GUE training and deep diving

[David Novo]

I don't think the answer at this point is to change equipment as a back inflate BC is not that big a difference from a BP/W. Maybe the depth of your diving is adding extra stress that you do not need at this point, are there sites where you can practice that are less than 25 m and closer to say 15 m. Being stressed can significantly increase you air consumption and obviously depth has a significant effect as well. Have you done a proper weight check and have you positioned the tank to get your best horizontal trim. At this point you appear as if you are not totally comfortable and adding the increased complexity of doubles is unlikely to help. Do you have any mentors that can help you.

Yes, I have done a proper weight check and that does not seem to be the issue. I am inhaling fast but have been having trouble, reducing that (despite exercising regularly), while exhaling slow. I can dive at 15m for an hour with the same tank, so the issue is really on deeper dives (which are the ones that involve less than 2 hours by car each way).

 

[grf88]

Are larger tanks available to you preferably steel ones?

 

[David Novo]

Sometimes, not always.

 

[leadduck]

Yes, I have done a proper weight check and that does not seem to be the issue. I am inhaling fast but have been having trouble, reducing that (despite exercising regularly), while exhaling slow. I can dive at 15m for an hour with the same tank, so the issue is really on deeper dives (which are the ones that involve less than 2 hours by car each way).

Do you know this book
https://www.amazon.com/Diving-Body-Emotions-Monika-Rahimi/dp/1847480713 ?
the German version is popular, how to overcome stress and anxiety for divers.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Uh, I just finished Fundies last month. We definitely covered deco theory as it pertains to minimum deco (effectively NDL diving), DCI, and other things.

Correct Ken, but I wouldn't say that DCI and NDL dive planning/ascent profile is "covering decompression theory" in the strictest sense; these are topics that are covered in every basic OW course.

Min Deco (which is really just GUE's way of saying NDL diving) - yes, DCI - yes. Ratio deco - no, not in any detail. It is clear from your posts that you have never taken a GUE course and your perception of their decompression theory is at least 10 years out of date.

Fundies is a fantastic course for all kinds of divers, especially those who are just starting out, even if they don't plan on continuing with GUE.

At OP, How many dives do you do each year? where do you see yourself in 2-3 years?

Bottom line is that air consumption improves with experience and getting more dives in. Doubles is not an answer for higher has consumption, in fact it initially adds a whole new layer of stress and difficulties.

Given your location, I think the first step is getting a drysuit. After that you need to decide where you see yourself in 2-3 years.

With AOW, you could technically go to 40m - although it sounds like you just need some more experience dives.

 

[CptTightPants21]

This is basically what I have been doing but progress seems to be slowing down. Last weekend I was spending 130 bar (out of 200 bar in a 12L) in the first 25 min of a dive between 25 and 30 m and burned the last 70 bar on the ascent due to stress. This would not have happened (or at least would have been reduced) with extra air.

If these numbers are correct, your SAC rate on the bottom was between .6 -.7 cuft a minute which is a great SAC rate for a new diver and right around the average for an experienced diver. What where the conditions like on the ascent that caused such an elevated breathing rate -- current? How long did it take you to ascend?

If you think that 25 min at 30m was too quick I think doubles and deco might be in your future.

 

[boulderjohn]

Uh, I just finished Fundies last month. We definitely covered deco theory as it pertains to minimum deco (effectively NDL diving), DCI, and other things.

Great, Ken!

I have asked countless times for the decompression theory behind minimum deco, and I have not gotten an answer. The last time I asked it, I was definitely told that there was no actual decompression theory behind it, but it was instead a training exercise to enable the diver to practice doing decompression stops during an NDL ascent. I find that hard to believe, but I have had no better answer.

 

[jale]

Hi
Just one advice: dive, dive and dive...it will click

 

[Lorenzoid]

Due to the emphasis on quality control, including instructor evaluations at regular intervals, GUE instruction is probably more uniform in most respects than any other agency's, but GUE instructors are not robots; they are still individuals, with individual personality traits. I hope the student Rob mentioned noted the instructor's behavior in that instance on the course evaluation that all students are asked (required?) to fill out at the end of the course--that's what it's for. And one would think that given GUE's emphasis on striving for continual improvement no matter what level one is at, an instructor would take comments on things like that to heart and strive to improve.

 

[KevinNM]

Great, Ken!

I have asked countless times for the decompression theory behind minimum deco, and I have not gotten an answer. The last time I asked it, I was definitely told that there was no actual decompression theory behind it, but it was instead a training exercise to enable the diver to practice dong decompression stops during an NDL ascent. I find that hard to believe, but I have had no better answer.

It's the NOAA dive tables.

The accent profile is definitely a control exercise. Are you hitting your stops? Are holding them? Is the overall time taken for the ascent in line with what it should have been? Is the team together at each stop? If you need to do an air share during ascent do you still make the stops and times? If you can't do that reliably you won't get a tech pass and if you somehow slip through I've been assured that tech 1 will not be any fun.