Deep Diving

[Skeeter1097]

I think some people have taken the one to far. I did not see a question about going technical or diving 180 or better. $15,000 or more. Ya right.
Some added equipment yes but not that much more then you all ready have if you have your own dive gear.. More dives and training [yes]. I dive 100'+ on half of my dives. But I like the reefs and dives around here at 60 to 85 just as much. Plus you get longer dives.
I like the answer [ to see something that happens to be deep.] That would be the answer I would have given.

 

[Diver0001]

How far ahead has 'recriational' technical diving come along? And how safe is it?

Accessiblity is growing and there are a growing number of people taking some kind of basic training in deco procedures and such. I think it's a long way from any kind of critical mass but agencies like PADI and NAUI are getting in the game now, which should lead to larger numbers of students exploring these aspects of diving. I don't know how many active technical divers are out there. Where I live it's a fraction of the number of people who take the courses.

As for safety.... I don't know. What I see happening is that there seem to be increasing numbers of people who are taking technical training for the t-shirt. That can't be good.... One guy I know openly admits that he took something like deep-air and deco procedures so he can attract women. He said he bought (or got made) a shirt with "Instructor" (which he isn't) on the front and "Technical diver" (which is as good as a lie as well) on the back for this reason too.... Entry requirements didn't catch him and i suspect that there will be a growth in students with dubious motivations (and possibly skills) taking the courses if they bring it to the mainstream.

What is safer then Rebreathers or whatever the other option is called?

I don't understand this question

R..

 

[Starboard Tack]

Heh, Starboard, nothing you have said, other than dir is not for beginners has particually bothered me. I assumed the dir divers are arrogant etc etc was tongue in cheek.
All the GUE instructors/instructor candidates i've met have not appeared arrogant, are also members of other agencies and have nothing bad to say about them, or any other divers, they seem happy to live in their own niche.

___________

I hate the "last dive". It's the worst diving material i've ever come across, well nearly anyways. People doing very deep dives on air just because they can't afford to do the dives properly, didn't really appeal to me.

10-4. I'm going to have to be more careful about how I word things in here. Thanks for coming back on this.

 

[Starboard Tack]

DIR has nothing to do with anything relevant to this thread. Starboard Tack might have brought up any agency "philosophy" to use as his ruse for debate. This is about going deep. No one should go deeper than he is trained to do, and no one should ever suggest to another diver to try it - especially coming from an "instructor". Even students who wish to train for dives >130', or want to do the Andrea Doria, MUST never be pushed or encouraged. All incentive MUST come from the diver/student himself.

There is a debate resurfacing in the cave diver community whether it is ethical to advertize for new students and to even offer cave diver training for pay... think about it...

:shakehead You know. I'm just going to let it go.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I think some people have taken the one to far. I did not see a question about going technical or diving 180 or better. $15,000 or more. Ya right.
Some added equipment yes but not that much more then you all ready have if you have your own dive gear.. More dives and training [yes]. I dive 100'+ on half of my dives. But I like the reefs and dives around here at 60 to 85 just as much. Plus you get longer dives.
I like the answer [ to see something that happens to be deep.] That would be the answer I would have given.

Please read posts in context. My quote of $15-$20K was in reference to the book The Last Dive. The Chris and Chrissy Rouse were doing dives in the 200-230 foot range. That was the context for my response. Ain't no way anyone in there right mine is going to be able to prepare themselves for diving that deep, including equipment, training and experience, for anything less than that, and it would most likely be even more.

 

[Nemrod]

How much does a wheel chair cost?

I am not being funny about that, despite my having gone very deep I am absolutely certain that if I were to do such things again I would die. I don't get all "bent" out of shape over 150 or 160 feet but when you start talking about 200 plus feet and no recompression chamber on hand? Well, it can be done but there are risks and one should not undertake such things without an understanding of exactly what those risks are. The OP does not understand yet those risks. When he does he can decide for himself if it is worth it or not. That time is not now and I think he knows that.

Toyota hung in there for the Daytona 500. Exciting finish! Go Toyota.


Quote:
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"They don't have an OW course but they have a popular course called DIR-F (the F is for fundamentals) that is more mainstream for divers who think "diving is fun" is for sissies who don't take their diving seriously enough"
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That is funny.

