Diving past 130' on air with a single 80?

[IliveUnderH2O]

I currently live in Guam and I am a MSDT. I work for a local dive shop. I do not know of any of our instructors who would do this dive, or for that matter let someone else do this dive with them. It just doesn't make sense. just my 2 cents

 

[spacemanspiff1974]

People keep posting greater depths. The original poster said one hundred thirty, not one hundred eighty.

You could dive to either depth on a single Al 80. However I have only been 110'.

The real question that needs to be asked is "why?"

I suppose if there was something really worth seeing that deep and you want a really short dive, then 130 or 180 would be possible, but you could only stay down that deep for a very short time before heading back to much higher ground.

If there was really something worthwile to go down so deep, I would think that you would want to stay a little longer, which would necessitate more air for a deco stop.

Just my two cents.

 

[PaulChristenson]

Can anyone give me their opinions on diving greater than 130' on air with a single 80 tank? Since the begining of my training I was taught that going past 100 with air on a single 80 is unsafe. I'm new to the Diving world and certified up to PADI Wreck diver. The Tec world sounds like something I'd like to dive into the near future (I've Been doing alot reasearch).

I'm asking this because I recently visited Guam and inquired about Wreck, Tec, and Cave diving because I may end up moving there in the near future. In one of my conversations at a Guam LDS, I was told about a cave dive that started in a wall down at 180', so I said "WOW! That's advanced Trimix levels with Doubles!?!? Right?" The answer I got was laughter in the entire room LOL (I'm laughing with them). I felt pretty stupid and ignorant, and I tried to understand why they thought this was humerous. Some explained that Trimix was unnessecary and it would be impossible to fit the enterance with doubles, and Narcosis wouldn't be that bad. I have personnaly experienced narcosis, and I can say that my reaction/processing times are noticeably reduced.

Then there's the machismo saying that I've heard "You haven't dived yet till you've been down to 200'!". I have talked to some that have been to 200', and they do it just for braggin rights and have done it more than once, to share the experience with others. The explanations I've heard are trust your eyes and focus on something to keep your wits, and as long as you follow the Deco instructions on your computer, you'll be fine.

So far I haven't found any threads about this subject. So... Am I missinformed and overly cautious about this? or reasonable? :06:

Thanks in advance!!!

Well I see 130...100...180...200...in this post...

 

[Rick Inman]

People keep posting greater depths. The original poster said one hundred thirty, not one hundred eighty.

Well....

In one of my conversations at a Guam LDS, I was told about a cave dive that started in a wall down at 180', so I said "WOW! That's advanced Trimix levels with Doubles!?!? Right?" The answer I got was laughter in the entire room LOL (I'm laughing with them).

 

[Allison Finch]

Been there, done that......Actually, in PNG there is a dive called Jerry Garcia (because of all the beautiful color). We do a "bounce dive" to 180, then ascend to the top on the reef where we spend the rest of our time. Why? There is an emmense giant grouper who lives there that we quickly visit. Only problem is, you pay for it for days. While other divers are taking long dives, ours will be cut a lot shorter due to that one dive.

 

[Whale Whisperer]

Wow! i didn't expect so many responses in this short of time! I just walked out to get some lunch and talk to some divers and when I get back I get all this help, Thanks everyone!

I talked to some more locals here and I don't know if they were pulling my leg about performing a cave penetraton @ 180' with a single (It would seem crazy with my limited wreck diver experience). It does seem like a common thing here to dive in excess of 130' and even to 300' on air (I'm assuming with doubles).

I just wanted a take on what some of you thought, because what I'm receiving was going against my training, research, and judgement as a new diver.

Thanks again

 

[bergersau]

Take twins or a sling tank if you're heading below 100'.

Nuf said.

 

[DepthCharge]

Wow! i didn't expect so many responses in this short of time! I just walked out to get some lunch and talk to some divers and when I get back I get all this help, Thanks everyone!

I talked to some more locals here and I don't know if they were pulling my leg about performing a cave penetraton @ 180' with a single (It would seem crazy with my limited wreck diver experience). It does seem like a common thing here to dive in excess of 130' and even to 300' on air (I'm assuming with doubles).

I just wanted a take on what some of you thought, because what I'm receiving was going against my training, research, and judgement as a new diver.

Thanks again

Quite frankly you're nuts if you want to dive below 100 ft on air. I dive mix on all my dives now (diving a RB). Even when I was diving OC, I added 30% He minimum if I was going to 100 or more, below 100 it was always Nitrox. If the dive was greater than 180, I would up it to 40%, more if it was cold, dark, currents etc. As said eariler, EVERYONE is narc'd @ 100 ft, EVERYONE.(on air that is)

 

[TxHockeyGuy]

300' on air? That's just shy of 2.2 po2 nevermind the narcosis. I'm by no means an experienced diver, but that's insane. Maybe that was just a typo and you meant 200' (~1.48 po2). I still don't think there's anything down there worth seeing that I would risk that depth on air, much less a single al80.

 

[MikeC]

When I was much younger and dumber I went to 133' with a single AL 80 while in Honduras. That was 11 years ago and I quickly realized how foolish it was. Today, no bleeping way. To do that dive without redundant gas is stupid.

HockeyGuy, maybe 10-12 years back there was an article published about some instructors who did a 400' or so deep air dive. If I search back, I might be able to find the on-line reproduction of that article. Diving to 400' on air isn't the smartest thing to do.