Do not ever say you are a rescue diver

[ThatDogDontHunt]

The dive operation's insurance is indeed the primary determiner of such policies.

Can anyone involved with an operator provide some additional detail about this? What type of wording does the dive operators insurance policy include? Can sometime provide an example?

We can all agree that operators do have depth and time limits. Different operators have different rules. A LOB we have been on several times has a max depth limit of 110. Regardless of certification. Or gas mixture. They do pump Nitrox 32. Seems like the blanket 110 depth limit is just a convenient depth that allows them to lump all divers together regardless of air or Nitrox (or certification level).

Are depth rules actually imposed by insurance?

Or is setting a depth rules just good operating procedure?

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Was this a typo? You definitely can't go on an "advanced" dive without advanced certification, etc.
...

OW is 20m
AOW is 30m
Deep is 40m
Technical >40m

Nice simple round numbers

Depends on the operator. I have never been on an operation that limited OW certs to 20m or even 30m.

There are operations that set depth limits based on cert, but it is definitely not universal. And in some areas uncommon?

I have witnessed a freshly certified OW diver doing the Belize Blue Hole as their first post certification dive.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

@boulderjohn don't get me wrong here, I do agree with you, but for sake of discussion (seems to be at times very little of that here), possibly why was the this depth chosen?

I present that possibly; 40 meters rounds (for practical purposes) to 130 feet and 5ATA. Makes it pretty simple as a base to say they are equal. Now if I was to ride the NDL ((no decompression limit)(no deco limit)) to the limit of most models these values would be different and would involve some decimal values. who wants to remember that. Regardless of where in the world I am diving we can all understand that if one says the recreational dive is 40 meters, I can equate that to 130 feet, or if someone says 5ATA, I know that is the same as 40 meters or 130 feet. These us basically equal values and a little cushion on time to going into deco (decompression).

Now I don't have the power to look up someones butt and read their mind as to why, but this make sense me.


Correct, there is no law at least in the USA. The law could give a rat as to how deep you go and what certification you have


Now I know I'm from the south and I might be a little slow but in all my discussion and use of the words decompression or deco when describing a dive, mean or describe the same thing, deco is just an abbreviation the word decompression. I can't remember a time when this has confused someone.

The example I will use "I am going to be making decompression stops on this dive." "I am going to making deco stops on this dive." "my decompression limit on this dive is 20 minutes" "my deco limit on this dive is 20 minutes"

Now if I ride my deco limit from a 130 feet (leave 130 feet with less than a minute left on my computer) all the way up to my safety stop (if i decide to do one), I'm I doing a recreational dive or basically a deco dive. Why start splitting hairs?

We are not ”splitting hairs,” but rather recognizing the fact that for a decompression (“deco”) diver the surface is not immediately available to the diver. He must stop and off-gas, or else risk ”the bends.” That is the difference.

SeaRat

 

[boulderjohn]

I have witnessed a freshly certified OW diver doing the Belize Blue Hole as their first post certification dive.

This is a good example for more than one reason.

Several years ago PADI wrote an open letter about this, saying it is inappropriate for new OW divers to be going to the Blue Hole. That letter asked for something to be done, either local legislation or dive operation agreement, to stop this practice. This shows that

1. It is by no means universal to hold divers to PADI limits.
2. PADI has no power to enforce anything on its own.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Ok...... So after all of this I think here's where we are.

All dives involve decompression but we still call some of those dives no decompression dives and we call others decompression dives if decompression procedures are recommended, prescribed or otherwise advised.

And......now that I've finally come to "peace" with that.........tonight I am going to celebrate by having a completely vegan meal only it will include a nicely marbled rib-eye beef steak!

 

[Belzelbub]

And......now that I've finally come to "peace" with that.........tonight I am going to celebrate by having a completely vegan meal only it will include a nicely marbled rib-eye beef steak!

Grass-fed beef? If so, then as established by the “you are what you eat” clause, that could qualify.

 

[Beau Holden]

All dives involve decompression but we still call some of those dives no decompression dives and we call others decompression dives if decompression procedures are recommended, prescribed or otherwise advised.

Agreed.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Ok...... So after all of this I think here's where we are.

All dives involve decompression but we still call some of those dives no decompression dives and we call others decompression dives if decompression procedures are recommended, prescribed or otherwise advised.

I think people are being overly pedantic with the decompression dive thing. Sure, as soon as you start to descend your tissues absorb more nitrogen, but as long as you stay within your NDL and you ascend at a recommended rate of 30 feet per minute, you are fine if you go straight to the surface. A 3-minute safety stop is advised for additional safety, but can be skipped in the case of an emergency.

This pedantism is confusing to divers. Decompression diving should (my opinion, worth exactly what you all paid to hear it) reserved to when decompression stops are required.

Let's not overcomplicate things.

And......now that I've finally come to "peace" with that.........tonight I am going to celebrate by having a completely vegan meal only it will include a nicely marbled rib-eye beef steak!

Now I'm hungry.

 

[pauldw]

Several years ago PADI wrote an open letter about this, saying it is inappropriate for new OW divers to be going to the Blue Hole. That letter asked for something to be done, either local legislation or dive operation agreement, to stop this practice. This shows that

1. It is by no means universal to hold divers to PADI limits.
2. PADI has no power to enforce anything on its own.

Went to Tulum. Discovered that most dive shops there would offer cenote diving to anyone who showed up with money and any form of a certification card, and the shops had some semblance of gear and a perhaps sketchy divemaster. That worked for me, and I rolled the dice and went with a lower cost but not bargain basement operation. Loved the dives! And, frankly, liked the guilty pleasure of near pirate diving. However, there was one (and as far as I saw, only one) dive shop that made it clear they expected recent diving experience and so forth, and it was my impression that they weren't saying that so they could get people to pay for a refresher courses (since people could just go elsewhere and avoid that); it was my impression that they put diving safety first. If my wife had been diving, I'd have insisted we go with them. They were the exception, though, not the rule. The rule is, that money rules. Works that way here, also ("here" being the land of the free).

Grass-fed beef?

If my now vegetarian wife ever makes me change my eating habits, I'll go to grass fed beef since I'm pretty sure that's sort of vegetarian.

 

[Rob9876]

Went to Tulum. Discovered that most dive shops there would offer cenote diving to anyone who showed up with money and any form of a certification card, and the shops had some semblance of gear and a perhaps sketchy divemaster. That worked for me, and I rolled the dice and went with a lower cost but not bargain basement operation.

My understanding (folks here can correct me if I'm mistaken) is that the diving industry in general has decided to not oppose those cenote dives for certified divers as long as they stay within (or near) certain parameters, such as being guided by a full-cave certified guide, and staying somewhat near where you can see an area lit by sunlight (seemed like this was stretched a bit in Dos Ojos), etc. I think some of the deeper cenotes (like The Pit) require AOW.