He unavailable - DeepAir again?

[OrcasC205]

Given a choice of doing a dive or not if helium's not available -- say to 50m/165ft -- would you sit it out?

Yes, I would sit it out. Air or Nitrox to 165ft is beyond my risk tolerance.

 

[rjack321]

Given a choice of doing a dive or not if helium's not available -- say to 50m/165ft -- would you sit it out?

This makes it sound like I'd fly halfway around the world then not dive. I wouldn't go on a trip like this where 50m on air was expected in the first place. There are plenty of other dive sites to go to instead, either a shallow destination or one with helium available.

If I was promised helium and then they didnt actually have any... I would 1) ask for a portion of my money back for breach of contract and 2) recommend shallower sites.

 

[tomsch]

Given a choice of doing a dive or not if helium's not available -- say to 50m/165ft -- would you sit it out?

It really depends for me on what dive it is and under what circumstances. On a diving safari with 40m air dives every day in the ocean with warm water and great view maybe one or two times a 50m on a wall is reasonable for me while a 40m+ in a lake on a weekend dive would be a no go. On OC the max end I allow myself is around 35-40m on a weekend dive without any deep dives to get comfortable with N2 before, with work up dives 50m is okay if everything is good and the circumstances allow it and my max end on ccr is always 30m.


Also the interesting thing is that just by certification I can go to 56m on air but just to 45m on ccr with helitrox.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I won't do a 50m air dive. No way, no how. Like others, if I planned a 50m dive with helium and the operator told me later that there was an issue with getting HE, after being told we would have it, there would be a very serious conversation has about professionalism and safety that included a change of dive spots and talks of a partial refund.

 

[Tracy]

Given a choice of doing a dive or not if helium's not available -- say to 50m/165ft -- would you sit it out?

Depends on what the dive entails and where it is.
In the Great Lakes, not anymore. I used to do that regularly and learned that I shouldn't.
In warm clear water, sure. Ambient makes a massive difference in how narcosis impairs.

 

[Matan]

Once you go He - you never go back - get a CCR.

Matan.

 

[100days-a-year]

RBs aren't practical or legal for some activities. Helium isn't always available or practical either.
I have always maintained narcosis is subjective and some people are impaired more @.79 PPN that others are at depths of 50m.
Believing your solutions are universally relevant and applicable is a symptom. As is using frog kicks in open water with current.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

RBs aren't practical or legal for some activities. Helium isn't always available or practical either.
I have always maintained narcosis is subjective and some people are impaired more @.79 PPN that others are at depths of 50m.
Believing your solutions are universally relevant and applicable is a symptom. As is using frog kicks in open water with current.

Huge difference between someone who dives commercially just about every day in warm water vs someone who dives 3 or 4 times a month recreationally (and might be in cold water).

And frog kicks suck in OW in current... found that out the hard way .. almost a back kick at that point!

 

[MrVegas]

I see there are some Great Lakes divers on this thread. What do people usually use for the Thomas Hume dive? Note -- I've got plenty else to see in the Great Lakes before I would think of going there, so it's not in the near term for me, but just curious. That bottoms out around 145 feet, right?

 

[Tracy]

I see there are some Great Lakes divers on this thread. What do people usually use for the Thomas Hume dive? Note -- I've got plenty else to see in the Great Lakes before I would think of going there, so it's not in the near term for me, but just curious. That bottoms out around 145 feet, right?

The most popular gas I sell for that depth is 25/25. Some people like to stick with standard gases, some don't. But that is a very popular mix for 150' locally.