It's why I'm going the tech route now. Maybe the year after next. But I'll not do it til I'm ready. Just hope enough is still there.
Mt. Everest
- Thread starter thedarkness5000
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DEEPLOU
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JimLap:
There are a lot of other wrecks out there that are probably just as good and challenging without the cost and hoopla.
If I ever do it, its' only because I got a free ride out there.
mictrik
Contributor
I can not imagine thinking that the Spiegel Grove posses the same challange as the Andria Doria. A simple comparison Just for the sake of perspective...
The Andria Doria Port side can be hit as shallow as 165' while you can hit the Spiegel Grove at a mere 65'; the Doria's starboard side rests at about 250' while the Spiegel Grove bottom is at 134'.
The Andria Doria is a wreck that is it sunk because of a collision, no oil tanks removed nor anything else that could and would cause hang ups and trappings. The Spiegel Grove was sunk as an artificial reef and everything was removed in order to increase diver safety; not trying to imply that its safe...
The Doria is in the North Atlantic not too far from the continental shelf , it is cold, deep, strong currents, visibility is often poor and large sharks frequent the site as a feeding ground. The Spiegel Grove is in a sub-tropical environement.
The Andria Doria's distance from the closest mainland is 45 miles where it lies south of capecod. The Spegel is 6 miles off the keys...
The Andria Doria and any other similarly demanding dive should only be attempted if you are in excellent physical condition, something that the certification agencies dropped a long time a ago... Strength is important but endurance is even more important and obviously experience. Many fatalities are do to anxiety (normal feeling) coupled with lack of conditioning. If you detach from your anchor line at 90' in a 7 mph current you will have to hustle to get back to line, once you do you will be out of breath. when there is another 70' - 160' below and it is cold anxiety can get the best of anyone. Those in the best physical condition can weather this better, you can recover quicker from overbreathing and find "normality" quicker. I thik this often be the edge that is needed for survival... Just a thought.
TSherman
Contributor
I've done both. From a fatality POV, you're right. But from an experience POV, there is none. The SG is a fun one tank dive. (Unless you penetrate without a line).
Getting down to the AD is easy, but just trying to get back on the boat with 200lbs of gear after a two hour deco on a jon-line in 8-10 ft seas is not. My first dive was the best. The second was a "WhatTF am I doing here again dive". The wreck is in pretty bad shape right now. If anyone wants to do it, it's probably best to hurry and get started REAL soon.
In some ways, it is like climbing Everest. You have to explain to a lot of people why you did it. Non-divers will never understand and tropical divers look at you like you have three legs and two noses. After my second expedition, (and no crockery!), my wife banned me from the wreck. And no, I never penetrated the AD.
Interesting question. The Seeker and the Wahoo used to take about 200 divers each per season to the AD. So that's 400/season for those two boats. They started around 1991. Anyone know how many people have climbed Everest?
TSherman
Contributor
The better answer is, how many years has the doria been there (61 years) and how many years have people been climbing everest....not a totally fair comparison. The comparison is merely saying that each dive is the pinnacle of either sport. I am sure there are tougher dives than the Doria, I would venture to say the U869 may be up there due to currents etc. Rebreathers have made these dives a bit more managable also.
As for the comment "The SG is a fun one tank dive. (Unless you penetrate without a line)", I am sure Scott Stanley, Jonathan Walsweer, Kevin Coughlin and Howard Spialter would agree, no need for you to rehash it though!
The Spiegel Grove will never be the Doria....ever. Its a totally different animal. It would be like building an indoor, climate controlled "Everest" with immediate help available, then selling t-shirts say I am a bad *** afterwards.
Just silly................
As for everest....who knows. The advances in climbing gear, support etc open these areas up to more and more people also. Either way, both are tough for the average hiker that walks up hills....or Florida diver alike.
Found the Everest answer at yahoo... "As of the end of the 2004 climbing season, 2,238 people had reached the summit (1,148 of them since 1998) and 186 people died while summitting. The conditions on the mountain are so difficult that most of the corpses have been left where they fell; some of them are easily visible from the standard climbing routes."
Looks like more have dove the Doria if using tridacna's example.
Looks like more have dove the Doria if using tridacna's example.
Thanks for the feedback. I kinda suspected that.
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