Doc Deep dies during dive.

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stcroixscuba

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St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
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I'm a Fish!


A ScubaBoard Staff Message...


Split from another thread. Dr. Guy Garman died during his deep record attempt. This thread has been split into the Accidents forum in order to allow for stricter moderation



Scubaboard friends I'm saddened to say that today's attempt at a world record deep dive ended in tragedy. Dr. Guy Garman, known to those of us on his dive team here as Doc Deep entered the water exactly on time at 6am this morning for what was scheduled to be a ten hour and twenty five total run time deep dive to 1,200'. The first deep support divers were to meet up with him at 360', 38 minutes after he descended. He never arrived at that first stop. Divers stayed as long as possible and more deep support divers went in to help with a deep vigil hoping that something had just seriously delayed him. He was attached to a 1,300' descent line so surfacing elsewhere wasn't an option. Plans are being made to obtain the equipment required to lift the descent line and hopefully retrieve his body sometime next week. To say that we're all very saddened is an understatement. Regardless of whether you agreed with his record goal or not, he was more knowledgeable about diving, and specifically deep and technical diving, than almost anyone else on the planet. His wife and son were on the boats during the dive this morning and respect for their privacy and that of his other son and daughter will be appreciated.
 
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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...


Split from another thread. Dr. Guy Garman died during his deep record attempt. This thread has been split into the Accidents forum in order to allow for stricter moderation



Regardless of whether you agreed with his record goal or not, he was more knowledgeable about diving, and specifically deep and technical diving, than almost anyone else on the planet. .

Yes, it is very sad!
But, I don't agree with your assessment. Only 4 years of tech diving and his previous record......Please don't misunderstand me. The only reason why I am objecting to this is because I don't want other divers to use this as a measuring stick.
 
The link below includes a recent video interview with Guy Garmin and it shows the equipment he used for a 550 dive to help prepare for the record attempt. He also talks about the support services being planned. What a sad loss, his son was also interviewed, my condolences for his friends and family.

Dr. Guy Garman, Attempting Scuba Dive World Record, Drowns At Salt River -
 
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It's my estimation that this was nothing but a suicide. He was killed by his own lust to be the best, the deepest...

Far from the deepest dive and best at what? Grabbing a tag off a line in a marginally functional state? Divers have been deeper and actually accomplished something useful — like 534 meters/1,752' in 1988. "Technical" diving anywhere near these depths is as pointless as seeing who can escape the earth's atmosphere wearing yoga pants.
 
No amount of experience can overcome physiology. Fast descent rates on dives to saturation depths were tested and proven unsafe years ago by guys like Akimbo.
 
Far from the deepest dive and best at what?
I have a good friend who earned the 'Four digit midget' nick while he was in the NEDU. Won't disclose how far below a grand he went because I don't think he's allowed to. In fact, his nick came out by accident when I overheard a colleague call him that at DEMA one year. The difference between the two? Science vs show boating. It's just that simple.
 
... The difference between the two? Science vs show boating. It's just that simple.

You forgot the ability to safely manage any anticipatable accident that can happen. That is the difference between responsible and foolish.

... Interested to know what you define as fast?...

I can't speak for DDM but this gives you a ballpark idea of what the Navy uses for Saturation Diving descent rates. Many companies actually use slower rates. All my sat dives descended at 1'/minute to the saturation holding depth. Nobody paid any attention to descent rates from saturation holding and max excursion depth.

Table 15-6. Saturation Diving Compression Rates, US Navy Diving Manual, Revision 6
full.jpg


Hannes Keller used Trimix to help "manage" HPNS symptoms and reduce cost on his 1000' record setting dive in 1960. He was using "secret" tables he and Dr. Albert A. Bühlmann developed. The diver with him died along with a safety diver.

... Did Ahmed Gabr die?

No, but what did he accomplish or contribute to mankind? Making a dive in Scuba isn't physiologically different than on the end of a hose, which has been done for half a century.
 
No amount of experience can overcome physiology. Fast descent rates on dives to saturation depths were tested and proven unsafe years ago by guys like Akimbo.

Very flattering, but that was figured out by the pioneers that preceded me. My first sat was in 1971.
 
Interested to know what you define as fast?

If you look at the video from one of his workup dives he says he's going to 550 fsw in "hopefully less than 5 minutes". I don't know what his descent rate to 1200 fsw was but use the rate from his workup dive as a baseline and compare it to the descent rates that Akimbo posted from the Navy Diving Manual for saturation diving.

Best regards,
DDM

<2/16/23 edit: the video is no longer available on YouTube so removed the link.>
 
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