Near miss at 90 foot.

[MikeFerrara]

One of the many design drawbacks to OR FFMs

With the reg so far out in front of you there is going to be a noticeable change in breathing with changes in positions. I had one for a while and I never found it to be a big deal. As I recall, the mask also has provisions for mounting other regs and even mounting one on the side rather than in front.

It's not something I'd recommend to a new diver especially if they weren't going to get some training on it or at least spend some time learning how to use it in controled conditions...like a pool or pool-like conditions.

Edit: Given the nature of the thread, I should probably point out that staying horizontal during the dive pretty much eliminates the need to be readjusting the thing all the time.

 

[lamont]

my advice: slow everything down.

stop using the FFM, stop trying for depth records, stop trying to see 3-digits on your gauge.

get comfortable executing perfectly comfortable dives at 60 feet, then work your way down slowly.

at 70+ feet you can get paranoid narcosis due to CO2 (aggravated by depth and cold). If you aren't breathing calmly and fully expelling CO2 out of your lungs on every breath you may wind up with wiggy paranoid thoughts going through your mind. That can start the panic cycle where adrenalin causes you to breathe faster, but with less tidal volume and CO2 builds up, making you even more excited and wigged out. For your first dives in the 70-100 foot range you should take it slow and ascend immediately (but under control) when you start feeling paranoid. Its amazing how paranoid you can start to be at 80-90 feet and then you ascend to 60 feet and your mind completely clears even though your situation hasn't changed all that dramatically. And after you gain experience and comfort all this should largely go away (but remember that its just that you're better now at managing your CO2 load on deep dives -- if things go sideways you can still take a CO2 hit at depth and freak out all over again, you'll just no longer be freaking out routinely).

 

[MikeFerrara]

at 70+ feet you can get paranoid narcosis due to CO2 (aggravated by depth and cold). If you aren't breathing calmly and fully expelling CO2 out of your lungs on every breath you may wind up with wiggy paranoid thoughts going through your mind....

From what I've seen, I think this CO2 thing and the resultant dispnea happens far more frequently than many people think. Of course, it seems like the people who need to be most aware of it have never heard of it.

Anyway, it (or at least the signs) seems most common in divers who aren't neutral and trimmed just because they're working much harder than they should be. Combining that with depth can be bad news.

With better technique it probably won't happen but if it does, with experience/knowledge it doesn't bring on panic and the diver knows that they only need to ease off on the work and breath.

 

[battles2a5]

I'm surprised that nobody has commented that you were diven a deep diver certification w/ a max depth of 68fsw! Had you been trained properly, you would have gone to deeper recreational depths, learned more about the risks and how to recognize them, and gotten some meaningful experience under the watchful eye of a good instructor. What's the point of giving someone a deep cert when the training is conducted 8 feet below OW training depths?

Also, your deepest dive should be the first one of the day. A 10 foot difference in your first to second dive isn't a big deal, but something to keep in mind for future dive planning.

But overall, glad to held it together. You never know how you are going to react in these situations until the poop hits the paddles. You are still breathing so you must have done something right. Tuck this one away under "wisdom for future dive planning".

 

[Tigerman]

Glad to hear it worked out.
At the same time a bit worried about you being disappointed not breaking 100' on your 99' dive tho..

From what I've seen, I think this CO2 thing and the resultant dispnea happens far more frequently than many people think. Of course, it seems like the people who need to be most aware of it have never heard of it.

Anyway, it (or at least the signs) seems most common in divers who aren't neutral and trimmed just because they're working much harder than they should be. Combining that with depth can be bad news.

With better technique it probably won't happen but if it does, with experience/knowledge it doesn't bring on panic and the diver knows that they only need to ease off on the work and breath.

Knowledge of stress/panic management is one thing that I sadly havent seen much focus in within diving, especially for the basic classes where its more likely to occur stress and panic due to the fact that youre about to enter an enviroment thats completely unfamiliar.

The rescue diver course has some focus on it, but there is still one basic problem with stress and panic. You can not know how you behave under stress and if youre liable to panic unless youve been pushed towards those situations.
Im not recommending anyone to find out in an unfamiliar enviroment like 100 feet below the surface..

 

[beester]

I'm surprised that nobody has commented that you were diven a deep diver certification w/ a max depth of 68fsw! Had you been trained properly, you would have gone to deeper recreational depths, learned more about the risks and how to recognize them, and gotten some meaningful experience under the watchful eye of a good instructor. What's the point of giving someone a deep cert when the training is conducted 8 feet below OW training depths?

Also, your deepest dive should be the first one of the day. A 10 foot difference in your first to second dive isn't a big deal, but something to keep in mind for future dive planning.

But overall, glad to held it together. You never know how you are going to react in these situations until the poop hits the paddles. You are still breathing so you must have done something right. Tuck this one away under "wisdom for future dive planning".

