamed up' by dive shops or on boats. You never know how this new buddy is in times of stress, is he/she going to stick it out, can he/she get themselves/you out of a situation, etc, etc.

On shallower dives, I may be joined up, on deeper/more challenging dives..... no. Especially with stages and deco; adds to complexity, management and cross checking.

On vacation dives, I vacation. On diving 'somewhere else' I have my trusted buddy.

Definitely would not let DM carry my gas.... if he/she needs to attend an issue with others....there goes my gas (either location or usage)