No Drop Bottles for 30M+

[Jafo19D]

I’m not an experience diver, finished 2020 with a total of 32 dives and did my AOW in the summer of 2019.

Started out 2021 with a trip to Cartagena where I just completed another 11 dives. These guys were completely different than any other outfit I’ve dived with before. One of the owners is a marine biologist. And in the dives he is supposedly working and you’re kind off there paying for the privilege to just hang out with him. Day 1 was just like other dives but after that it was almost all deep dives of at least 25m or more and quite a few of over 30m.

In my AOW where we did 3 deep dives there was always a drop bottle at I believe the safety stop depth but in these dives none; not even when we were at 33-36M. On one dive we were at 35-36M just minutes into it and one of the divers panicked, he started breathing real fast and was down to 1000 psi. At what depth should there be a drop bottle (I’m not even sure that’s the proper term) just for sh&*$ and giggles?

 

[David Novo]

I’m not an experience diver, finished 2020 with a total of 32 dives and did my AOW in the summer of 2019.

Started out 2021 with a trip to Cartagena where I just completed another 11 dives. These guys were completely different than any other outfit I’ve dived with before. One of the owners is a marine biologist. And in the dives he is supposedly working and you’re kind off there paying for the privilege to just hang out with him. Day 1 was just like other dives but after that it was almost all deep dives of at least 25m or more and quite a few of over 30m.

In my AOW where we did 3 deep dives there was always a drop bottle at I believe the safety stop depth but in these dives none; not even when we were at 33-36M. On one dive we were at 35-36M just minutes into it and one of the divers panicked, he started breathing real fast and was down to 1000 psi. At what depth should there be a drop bottle (I’m not even sure that’s the proper term) just for sh&*$ and giggles?

As a recreational diver, I would rather have an appropriate gas supply with me and my buddy team than a "drop bottle", as the latter requires that you reach it.

 

[Jonn]

What’s the drop bottle for in a no-decompression recreational context? If you have a 30 min deco obligation you’ll die if you don’t satisfy then an extra bottle of enriched gas might be handy if you can be absolutely sure you can find it. For a 3 min “safety stop” that you can safely blow through if you need to it seems a waste of time. The whole point of rec diving is you can surface whenever without ever being under a virtual or physical ceiling.

If you’re at 36m with 1000psi you want that second bottle strapped right to your back, not hanging out somewhere else!

 

[Edward3c]

As mentioned above. You should carry the air you need not rely on suspended cylinders.

If you don’t know how to calculate your air requirements, find a mentor/instructor to teach you.

 

[tbone1004]

Whether a boat has a drop bottle or not is completely hit or miss. You should NEVER plan on having that bottle there. Research the concept of Rock Bottom gas planning to ensure that you feel comfortable in the gas that you brought with you.

@Jonn they're just safeties that some operators put down there in case someone screwed up their gas planning.

 

[Jafo19D]

What’s the drop bottle for in a no-decompression recreational context? If you have a 30 min deco obligation you’ll die if you don’t satisfy then an extra bottle of enriched gas might be handy if you can be absolutely sure you can find it. For a 3 min “safety stop” that you can safely blow through if you need to it seems a waste of time. The whole point of rec diving is you can surface whenever without ever being under a virtual or physical ceiling.

If you’re at 36m with 1000psi you want that second bottle strapped right to your back, not hanging out somewhere else!

Dude chill. Maybe try out a weed suppository. LOL

 

[Jafo19D]

Yeah I’m aware that you shouldn’t figure in a drop bottle for planning. My point is that in my AOW deep dives there was always one just in case.

During these dives I paid close attention to my NoDeco times and especially when it was down to single digits. Never let it get down to below 6 minutes.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I’m not an experience diver, finished 2020 with a total of 32 dives and did my AOW in the summer of 2019. Started out 2021 with a trip to Cartagena where I just completed another 11 dives. These guys were completely different than any other outfit I’ve dived with before. One of the owners is a marine biologist. And in the dives he is supposedly working and you’re kind off there paying for the privilege to just hang out with him. Day 1 was just like other dives but after that it was almost all deep dives of at least 25m or more and quite a few of over 30m.

In my AOW where we did 3 deep dives there was always a drop bottle at I believe the safety stop depth but in these dives none; not even when we were at 33-36M. On one dive we were at 35-36M just minutes into it and one of the divers panicked, he started breathing real fast and was down to 1000 psi. At what depth should there be a drop bottle (I’m not even sure that’s the proper term) just for sh&*$ and giggles?

I've only used drop bottles for planned deco dives and that was where I was on wreck dives and there was a shot line to the wreck. The tanks were placed at the wreck and on the shot line as well.

Recreational diving does not require one to have drop bottles at dive sites. Also if a diver is deep and is uncomfortable then ascending to shallower depths will often help them relax. Not everyone is comfortable at 35m - 40m. At 35m depth on air you only have really a short time less than 10 minutes before you need to ascend. People who panic can hyperventilate and use lots of air. Experienced divers can be oblivious those who are not comfortable at depth. A good guide and dive buddy pays attention to the diver and would bring them shallow if less than half a tank on air. However a diver should monitor their own air and I always advise them when they get to half tank if at depth to ascend to say 15m or 10m so they can get a decent dive time.

I went to 45m on a single tank to retrieve a dropped camera for another diver who was on an earlier dive. So by the time I got the camera I was at 45m depth and about 6 minutes into the dive. I still have over 180 bar or over 2610 psi and at the 30 minute point on the dive still had over 1750 psi. I ended the dive after 70 minutes with 870 psi. At any time on a dive you can ascend or even decide to end the dive. Being low on air is always a good reason. Being anxious and not liking being deep is a good reason. 25m depth for me is not deep it's less than my average max depth on my last 250 dives. But for others especially new divers being at depth is not always fun for them. One simple thing is that when you are at 1500 psi then if at depth them maybe it's time to go a little bit shallower rather than going deeper which I suspect this diver with 1000 psi did.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Yeah I’m aware that you shouldn’t figure in a drop bottle for planning. My point is that in my AOW deep dives there was always one just in case.

During these dives I paid close attention to my NoDeco times and especially when it was down to single digits. Never let it get down to below 6 minutes.

That was in a training environment. They aren't widely used outside of training. It is expected that the divers will bring and manage their gas supplies appropriately. You and your buddy should plan the dive to ensure you have adequate gas plus a conservative safety margin (the rock bottom mentioned above).

The only charters I've encountered that have drop bottles, and I can count them on one hand, kept them at the safety stop depth and not at depth.

 

[tbone1004]

Yeah I’m aware that you shouldn’t figure in a drop bottle for planning. My point is that in my AOW deep dives there was always one just in case.

During these dives I paid close attention to my NoDeco times and especially when it was down to single digits. Never let it get down to below 6 minutes.

never plan on them being there because you have no idea which boats are going to have them, nor if they are in use by someone else when you come back to them.