Blackwood
Contributor
Weird, I use the same buoyancy control for both doubles and singles. It's more economical that way, especially since I was born with them [my lungs] :mooner:
Going Deeper than 130'
- Thread starter buckaltc
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Weird, I use the same buoyancy control for both doubles and singles. It's more economical that way, especially since I was born with them [my lungs] :mooner:
If you were the sort of person who used ONLY their lungs I'd give you that. But like buckaltc, I'm guessing you use a combination of your lungs AND another BC. :tongue2:
skyguy94
Registered
It seems like talking to a technical diver in person could be quite helpful. If you are in, or around Ann Arbor, come in and talk to Rich at Divers Inc. Rich does technical diving in the great lakes, and I think he'd be a great resource.
OP
Thanks skyguy--I live in Westland so it's not far. I might give a call. Can anyone recommend some good books on the topic for winter reading? I'm pretty convinced that I am going to take the PADI intro to tec course (because it looks like I can do it with my current rig) and then find a more advanced course later. Maybe I do my drysuit class in the spring and get that out of the way so I can rent a few and see what I like next season. That way I can get a good grip on what I need to buy.
If you want to go tech, then you need to get out of the PADI mindset. PADI is not going to teach you anything about technical diving, they are just going to take your money and have you read some books.
For Great Lakes dives to 160 feet you are really going to need to deco and trimix certifications. That means getting comfortable in doubles and dry suits. I would work on getting yourself some instructions diving with doubles, and get a dry suit if you don't already.
Once you are comfortable in doubles and dry suits, then think about technical instruction. If you don't want to go the way of GUE, look into other agencies besides PAID, er, I mean, PADI.
Oh, yeah, and there is no such thing as "cheap" tech diving, so get used to the fact that you are going to spend between $5,000 and $10,000 over the next few years in order to achieve your goal.
As for reading material, I'd put "Deco for Divers", by Mark Powell, at the top of your list.
Lots of good advice here. If I was going to throw in a couple of bits:
- Even if you don't want to go tec, I'd take a course. At least you will know what you don't know.
- I won't get preachy; I used to dive to 150'-160' without training, but once you have been taught about catastrophic loss of gas, you wince a bit at the memories.
- Best book for an intro? Bit dated now, but I think Gary Gentile's The Technical Diving Handbook is still an excellent read.
Garth
Contributor
Ideco will give you 6 minutes at 160ft before anything longer than a three minute stop. It says 1 min at 40 ft, then 30 ft, then 1 final minute at 20 ft. At about 4 or 5 cuft of air at that depth you should be fine for gas. Then again it would be less than a ten minute dive which IMO would not be long enough.
So that said, you best bet is to do what has already been said... Advanced nitrox deco procedures.
And get a drysuit. You'll learn that being cold can bend you and being dehydrated might too.
Have fun and please don't do a six minute dive to 160 because you can, rather take the class and enjoy what the deep has to offer. I've only started my training and have been hooked from the getgo.
So that said, you best bet is to do what has already been said... Advanced nitrox deco procedures.
And get a drysuit. You'll learn that being cold can bend you and being dehydrated might too.
Have fun and please don't do a six minute dive to 160 because you can, rather take the class and enjoy what the deep has to offer. I've only started my training and have been hooked from the getgo.
I'd recommend Jarrod Jablonski's Fundamentals of Better Diving in addition to the Powell book. Even if you aren't going to go the GUE direction, there is a lot of food for thought in the book.
I would also recommend talking to James Mott of Unified Team Diving. He's in Detroit, and he can teach an Intro to Tech class that will give you some feedback on where you are in your diving, with respect to where you need to be. (It's the UTD equivalent of GUE Fundamentals.) He gets really stellar reviews from his students, and I think there are a couple of reports of classes with him here on SB.
Since, for technical diving (which a meaningful dive to 160 pretty much IS) you're going to have to change your gear anyway, the biggest obstacle between most people and Fundies or ITT has already been managed, you may as well investigate the classes. They are an excellent way to get prepared for a tech class, no matter what agency you subsequently select. Rick Inman, here on SB, was in my Fundies class, and went on to do IANTD tech training -- but he says his instructor told him he could see that Fundies was the best thing he could have done to get ready.
I would also recommend talking to James Mott of Unified Team Diving. He's in Detroit, and he can teach an Intro to Tech class that will give you some feedback on where you are in your diving, with respect to where you need to be. (It's the UTD equivalent of GUE Fundamentals.) He gets really stellar reviews from his students, and I think there are a couple of reports of classes with him here on SB.
Since, for technical diving (which a meaningful dive to 160 pretty much IS) you're going to have to change your gear anyway, the biggest obstacle between most people and Fundies or ITT has already been managed, you may as well investigate the classes. They are an excellent way to get prepared for a tech class, no matter what agency you subsequently select. Rick Inman, here on SB, was in my Fundies class, and went on to do IANTD tech training -- but he says his instructor told him he could see that Fundies was the best thing he could have done to get ready.
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