Great white off of Ship Rock, Catalina Island

[drbill]

Brachiopods (lampshells) are pretty common below about 170 ft, Phil. In fact, it was their presence that really triggered my interest in diving deep. I walked into Scuba Luv one day and saw a bunch of brachs on the counter. I asked Bob Kennedy where they were found and he said at 250 ft while he was on a rebreather dive.

On soft bottoms I see them either lying on the substrate, or partially buried in it. If the substrate is a bit harder (more consolidated), they probably just rest on the bottom since they are filter feeders using a lophophore but lack the siphons that allow bivalves to burrow into the sand and extend their feeding apparatus above it.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Scuba Phil,

Thanks for sharing your deep dive... I am just amazed, and admire you and your team as you show us an unbelievalbe new world... You literally look like you are on another planet, it doesn't look like Earth...

Anything that can go wrong down there, it's not just a quick fin kick up, you have commited yourself to DECO...

What type of mix gases do you use down at that depth? I see the rebreather but also saw some doubles on OC...

Can divers on OC, go down with just air, down to those depths and complete a DECO? Why would that be dangerous to a diver? How does the mix gases help?

If you have time, I would appreciate any feedback...

Thanks,

MG

 

[fnfalman]

Scuba Phil,

Thanks for sharing your deep dive... I am just amazed, and admire you and your team as you show us an unbelievalbe new world... You literally look like you are on another planet, it doesn't look like Earth...

Anything that can go wrong down there, it's not just a quick fin kick up, you have commited yourself to DECO...

What type of mix gases do you use down at that depth? I see the rebreather but also saw some doubles on OC...

Can divers on OC, go down with just air, down to those depths and complete a DECO? Why would that be dangerous to a diver? How does the mix gases help?

If you have time, I would appreciate any feedback...

Thanks,

MG

If you carry enough tanks, then anything is possible.

I'm fairly certain that those on OC probably dived on TRIMIX and I "think" I saw some parts of video when they were signaling for 50% O2 and 100% O2 gas switching.

When you switch to higher percentage Nitrox mix or 100% O2, you cut down considerably on deco time. Of course you're limited by very shallow depth. 100% O2 is probably done at less than 20-ft depth.

 

[SCUBA_Phil]

MG,
Our OC buddy was using 15/55 trimix (15% O2 & 55% HE). For deco he brought 3 other mixes 35/25, 50% (O2) and 100% O2.

I use 12/55 for my dil. This mix is good from 0 to 270' For bailout, each of us carry 15/55 (80 cuft) and either 50% or 100%. I had 50% on this dive. If a CCR diver needs to bailout, he will need one more mix to make it to the surface. My buddy had 100%. If he bails he would need my 50%.

OC cost of dive was $160, CCR cost was $10 (but the RB cost $10K) At the rate I'm diving, the CCR will pay off after 3.5 years (I have had it 2.5 years - 1 more to go)

 

[Empty V]

When you switch to higher percentage Nitrox mix or 100% O2, you cut down considerably on deco time. Of course you're limited by very shallow depth. 100% O2 is probably done at less than 20-ft depth.

Obviously there is a limit to the amount of tanks you can carry and task loading that is appropriate at any depth. Thats why people hand stage bottles and tons of prep for these types of dives. Just because they're using o2 to deco does not dictate what their back gas is. You can use o2 to deco off of air, it doesn't really matter.

Kudos to you Phil, I'm hoping that in the next 5 years I'll be on some type of CCR.

Billy

 

[likelite]

Loving hanging out on a forum where I can say I'd love to see a GW outside the cage and not have people think I'm really crazy.

Went to Guadalupe in 2007 and am saving pennies till I can go back. Would definitely second the info in the article linked that says how visual they are...it was really striking. I have a photo of one looking directly at me. I really should upload it.

I always really like the Jacques Cousteau book on them....he also reiterates the idea that they're intelligent...