I agree with the above... how did you get your deep diver cert with just going to 68 feet?

A couple of weeks ago I went on a boatdive... I'm working on my CMAS 3 star certification (between AOW and rescue) and one of the tests is to rescue someone from 120 feet. You dive to 120 feet. The instructor goes neg buyant and goes limp... and you pull him up to 30 feet where the ascend is aborted (by you) for safety reasons. This seems like a mad idea... excert yourselve pulling someone up from 100+ feet... but it teaches some valuable lessons. That this is deep and rescuing someone from this depth is hard, that you need to be in good physical condition so you don't overexcert yourselve (overbreath) and also how to safely decrease ascending speed once you're moving (last 50 feet being the most dangerous).

Is this test doable... very doable... if you take it with babysteps... train and dive deeper in increasing steps (before doing this test you need to have at least 25 dives logged deeper then 100 feet).

I'm glad you're alright and tried again... just enjoy the sport... and everything will work itselve out.

 

[Tigerman]

I agree with the above... how did you get your deep diver cert with just going to 68 feet?
...

Sadly the deep dive only needs to be deeper than the recommended OW limit of 60 feet to be considered a deep dive.
The instructor not making sure its quite a bit deeper is something I consider sloppy work too tho..

 

[SEA~TEC]

I'm surprised that nobody has commented that you were diven a deep diver certification w/ a max depth of 68fsw! Had you been trained properly, you would have gone to deeper recreational depths, learned more about the risks and how to recognize them, and gotten some meaningful experience under the watchful eye of a good instructor. What's the point of giving someone a deep cert when the training is conducted 8 feet below OW training depths?

Battles, I must admit it surprises me also. The information on CO2 loading is helpful, I've never heard it before.

What surprises me the most is the "your back to your old tricks trying for 100' " and "why dive below 30 feet" sediment that seams to be an ongoing topic in replys. Granted, knowledge is the key to avoding problems (hence the point of this post... another missed point) What good will knowledge do if not supported by experience.

In a deep class (well maybe some that I didn't take) you learn theory, then you dive deep. Knowledge and Experience. Since this incident I have spent many hours on research and introspection to see what happen.

Now that I have a better understanding, farther along in my skills, and believe I am physicaly and mentally ready for deep dives, I'm told told that is a bad thing ???

Confused....
Tim

 

[richerso]

Sea Tec,
Don't be confused. Everyone on this thread means well. It just seems to me that some of the responses are a little harsh. I hope it doesn't discourage you from posting in the future. And lest, I get a lot of assertive responses, I know that some of the attitude in here is something like "This is tough love. We don't want anything to happen to you". But I think you probably recognize this by now.

All of the advice on here is good advice. Follow it. As for your comment about being disappointed to not reach "100 ft". I understand that. I mean, hey, you are 99 ft, why not just get one more foot and reach that psychological milestone? And perhaps you could have, had the dive site just been 1 ft deeper.

I think the comments being made here though, are directing you more towards doing more dives at 70 ft and then gradually get deeper. You'll get there; and you'll break 100 ft some day; some day soon; just not today. Don't worry too much about it.

All in all, you learned some valuable lessons. You lived to tell about them; and it sounds like you've really started doing some research now. Congratulations!

My little piece of advice: Whenever I get deeper than 60 ft., I start thinking in terms of 10 ft. intervals. That helps me maintain composure and an awareness of where I am in in the water column. If I am at 104 ft. and get into trouble (or panic), I start thinking, I just need to ascend 10 ft. Usually, just by making that little move, I regain composure and can continue the dive. This is a nice approach because it's kind of like a mini-abort to the dive without completely aborting, panicking and streaking for the surface (which is obviously dangerous). If I am still somewhat nervous after ascending 10 ft., I reset my thought process and think "I just need to ascend 10 ft". In this way I can slowly migrate my way to the surface (and a total abort if it comes to that) while still maintaining a controlled ascent.

I am also happy to report, that having about 150 dives now in all sorts of conditions, that none of this is really an issue with me anymore. But if I do get into trouble, I still revert back to my 10 ft. rule.

 

[wjefferis]

I can't believe you were certed on a deep dive at such a shallow depth. NAUI requires a depth below 80 feet to be considered a deep dive for certification if my memory serves me correctly.

I am certain you were not narced above 50 feet. You were either a little hypoxic from lack of oxygen or had a build up of co2 from hypoventilating on your reg at depth. I have surfaced with a little bit of a headache and feeling a little weird sometimes from working hard against a current and breathing really hard on my reg. It could also be from being in full panic mode, endorphins can do all kinds of screwy things to you.

It looks like you already learned a valuable lesson, but I would always recommend that you take new equipment to a clam beach dive or spring dive were conditions are very favorable where you can get to know your new gear before putting it to the test.