DM or Master Diver????

[TheRedHead]

I'm all for technical training, there is a lot to be learned there. But. some people just want to dive warm blue water and are happy with that. Is there not avenue for them?

I was just trying to point out that tech training can be another form of continuing education past Rescue for those not interested in working with students. I think that all the posts on the failure of the scuba educational system has made everyone defensive.

 

[HowardE]

I was just trying to point out that tech training can be another form of continuing education past Rescue for those not interested in working with students. I think that all the posts on the failure of the scuba educational system has made everyone defensive.

Or someone like me - who isn't into structured education in general. I don't have a college degree even.

That could explain my negative attitude toward some of the "silly specialties" IMO.

 

[TheRedHead]

I woudn't say that deco or non-rec deep (a.k.a < 130 feet) is dangerous at all. (To a point). Safe dives can be made far beyond those depths. Rec divers push the mythical 130' limit reguarly without inciendent.

If you want to discuss pushing limits in the context of fun, which is a point that Catherine rightly made, I don't think diving 170 on air is fun. So if I want to have a fun dive on a wreck like the Hydro Atlantic, I need helium. At this time, helium diving requires a card from a technical agency. That's another thing to consider in which path you chose.

 

[Thalassamania]

I woudn't say that deco or non-rec deep (a.k.a > 130 feet) is dangerous at all. (To a point). Safe dives can be made far beyond those depths. Rec divers push the mythical 130' limit reguarly without inciendent.

Safe means without risk, ignoring the semantic problem for the moment that there is nothing that is without some kind of risk, any time a diver is faced with an inability to ascend directly to the surface (be that a physical or physiological ceiling) they are significantly increased risk and not “safe.”

I find the separation of the tek world from the rec world to be a bit strange. All the tek divers I know dive for recreation which makes tek diving a sub-category of rec diving.

IMHO there is no such thing as a ceiling in the rec world. Absolutly you need advanced training to dive with a ceiling. The "rec cavern" plays with this a little but, yea, if you can't suface, you need to know more. A lot more.

Here we agree, one section of recreational diving that belongs to tek is anytime there is any kind of ceiling.

 

[Walter]

If you want to discuss pushing limits in the context of fun, which is a point that Catherine rightly made, I don't think diving 170 on air is fun. So if I want to have a fun dive on a wreck like the Hydro Atlantic, I need helium. At this time, helium diving requires a card from a technical agency. That's another thing to consider in which path you chose.

Narcosis can be fun.

 

[TheRedHead]

Narcosis can be fun.

Yes, I have some fun narcs and have received a good flaming on scubaboard when I wrote about the dives.

The 170 foot air dive was different. It wasn't exactly a dark narc, but it wasn't fun either. My face was tingling and I can't remember segments of the BT part of the dive. My buddy said he felt like he had electric current in his eyeballs and did a couple of uncharacterisc things. I remember large turtles and I'm glad they didn't talk to me.