Diving to 130 ft ?

[AbyssalPlains]

This is the description of the dive, it' my understanding the normal dive is to drop to 90, enter the cavern, exit at 130.

Personally, I would not be concerned so much about the depth, but it sounds from the description (I am not familiar with the site) as if you have to dive through a tunnel from 90 to 130 feet. Depending on how long that tunnel is, it sounds like an overhead environment and that alone would keep me from doing this dive UNLESS I was properly equipped (two redundant air sources with plenty of gas - and by that I DO NOT mean octopus or spare air -), deep diving training and being very, very comfortable in general.

 

[Splash-X]

I presume you will be on an AL 80. Can't stay down at 130 very long if on an AL 80.

Tough call there, you can easily run out of NDL time around about the same time you run out of PSI. A dive that deep with their experience level should definatly be done with at least a pony bottle to share between the two just in case.

As you stated in your first post, you have been to 100ft and not even been able to detect any effects from narcosis at all so it's not likely that 130 ft. will be greatly different for you.

Maybe on some of the earlier dives in the week you'll be able to drop down to around 110 to 115 ft and see how you feel with that and decide from there.

Narcosis strikes every diver differently every day. No two dives are the same. One day you may get Narced at 90ft and another day it may be 115. I agree with slowly working your day down like you have suggested, try 115, 120.

I strongly disagree with you stating that the 30ft is not likely have any effect. We're talking about almost another atmosphere of pressure.

Just because you dive to 110ft the first day and have no symptoms doesnt meant the next day you wont get narced at 105ft, keep that in mind. Every diving day is different.



Now, to give my opinion to the OP, to decide if you are ready to dive to that depth is a personal question. Without seeing you in the water and gauge your experience we can't answer that for you. If you've been trained for deep diving and understand the risks associated with these deep dives (not just narcosis but an increase in air consumption, etc) and have plans in place to tackle them if they occure (such as a pony bottle for OOA) then there is no reason you could not attempt it.

If you get down to 100ft and the last 30ft is making either of you nervous, abort the dive. We learn through experience and you'll never get the experience if you don't try but don't try it until you have the training and you're comfortable.

 

[scubadada]

OP stated they would be diving with Aldora Divers. They will be using HP steel 120s rather than AL 80s. Primairy air supply should not be a problem. In addition, they are likely to have been observed for skill level on prior dives and are likely to have a quality DM.

 

[StreetDoctor]

I wouldn't ever trust my life to a dive master. No offense to any but that isn't there job. At an average of 6.5 dives a year I can't see how they could have the skill level to complete a dive like this if something went wrong. Let alone even be able to do proper gas management planning. No offense, I just don't think it's enough time in the water.

 

[Scared Silly]

Why does this not suprise me. Anytime anyone even slightly downplays narcosis people go nuts.

Here again I disagree with your statement. I do not mind people down playing narcosis if they give an educated answer. IMHO your response was specious. However, if there had been a few qualifiers with your response then it might not have rated so high on my BS meter. For instance, as another post suggested do a dive in open water with the DM and see how you do before doing the dive in question.

 

[BDSC]

As you stated in your first post, you have been to 100ft and not even been able to detect any effects from narcosis at all so it's not likely that 130 ft. will be greatly different for you.

Maybe on some of the earlier dives in the week you'll be able to drop down to around 110 to 115 ft and see how you feel with that and decide from there.

Here again I disagree with your statement. I do not mind people down playing narcosis if they give an educated answer. IMHO your response was specious. However, if there had been a few qualifiers with your response then it might not have rated so high on my BS meter. For instance, as another post suggested do a dive in open water with the DM and see how you do before doing the dive in question.

You mean like my statement above where I say to go to 110 to 115 earlier in the week to see how he does with that?

 

[Bonairetrip]

I have done both Punta Sur and Blue Hole (years ago in both instances). They are pretty different but each is interesting and worthwhile (IMHO).

To the OP: Punta Sur is an advanced dive and Aldora is a good op. FWIW, I barely notice any narcosis (in warm water) at 100 FSW. By 140 FSW, I am pretty narced. By 165 FSW... But that is under ideal conditions. Add current, anxeity, fighting with gear, colder water, reduced viz or who knows what and I can start to be pretty narced much more shallow.

If you do this, follow the advice of others about going deeper earlier in the week, do solid gas planning, etc.

You didn't ask my opinion but here it goes: While Punta Sur is a signature dive, it is also the real deal. Current, depth and a confined space. It seems unlikely to me that any diver with less than 50 dives (especially when spread out over that long) is truly ready for that dive.

Blue Hole
On the Blue Hole dive, the second dive we did was Half Moon Caye. That was an epic dive and is easily my favorite site. Start at a shallow reef. Go through a cut in the coral at about 30 FSW and boom, a wall that drops thousands of feet. Hammerhead shark. If I could, I would trade the blue hole dive for another 10 minutes at half moon.

But I did enjoy the Blue Hole. Do the dive as you are comfortable. It was an interesting dive (especially on the old Reef Roamer II...) and the geology aspect was interesting. If I recall correctly, the "cave" starts to open at about 110 FSW.

 

[beester]

If you only dive on holiday, in tropical waters, benign conditions and on avg less than 20 dives a year I wouldn't do this dive.

I'm sorry to say this but IMHO having done 45 dives, specially if you only dive once a year a couple of dives in tropical conditions, means you are still a beginner.

With 45 dives you could be ready for these kind of dives if you did the following:
1) Done those 45 dives in a relative short period of time (max 1 year, better 6 months or less)
2) Done those 45 dives in changing and more 'advanced' circumstances (ie local dives, involving current, bad vis, cold)
3) Own most of your own diving equipment and build a bit of routine in using it (ie always don and doff in the same order, know how everything works)
4) Have the theoretical background and understanding the added dificulties involved in deeper dives (as stated already stress, gasplanning, narcosis, co2load, oxygen toxicity, etc)
5) Have already done some deepish dives in local circumstances involving dive planning for that depth
6) If you do this dive with an experienced divebuddy that you trust and can rely on.

Diving is a hobby, sport that rewards practise, routine, thinking (planning) and also repetition. Watching experienced divers and asking them why they do things a certain way, steal with your eyes when they setup their equipment, watch how they plan, etc etc...

If you only do 6 dives a year what you are basically doing is resetting your dive-learning-timer every year. You'll relearn alot of things in those 6-7 dives but because you do not follow up locally you'll have to relearn parts of it again next year. This means slow progress... and means that IMHO those 45 dives are not the same as if you'd done them in one shot in a short period.

So enjoy your holiday, enjoy your dives, learn what you can, and maybe try to follow up at home.

 

[halocline]

Narcosis is my only concern in all this.

I would be more concerned about other divers in the swim through. You're talking about an environment that's really only appropriate for technical (or unusually advanced recreational) divers, most of whom would not prefer to do the dive with AL80s, and especially with unknown divers.

I did Punta Sur way before I should have. I was okay, but all it takes is one person in the cluster-******* ahead of you in the swim through to really foul things up. As it was in my case, I couldn't see much of anything except the fins flailing away in front of me.

I think Aldora has some larger tanks, and hopefully you'll go through with a good group. I wouldn't count on it, though.

OTOH, several groups of severely under-prepared divers go through Devil's throat every day of the year and they don't seem to be dying regularly. I just don't think it's a pleasant experience. I'd dive Colombia deep or deeper parts of Palancar 20 times before spending another dive at Devil's throat.

 

[Scared Silly]

You mean like my statement above where I say to go to 110 to 115 earlier in the week to see how he does with that?

Your right - sorry not sure how I missed that.