I can do most of that in a pool at home. I really doubt the reason he wants to do 5 + dives a day on vacation is to get experience getting ready. What the extended bottom time does is allow you to slow down and see more of the small stuff. The only groups we have encountered this week have blown past us.
Is 16 dives in 3 days too aggressive?
- Thread starter Mike Klieb
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Prop Joe
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What computer do you plan on diving? Any stops planed in your schedule?
Just a few suggestions: Hydrate your a$$ off, warm your core as much as you can without the sun, between dives. Watch your O2, you may have to dive on plain 21% air that first dive in the morning after any multi tank 4-5 tank marathon day. You will be teetering between the nitrogen police and the O2 police.
Good luck
Just a few suggestions: Hydrate your a$$ off, warm your core as much as you can without the sun, between dives. Watch your O2, you may have to dive on plain 21% air that first dive in the morning after any multi tank 4-5 tank marathon day. You will be teetering between the nitrogen police and the O2 police.
Good luck
CodeS
Registered
To the OP - Follow your computer, be conservative, do a 5 min safety stop. If you have the energy to get kitted up or to just change a tank that many times in a day there is no harm in it.
For me I think the ideal is 2 100-120min dives (or more if it's shallow) and a night dive. I dislike kitting up more than that, even if it's just a light tropical diving setup.
As far as this discussion goes when talking about counting the number of dives vs total dive time (a bit irrelevant to this thread because it isn't germane to what the OP was getting at, they are clearly gas limited).
Getting in/out and gear setup etc is easy, you should be pretty proficient fresh out of your PADI hand paddler course. Frankly I care more about a buddy who is going to have bad trim and stir up silt than how well they sink or float to the surface. Not to mention having the time to really search and observe the creatures we have expended all this energy to see..
There is no doubt that total dive time is more important. You have more time to narrow down fining technique, ability to hold trim in anything other than ideal conditions, air consumption, you come to appreciate your NDL limits and how useful nitrox can be as a tool. Sure lots of short dives are a good way to make a lot of changes, but why not just get it pretty good in a pool and then make one change at a time when diving for actual fun!
For me I think the ideal is 2 100-120min dives (or more if it's shallow) and a night dive. I dislike kitting up more than that, even if it's just a light tropical diving setup.
As far as this discussion goes when talking about counting the number of dives vs total dive time (a bit irrelevant to this thread because it isn't germane to what the OP was getting at, they are clearly gas limited).
Getting in/out and gear setup etc is easy, you should be pretty proficient fresh out of your PADI hand paddler course. Frankly I care more about a buddy who is going to have bad trim and stir up silt than how well they sink or float to the surface. Not to mention having the time to really search and observe the creatures we have expended all this energy to see..
There is no doubt that total dive time is more important. You have more time to narrow down fining technique, ability to hold trim in anything other than ideal conditions, air consumption, you come to appreciate your NDL limits and how useful nitrox can be as a tool. Sure lots of short dives are a good way to make a lot of changes, but why not just get it pretty good in a pool and then make one change at a time when diving for actual fun!
Jackie Treehorn
Contributor
Guess only the OP knows for sure.
Why can't it be both scenarios?? When I first started, I wanted to get as many complete dives in as I could possibly get. There is no substitute for experience. And you aren't getting the same experience in a pool. As I did lots of 60 minute dives on AL80's, I was quickly gaining experience in all areas.
And its not actually extended bottom time that allows you to slow down, it's simply more bottom time. You can get more bottom time via extended dives, or just more dives.
I find if i'm not down in the carribean getting wet every third month, something's terribly wrong. This strategy has helped my diving immensely. I have my working SAC and hanging SAC down cold, I wear no additional lead (even on single tank dives), and can go pretty SLOOOOOW with the current.
Jackie Treehorn
Contributor
CodeS
Registered
While I don't have 30 people to measure depth to 60 feet like you clearly do
...I run a 30/85 gradient factor.
How long is a piece of string? 32% with a 15l (or actually my twin 7's SM now) for 22m max depth works well for me and generally air on other dives, max 15m or so. These are my normal dives... but yeah anything in between. Important to note it's not a square profile.
OP
Mike Klieb
Contributor
Well the reason I was thinking so many dives is that I want to see as much of the diving in Coz as I could. Now I know I've done 4+ dives a day however it was on 30-35' in a quarry. Now as far as all the your going to DIE doing that I am not one of those people that will ignore my body or my computer. If I feel tired or if I am even getting close to my limits I will stop no matter the situation.
I was not aware of the higher DCS rate on the first day in Coz but I can see how being dehydrated because of flights, travel, and adult beverages and how that can contribute to DCS. Thanks for this information I will be alittle more cautious on the first day.
I was not aware of the higher DCS rate on the first day in Coz but I can see how being dehydrated because of flights, travel, and adult beverages and how that can contribute to DCS. Thanks for this information I will be alittle more cautious on the first day.
deepsea21
Contributor
My wife and I are heading down for 2 1/2 weeks of diving this December. We are not starting our 14 days of non-stop diving until we've spent a day on the island. 'Nuf said. However, we are in our very late 40's and early 50's and we prefer to play it safer as we get older. No doubt about it we used to fly to a destination and eat our asses off in airport terminals, guzzle water on the plane and upon final arrival run to the nearest to rest room to take a pee. Then on to the accommodations to get unpacked eat whatever and hydrate as such as possible to wake up the next day and be on a boat ASAP. We don't do that anymore. For those who are younger and still roll like, that God bless them. One of the greatest things about aging is most have more $, can stay longer, and no longer have the need to cram the max of dives into whatever the limits of their vacation allows. It is really cool these days to just kick back and chill and dive with lots of time.
When I was younger, I'd do two-tank boat dives in the morning and then some shallow shore dives in the afternoon. And I was in pretty awesome shape, being a runner, biker, and weight-lifter. But that was when I was constrained by vacation time. Don't worry about trying to see all that Coz has to offer in a few days...it will still be there on another trip!
Now that I'm longer in the tooth (and my exercise is limited to yoga and gardening), and have the luxury of being there all winter, I take it slow and easy and try and enjoy each dive to the fullest. No way I'd do more than 2 or 3 dives a day now. I sleep for hours and hours after I've had a dive day (each dive is usually in the 1.5 hours). I'd be exhausted trying your schedule.
Now that I'm longer in the tooth (and my exercise is limited to yoga and gardening), and have the luxury of being there all winter, I take it slow and easy and try and enjoy each dive to the fullest. No way I'd do more than 2 or 3 dives a day now. I sleep for hours and hours after I've had a dive day (each dive is usually in the 1.5 hours). I'd be exhausted trying your schedule.
16 in three days is doable, but there are a number of issues. <Removed since you already acknowledged them>
There were a couple of years were I did 25 and 27 dives in a week at Scuba Club but that was with a large group where I was doing a ton of classes while there and ten years younger. Four a day is about my limit anymore with a good nap half way through the week.
There were a couple of years were I did 25 and 27 dives in a week at Scuba Club but that was with a large group where I was doing a ton of classes while there and ten years younger. Four a day is about my limit anymore with a good nap half way through the week.
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