How Deep do you Dive?

[WreckWriter]

Originally posted by MASS-Diver
you don't think it would advantageous for me to have a bottle of O2 to decompresses with?

Yes, of course it would be advantageous for you to have O2 in that situation. Nobody can argue that. My point is that there's too much risk and complexity to carry O2 for planned non-deco dives.

I use 100% for deco myself but for dives which are not planned as deco dives, I do not schlep my deco stage. If I screw up, I deco on my back gas (be it air or EANx). I'm very careful to try to dive my plan though. If deco isn't planned, I DO NOT cut it so close that one little issue on the bottom puts me in the red zone. Can it happen? Sure it can, you just have to be careful.

As to your original point, although it may not seem so, I actually agree with you that O2 should be more available. My personal feeling is that things should be as they were in the beginning, nitrox training is nitrox training.

When I took my nitrox traing, from Dick Rutkowski, the father of recreational nitrox diving, there was only one level (and few practitioners, my number is 949). He taught us all the formulas, blending, analysis, etc without a percentage limit being placed on us. As you know, it's different now.

Certainly there is new knowledge available in a "technical nitrox" type course that wasn't available when I took training. Are the underlying principles still the same? Bet they are. So am I suddenly unsafe to do things I've been doing for years like using O2 for deco? Some would say so I guess.

Tom

 

[MASS-Diver]

WreckWriter,

Thanks the reply, I appreciate the info and I understand why guys are concerned by people who aren't trained doing foolish things with O2.

My main LDS won't sell NITROX never mind O2 and they think DIR is a joke and openly mock tech divers, so it's nice to get some less biased answers here on the board, as I would probabley be thrown out of my LDS for even mentioning O2.

 

[HDrider]

What if I "mess-up" and I stay longer then my NDL (I get tangled/lost/trapped, etc.), you don't think it would advantageous for me to have a bottle of O2 to decompresses with?

This is a very good ?

1. When planning a dive like you describe you should always plan on the rule of thirds. This should give you an ample gas supply for this type of problem encountered.

2. There are other things learned in tech classes that help you prepare for such a problem.

3. 100% is not necessarily safer than Nitrox to decompress on. It is however faster. Which in could water could be considered safer.

Originally posted by MASS-Diver
My main LDS won't sell NITROX never mind O2 and they think DIR is a joke and openly mock tech divers, so it's nice to get some less biased answers here on the board, as I would probably be thrown out of my LDS for even mentioning O2.

This one the only thing I could suggest here is to find a different LDS. I would be surprised if all the LDS in your area are that way. I live in a very Dive shop poor area. The LDS in my area I DM out of, I also have become a certified Gas Blender so they can sell Nitrox, but still does not provide Nitrox. I have to drive 2 1/2 hrs one-way to get a Nitrox fill! This being said if you were to come to me wanting a 100% fill I would 1st ask to see your Nitrox certification card. It has the percentage that you are trained for on it. If I were to fill your tank with a higher percentage than you are certified for I am at risk of your surviving wife’s lawyer. This is the main reason for all the precautions.

Point is you need the card to get the fill you are talking about.

When I took my Nitrox training, from Dick Rutkowski, the father of recreational Nitrox diving, there was only one level (and few practitioners, my number is 949). He taught us all the formulas, blending, analysis, etc without a percentage limit being placed on us. As you know, it's different now.

From reading his post here, I am sure that WreckWriter is qualified to dive any gas he chooses. But if he goes to a DS that is not local if his card does not say 100% on it he will not likely get it.

Hope this is of use to you.

Tom

 

[ads]

My average dive is approximately 50 ft. During the winter in New England I generally stay a bit shallower averaging maybe 30 ft as it's generally shore diving and I don't want to get caught out too far and be chilled on a long return swim. I find my best photo subjects in anywhere from 15 ft to 40 ft of water.

DSDO

Alan

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by ads
I find my best photo subjects in anywhere from 15 ft to 40 ft of water.
Alan

Hi Alan.... do you have good viz at those depths or do you have to accomodate the bad viz???

and what is DSDO?

 

[MASS-Diver]

HDrider,

Thanks for the advice, it is very helpful.

 

[The Chairman]

Originally posted by Uncle Pug
and what is DSDO?

Dive Safe, Dive Often (and I know you asked Allen)

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by NetDoc
Dive Safe, Dive Often

Thank You

 

[NEWJ64]

to tell the truth the deepest 90 feet
usually stick around 20-40 ft. any deeper than 75ft is too cold for my blood!! :toilet:

 

[scubagatorgal]

Very interesting thread despite the initial fears that it might incite some to dive beyond their limits. A common question new divers ask experienced divers is " How deep have you been"? My standard answer has always been "deeper than I will ever go again".

Whenever we went on deeper dives it was with very experienced divers and we never experienced any emergencies...thank you Lord. I have noted that many others that contributed to this thread also have not ever experienced a problem at depth. Of course only living divers could contribute and those that had a bad experience are probably not reading this board to report it. The more you dive deep the more the probability that someone you know (maybe yourself) will be faced with an emergency situation at depth.

It was interesting to read the link to the diver that got badly bent and continues to this day to dive to depths below 200 feet...it almost sounded like an addiction to depth to me. As the scenery, color and interesting life disappear at those depth's I can't imagine the attraction (other than a wreck site...and it would have to be a great one to get me enticed) I can't help but think that it is a bit of macho thing as I don't think there are many woman that are as attracted to depth...(no flaming pleeze)

When I was certified in the eighties there were even less woman then than now and I had no trouble keeping up and even surpassing the guys in our circle of divers. When we started caving, deep diving, limited viz etc.. diving I was right in the thick of it with them. The things we did in those days seem foolish to me now especially the depth's we used to dive to.

I no longer cave dive, rarely go beyond 100 feet and enjoy the extra bottom tom and relaxing stress free dives. Adrenaline fixes and beating the boys are a thing of the past.

Now,my concentration is on my teenagers who were recently certified and hopefully guiding them to be safe competent divers for life.



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