Going Deep

[webjr]

With a few rare exceptions , shallow dives are generaly better dives .
Longer NDLs.
Tanks last longer.
And one of the reasons allot of us got into diving in the first place ... color .

At 100ft you've got a max bottom time of 20 min and all those pretty fish are all the same color .

At 30ft , you can easily make a 90 min dive with all the vibrant colors of the reef and it's inhabitants . There are a few things you'll never see in 30ft of water , like a whale shark for one . But , you could spend your whole life in deep water and never see one either . I've found the best diving is generaly in < 50ft . There are a few rare exceptions . If there's something in particular at that location , like a wreck or unique formation , then deeper dives can be fun too .

 

[opiniongirl]

I think it's personal choice - I'd rather spend less time on a deep dive than an hour shallower..after about 30 minutes here I start freezing my butt off anyway...

Plus, the deep has it's own allure - of exploration, solace, mystery....

 

[Seadeuce]

Hey Goofystan,

You are doing what any sane diver would do at the beginning of his diving life - you are experimenting with the different types of diving available to you, under controlled conditions (Instr./RD accompanied) and increasing your experience level.

As you do you are finding out what works for you. It is the best way of obtaining in-water experience.

Don't get too dependent on qualified buddies though, get a Rescue Diver course done next year. With self-rescue in your mind you will always have the option to opt-out if a situation develops. If a buddy fails to deliver, then it's nice to have a practised alternative.

In the meantime, IMO, you are doing nothing wrong in your diving.

BTW it's no wonder you liked the Sea Tiger! The Ala Moana Pipeline is one boring dive.

Stay Wet


Seadeuce

 

[Diver0001]

When I first started diving I didn't feel like I was under water until I got to 70ft so I can sort of relate to what the original poster is saying. I didn't start making a lot of "shallow" dives until I moved to Holland but I've really been enjoying the long slow bimbles around in the only "nature" the Dutch have left. There's something really relaxing about slowing it down and taking time for the details.

R..

 

[SteveDiver]

Hey Goofystan,

You are doing what any sane diver would do at the beginning of his diving life - you are experimenting with the different types of diving available to you, under controlled conditions (Instr./RD accompanied) and increasing your experience level.

As you do you are finding out what works for you. It is the best way of obtaining in-water experience.

Don't get too dependent on qualified buddies though, get a Rescue Diver course done next year. With self-rescue in your mind you will always have the option to opt-out if a situation develops. If a buddy fails to deliver, then it's nice to have a practised alternative.

In the meantime, IMO, you are doing nothing wrong in your diving.

BTW it's no wonder you liked the Sea Tiger! The Ala Moana Pipeline is one boring dive.

Stay Wet


Seadeuce

Thanks..Some of the remarks I received on here were making me question myself or they had an underlying assumption of dependancy and careless diving like just getting a c-card etc. If I wanted to just get the c-card I could have, it would have been much cheaper! I already purchased ALL of my equipment and plan on taking a rescue course (as you suggested) this summer. I am learning to filter out some comments on this board. It appears that some posters are trying to "split hairs" instead of being polite. They like to make assumptions without asking for clarification. It would be scary to dive with someone whom assumes.

 

[String]

With a few rare exceptions , shallow dives are generaly better dives .

That depends hugely on where you are in the world and what local conditions are like. Very shallow (30ft or so) dives here resemble being shut in a spinning washing machine with swell, surge, kelp, sediment and not a lot else for example. Calmer conditions and often better vis are found deeper. If wrecks are your thing, most better condition wrecks are located in deeper water so less battered by storms.

Longer NDLs.

True but NDLs arent the be all and end all of everything. Deco wont kill you. Its nothing to be scared of.

Tanks last longer.[/quote

True but most of us here have times limited more by cold or other factors than air.

And one of the reasons allot of us got into diving in the first place ... COLOUR .

Colour is all very well but if the vis is 6" its not an issue. Mainly here everything is green or brown at about 5ft or deeper.

At 100ft you've got a max bottom time of 20 min and all those pretty fish are all the same color .

But you could have better vis, 35 mins bottom time if prepared to do only a small number of stops, see some great life (take a torch) AND see lots of pretty fish which you dont see in the churned up shallows.

If there's something in particular at that location , like a wreck or unique formation , then deeper dives can be fun too .

I prefer more intact wrecks and hate fighting surge. Therefore i tend to dislike most dives shallower than 35-40ft or so for the above reasons.

There ARE compelling reasons to go deep and in some areas its a far more enjoyable dive than a shallow splash.

 

[Snowbear]

...Some of the remarks I received on here were making me question myself.....

Maybe that was the intent?

My remarks were from experience. Your words in your first and subsequent posts were mine at less than 50 dives. Except for always diving with an instructor or more experienced diver. I didn't do that.

I stand by this one (also from experience): You don't know what you don't know.

 

[Saipanman]

They like to make assumptions without asking for clarification. It would be scary to dive with someone whom assumes.

Welcome to the world of SCUBA! By the way, as a part time dive professional who "mama ducks" tourists almost every weekend, I can tell you that most of us do make snap judgments about you and your abilities from the moment you walk in the shop.

Mostly, we're proved correct when we see how people gear up on shore/on the boat.

 

[miketsp]

Many beginners prefer deeper diving initially because buoyancy control is less of an issue. If you go up or down a couple of meters while diving a wreck at 35m, your buoyancy hardly changes. If you do the same thing at 10m you have to adjust immediately.
I know some divers with hundreds of dives that can pull their way down a shot line, swim around a deep wreck and then go back up the shot, holding on tight to do their deco stops at the right depth. But put them into a shallow dive or without a shot line to hang onto during deco and they're all over the place.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Most of my dives have been deep dives with a few otherwise. I like deep dives and everything not deep has been less appealing. Is this common? I guess I like the thrill/challenge of going deep. Who knows but I need to work it out because I prejudge a dive by the depth. Crazy huh? Do others feel this way also?

Felt this way for a while once I'd started diving, then I started doing different types of diving in different areas and realised that there's a lot of different things underwater that I'm interested in. I have to admit though that I do particularly enjoy the oppurtunity to dive deeper as mostly my diving is shallower than 25m due to local conditions.