N

 

[Thrillhouse]

Awesome responses! A lot of the stories you guys have posted are exactly what I've been looking for. I'm amazed someone ever made it down to 1044ft in one piece, and I'll definately check out that book on diving the Andrea Doria.

As for my intentions, I'll be sticking around the recommended 60ft for a good time. I've logged 8 dives and am only interested in deep diving insofar as someone who has just gone skydiving wants to read exciting stories about BASE jumping or a beginner rock-climber wants to read stories about K2 and Everest. That being said, I think it's incredible... The fact it can be extremely dangerous and complicated is what makes it gripping to read about!

Still, I'm 100% aware of my abilities and experience (or lack there of), and am perfectly happy taking things slow and easy as I get more into this awesome sport.


EDIT:

Also, I think I can put his fantasy in context a bit for you. (now I'm speculating so I hope that Thrill-guy checks in again). One of the most common training locations for new divers in Vancouver is a place called Whytecliff park. On one side of the bay there's a spot (very likely what he's seeing) where the bottom slopes off sharply to about 45 meters (+/- 150ft) and then drops off to 119 (+/- 390ft) before leveling out at something like 200 meters (650+). When you're swimming along that part, even if it's at 50ft you just can't avoid wondering what's down there, having some fantasies about just taking the plung and thinking (especially as a beginner with buoyancy issues) about what would happen if you started slipping in. Moreover, it's quite possible that he's seen some technical divers in the same location and that's only going to increase his "wow" feeling.

You nailed it. Our first dives out of OW were at Whytecliff, the second of which was along the upper regions of the cut. It was right around sunset so everything was getting dim, and it was truely haunting to look down into the murk, knowing it drops off into an obscenely deep chasam. This really got my imagination going.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I love diving the cut at Whytecliff ... not sure I'd want to do that surface swim in doubles and deco bottles though. Never been below 110 or so on a singles rig ... and at that depth the cloud sponges are just starting to get interesting.

Did a really interesting dive this morning ... an old WWII bomber that's sitting at about 150 feet off of Sand Point, Lake Washington. Dropped a shot line down where the depth sounder showed the wreck, and descended down the line. Tied a reel off and started circling outward to find the plane ... we knew we were close. Turns out we were less than 20 feet from the wing-tip ... but the plane's so damn big we circled under the wing three times before we swam up to the landing gear ... that's one LARGE airplane (it's a PB4Y bomber). Impressive looking ... pretty much still intact.

Neat dive ... 27 minutes on the bottom using 21/35 trimix ... 35 minutes on the ascent, decoing on EAN50. That was definitely worth $60 worth of breathing gas to go see ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[FishTaco]

DIR has nothing to do with anything relevant to this thread. Starboard Tack might have brought up any agency "philosophy" to use as his ruse for debate.it...

Ruse for debate?

Starboard Tack said he is not DIR; why would he bring up a "ruse for debate"?
Starboard Tack never suggested a diver "go deeper" than trained. Be mindful of your implications.
Sounds like he's just trying to give the OP "good faith advice", give him break already.
Dive safe,

Chris

 

[Diver0001]

I'm amazed someone ever made it down to 1044ft in one piece,

They don't.

Diving to those depths is very hard on your body. I met Mark Ellyatt after his 300-odd meter dive and he's been coughing continuously for the last couple of years.... Nuno Gomez becomes deaf after his deep dives it takes weeks for his hearing to come back again. Pascal Burnabe blew and ear out on his last dive and could easly have bought it. In fact, almost every attempt to dive to those depths has left the diver with some kind of injury. Mark was also saying that in the majority of cases some kind of DCS occurs after the dive with an onset of a few hours so even if you're hearing that a dive was successful, you're not hearing the whole story.

Actually, now that I'm writing this it reminds me that Mark wrote a book about his experiences called "Ocean Gladiator". It's an easy read and it will definitely cure you of any fantasy you might have about how "cool" deep diving is. He makes it sound like a dangerous addiction and it's pretty clear that most deep divers either stop while they're ahead or end up drooling on their shirts for the rest of their lives.

R..