Maximum depth for recreational divers

[String]

Your last statement contains the most truth and most divers trained under NAUI/PADI/YMCA/SSI are "trained" to conduct dives to 60' for OW and ~130' for AOW. Experience not withstanding.

Those are some agencies not all agencies. Worldwide they dont even represent the majority of agencies. I fail to see why someone wants an "industry standard" to define something like that when simply saying dive to within your qualifications is more appropriate.
FWIW im BSAC and PADI so familiar with both sets of training.

I just cant fathom someone is trying to invent a definition when none is needed.

 

[Blackwood]

I just cant fathom someone is trying to invent a definition when none is needed.

I've said it before: Lawyers > Marketing > Training.

Terms like 'recreational' originate somewhere between the first two.

 

[String]

Fortunately that is limited to the USA side of the atlantic for now.

No chance would a definition get accepted like that here. Firstly there's no need and it would devalue the qualifications of most national agencies who do teach decompression and so on.

 

[Hickdive]

String is correct, the entire idea of 'recreational' as opposed to 'technical' diving in an entirely American construct arising from the days when certain US-based agencies had an absolute 'thou shalt not' approach to planned decompression dives.

When some American divers started coming out of the closet with regard to this kind of diving the agencies had to come up with an explanation or look entirely out of touch so they created this artificial division of 'recreational' and 'technical' diving.

Agencies affiliated to CMAS appear to have taken a much more realistic approach.

Certainly BSAC has never officially encouraged mandatory decompression stops in diving but has always promoted the view that every diver should be capable of planning and executing them and has therefore included training and assessment on such dives in all qualifications above entry level since the sixties.

Walter is also correct, if you're not getting paid to be there then it's recreational; I'm afraid the quoted texts simply reflect the received knowledge of the US view of diving and not the reality outside of the American sphere of influence in diving.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

Good information to have.

 

[ArcticDiver]

As I've posted before I'm in the crowd that says: "If you aren't getting paid your dive is recreational". Further that: "All dives are decompression dives". Even further that: "It isn't the depth alone. It is the depth in concert with other factors, like visibility, water temperature, distance from open water if in an overhead environment, available breathing gas supply and so forth"

To me this focus on depth is not only missing the mark it is helping mislead people into ignoring other factors that, like breathing gas supply, may be even more important.

 

[Nemrod]

As I've posted before I'm in the crowd that says: "If you aren't getting paid your dive is recreational". Further that: "All dives are decompression dives". Even further that: "It isn't the depth alone. It is the depth in concert with other factors, like visibility, water temperature, distance from open water if in an overhead environment, available breathing gas supply and so forth"

To me this focus on depth is not only missing the mark it is helping mislead people into ignoring other factors that, like breathing gas supply, may be even more important.

I vote for you.

N

 

[diver 85]

Well, of course it would depend on the diver (experience, skill level, etc.). There's not much you'll see below 130' that you can't see at <50'. I put 130' because that's where you need to go to dive the Devil's Throat in Cozumel. But, there's a reason it's considered an "advanced" dive.

agree plus add Hole in the Wall just 'outside' Inn of Last Resort's cut on Roatan...Nice concrete cross @ 165' in remembrance of 2 locals that didn't make it on a deep dive 'bet'......

 

[drbill]

I chose 130 ft simply because it is the generally accepted max for an AOW certified diver.

I dove for over 40 years without reaching that depth. In fact, most of my dives were well above 100 ft. It wasn't until I had specific reasons (to film species not found in rec depths) for going deeper that I did, after spending time developing knowledge about my reaction to deep diving and acquiring equipment and skills to do so.

 

[RonFrank]

I base my depth on my planned profile, and what I am diving. I have never exceeded 130' to date, but would if there was something I really felt was worth it below that depth.

If I went into a bit of deco, so be it, but I would REALLY have to want to do that dive to go below 135'.

When diving below 80', I carry a pony, and will dive an AL100 if possible below 100'.

Rec limits are 130', so there is a *correct* answer here at least based on a few agencies.

Good thing the dive season is starting!