How Deep is Too Deep for You?

[Dan Gibson]

Dumb question, but why even use a separate travel gas for this dive?

I went to 127' on 28% a few weeks ago in lake michigan. I did notice slight narcosis, had to think about my compass a little too long. I used 32 for travel gas and 28 for bottom mix.

 

[JungleJoe]

I narc with reg air nearing 200, been below that for a dip, but I wont go below 175 w/o thinking of mix and a good reason (wreck etc).... So Unless there is a good reason, I stay above 175ft. Usually it's 100 ft or less on most dives I do anyways. I Have heard that over time you can get used to narc, I know I used to narc earlier (shallower) when I was younger, but over time and ALOT of dives later, SLOWLY pushing the limit, I was able to get to where I am at now.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Of more use IMO is to carry 2 deco bottles (50 and 100), than a stage and a single deco bottle.

You really don't need a stage until > 200ft and with 2 deco bottles you can get out of the water in a reasonable amount of time for those 200ft dives.

Depends on the dive. I've done long dives on stages where there was no decompression at all.

I've done lots of dives shallower than 200 ft where I used stages. In OW where we usually keep runtimes shorter I wouldn't normally use a stage unless I have to squeeze two dives out of one set of doubles which we have had to do because of available space on the boat. In caves dives are often much longer and we use stages for lots of much shallower dives.

Its not a huge step from going from 1 deco bottle to 2. The first real big step is when you start carring bottles on a leash and you bring the transition of bottles from shoulder <-> leash into play.

I don't know. I think a diver should do a bunch with one before moving to two. Again, it seems easier in caves because you usually drop them on the way in and pick em up on the way out. I just switch to back gas, stow the deco bottle I'm on, pick up the next and switch again. It's just like using one. In OW you have to have all that straped to you the whole dive and you're wearing it all during all of your gas switches. swimming around in a wreck is definately different wearing two bottles than it is with one.

Having to carry lots of bottles on leashes is just plain work. Maybe I haven't done enough of it but I don't find it comfortable at all.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Meister481
I went to 127' on 28% a few weeks ago in lake michigan. I did notice slight narcosis, had to think about my compass a little too long. I used 32 for travel gas and 28 for bottom mix.

Dumb question, but why even use a separate travel gas for this dive?

I don't think it's a dumb question. I don't usually bother with a "travel" gas in open water even when diving hypoxic mixes.

Was this on the Wisconsin? I'd rather use 21/35 or even just air if I'm going just run around the deck (100 ft) and use 1 or 2 decompression bottles depending on what we're doing.

The only place I've been inside that wreck (the Wisconsin) is just to the cargo hold where the cars are...115 or 120?...I don't remember. The bottom is at about 130 but I'm told you can get to 140 or so inside because the wreck is sunk into the bottom a bit...like I said 21/35 with 50% and O2 is my preference.

 

[Zeeman]

If I have to carry more stuff than I am capable of lifting on my own, it's too deep.

z..

 

[tnfireman]

The deepest I have been is 85' ,I was very comfortable. How deep is to deep, I dunno yet.
Ray

 

[Divin'Papaw]

My deepest dive to date is only 73'. The personal limit I've set for myself is 130 and within NDL, shallower if I begin to experience narcosis. I have no desire to get into decompression diving. I've been reading Last Dive and I promised my wife (and myself) that I won't get into deeper/longer dives that require decompression. It is certainly fine for those who safely and cautiously do it with the right equipment and training. It is just too much additional risk for my conservative nature.

 

[bisonduquebec]

I have been diving forthe last 10 year.... my deepest is 109 (from this summer).

My guts tell me I can afford 120 but I will take advanced techinal training before trying it.

So lets round it up to 110 Beyond that is too deep.

 

[brutus_scuba]

150 is a physcological barrier for me.

 

[limeyx]

Of more use IMO is to carry 2 deco bottles (50 and 100), than a stage and a single deco bottle.

You really don't need a stage until > 200ft and with 2 deco bottles you can get out of the water in a reasonable amount of time for those 200ft dives.

Its not a huge step from going from 1 deco bottle to 2. The first real big step is when you start carring bottles on a leash and you bring the transition of bottles from shoulder <-> leash into play.

Well, Tech1 tries to focus on just the basics, and the idea is that you want to get comfortable with the switching procedure. They do not want you doing crazy dives and one way to do that is to limit how much deco gas you can take.

This way, you can still do a variety of diving within reasonable limits. There's also an argument to be made about reducing the chance of switching to the O2 bottle too deep.

GUE/Tech1 is more like "intro tech" in a lot of ways.

The reason to carry the bottom stage is not to actually extend the bottom time (yet) for me because as you point out, you dont really need it at the depths I am doing.

It's useful for logistics. We sometimes dive on a small boat where 2 sets of doubles just wont fit for each diver. So you take an 80 stage on the first dive, do a standard Tech1 dive, use a small amount of gas from your doubles and then for dive 2 either use another stage or just use the doubles.

You can get 5-6 dives with stages from a set of 80's that way. Especially useful for multi-day trips where you can't get Helium on the boat.