Max depth for new divers

[vondo]

I really didn't mean to stir up so much drama.

You think this is drama? You should do a search for some of the other threads discussing this topic. Now that's drama!!!

I haven't seen anyone quote the PADI manual in this thread, so I will do it. In the final safety recommendations of the OW manual:

"Limit your depth to 18 m/60 ft as a new diver. Remember that 18 m/60 ft is the recommended limit for new divers..."

Now, considering how market driven PADI is, I don't think it is an accident that they say "new diver" instead of "PADI Open Water Diver" which they use elsewhere.

So, they suggest sticking to <60ft when you are "new." When are you not "new"? Everyone has to figure that out for themselves.

For myself, I really like the diving in the 40-70ft range, so I try to stay there as long as possible.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Yeah, don't ever ask about snork.... uh, never mind.

 

[ScubaKimmie]

It means if they recover your body below 130', they could refuse to pay...

No this means that you are guessing while appearing to know. If you PLAN dives below 130 then they may very well have a right to refuse payment.

I hope people here don't take what is being written here as the gospel. It's a lot of speculation being passed off as facts.

 

[reidman]

As a new-bee new diver 2 years, I can tell you I was very surprised at how slack most all the divers I meet are. I am checking my chart before a dive they just jump in the water. I have had some try to pressure my to dive deeper then I thought I was ready for. Never dive out of your Comfort Zone if you don't feel safe you probably arent!
I dove a NewJersey wreck last year to 100 feet in near zero dive conditions and I can tell you it was out of my comfort zone. My dive buddy stopped following from the down rope and as I waited on the bottom for him as we agreed he never showed. He had the wreck reel and I quickly lost the down rope even though it had a strobe you could not see it past 10 feet. If I had been more experienced in bad conditions I would have felt safer. The diver I was buddied with had hundreds of dives but panicked at the poor visibility and cold water(45 is cold in a wet suit) I had relied on him to help me with the dive but found myself alone. I would have aborted the dive then and there If I could have found the down rope. I took my time and followed the wreck down till I finally found the rope and made my way back up. I found my dive buddy still clinging to the rope at 70 feet. I had to coax him to the surface as he was in a daze.
The lesson learned don't dive out of your comfort or experience level even If someone else seems to know more what they are doing, as I learned you cannot totally rely on others all the time.

 

[DivingCRNA]

Yeah, I bet if I flip through my log I will find most dives is that range. I do really like the loooooooong 50 foot dives.

But there are a fair number greater than 90 feet. and one at 135 feet. But the deep ones are planned well with an objective in mind.

 

[Halthron]

Let's not forget that your insurance (dive or regular medical) will have a much easier time denying your claim for recompression chamber time and other medical expenses if you are bent or injured or killed diving deeper than your cert. level. OW + 65 feet + the bends = you get to pay all your own medical expenses.

This may or may not happen in practice, but if I was a claims adjuster looking at a $200,000 bill for recompression, I would be tempted to deny the claim because you did something outside the scope of what my company was insuring you for.

Dan isn't going to deny you because of depth. You are way off here.

DAN isn't the only company that will pay for diving related incidents. Each insurance company will deal with it in their own way, like Lloyds of London did with a Brit in the Red last year (other reports listed him going to 160 feet when his policy was limited to 100). Some will take certification level into account, others may have a firm limit in the policy. Unfortunately, many people treat insurance policies like they do software usage agreements and are then suprised when they arent covered.

 

[zinnia7]

There is nothing for you to be defensive or dramatic about. I tried to help and give you some insight.

As for trusting "experts".... You are ultimately responsible for you own safety, so understanding the reasoning for limits is important.

I'm not defensive or dramatic (you were the one jumping on me...remember?) I am just sarcastic. eyebrow But overall a really nice person.

Oh yeah...I also said thank you many times for the advice.:05:

 

[tracker]

Know your limits. Pertains to anything. Padi just wants you to be safe.

 

[Diveral]

As a new-bee new diver 2 years, I can tell you I was very surprised at how slack most all the divers I meet are. I am checking my chart before a dive they just jump in the water. I have had some try to pressure my to dive deeper then I thought I was ready for. Never dive out of your Comfort Zone if you don't feel safe you probably arent!
I dove a NewJersey wreck last year to 100 feet in near zero dive conditions and I can tell you it was out of my comfort zone. My dive buddy stopped following from the down rope and as I waited on the bottom for him as we agreed he never showed. He had the wreck reel and I quickly lost the down rope even though it had a strobe you could not see it past 10 feet. If I had been more experienced in bad conditions I would have felt safer. The diver I was buddied with had hundreds of dives but panicked at the poor visibility and cold water(45 is cold in a wet suit) I had relied on him to help me with the dive but found myself alone. I would have aborted the dive then and there If I could have found the down rope. I took my time and followed the wreck down till I finally found the rope and made my way back up. I found my dive buddy still clinging to the rope at 70 feet. I had to coax him to the surface as he was in a daze.
The lesson learned don't dive out of your comfort or experience level even If someone else seems to know more what they are doing, as I learned you cannot totally rely on others all the time.

A troubling set of developments. This is why sometimes I am a solo diver. Everyone should be capable of a self rescue or be capable of finding their own way back to the exit. I do believe that some of the dive agencies are unneccesssarily scaring the newer divers about deep dives and overstating the dangers of narcosis. There are ways to incrementataly increase your skills and diving increasiningly challenging dives with more experienced divers is one way to do it. This is one of the times when it is not a good idea. A deep wreck dive in low visibility or a cave or cavern dive are not places to be relying on a buddy.

 

[Diveral]

DAN isn't the only company that will pay for diving related incidents. Each insurance company will deal with it in their own way, like Lloyds of London did with a Brit in the Red last year (other reports listed him going to 160 feet when his policy was limited to 100). Some will take certification level into account, others may have a firm limit in the policy. Unfortunately, many people treat insurance policies like they do software usage agreements and are then suprised when they arent covered.

It's a good idea to read the fine print in your policy. This is one reason I went with a different plan than the standard DAN plan. Occasionally I will bounce below 130 ft. Think of your potential dives for the year. If you are going somewhere such as the NC Coast, Truk, Andros, Belize, etc. wheere you have the potential to dive below the limits specified in your insurance policy then it is a good idea to get the policy which could cover your potential profile.

Be aware there are situations where you could accidently or unintentionally dive beyond your planned profile.