PADI Deep Diver course- gas management

[jadairiii]

Can anyone out there that teaches, or has taken the course, tell me what PADI teaches regarding Gas Management? I have a friend's son looking to take it, and I dont want to dump all over it, any class you will learn something, but it would be nice to know for reference, what they teach? Just a rough outline.

Is it like GUE's minimum gas standards?

 

[Lorenzoid]

As I lamented over in that thread about whether the Deep cert is really necessary, as with many courses, it seems individual instructors have some latitude as to what is taught (much less than, say, GUE instructors). In my PADI Deep course, as far as I can recall, I was taught how to calculate gas consumption at depth, etc., and from there I was admonished broadly to reserve enough gas for the planned dive. We never got into anything as specific as Rock Bottom (or in GUE's lexicon, Minimum Gas). As I said in that thread, I felt the instruction I received (and again, that may not be representative of all PADI Deep courses) did not arm me with enough specific procedures to enable me to confidently and safely plan and execute dives in the 100-130 ft range.

 

[jadairiii]

....reserve enough gas for the planned dive......

Thanks, this is sort of what I expected. It will be interesting if I get more responses with different information.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Thanks, this is sort of what I expected. It will be interesting if I get more responses with different information.

I would skip the PADI Deep diver and do the TDI ANDP course where you learn deco on mixed gases assuming the student already has nitrox cert.

 

[scubadada]

Can anyone out there that teaches, or has taken the course, tell me what PADI teaches regarding Gas Management? I have a friend's son looking to take it, and I dont want to dump all over it, any class you will learn something, but it would be nice to know for reference, what they teach? Just a rough outline.

Is it like GUE's minimum gas standards?

It would be great to hear from PADI instructors currently teaching Deep Diver regarding the content and requirements. It would also be interesting to see the eLearning materials/manual.

I took PADI Deep Diver 20 years ago in 2004 in Grand Cayman. Though I do not remember all of the details, I am certain that I did no formal gas requirement calculations. I did not know my RMV at the time and did not calculate it during the class. I dived an AL80 to 108, 116, 130, and 102 feet. The dives were relatively short, 38-43 min. I have no idea what the avg depths were and did not record my end pressures. I imagine that we did discuss turn, ascent, and reserve pressures but have no specific memory of it. I did not record this information in my log.

 

[tursiops]

Can anyone out there that teaches, or has taken the course, tell me what PADI teaches regarding Gas Management? I have a friend's son looking to take it, and I dont want to dump all over it, any class you will learn something, but it would be nice to know for reference, what they teach? Just a rough outline.

Is it like GUE's minimum gas standards?

Not sure exactly what you want. Gas management is part of the bookwork, classwork, and each of the four dives. The overriding principle is:

Plan and manage gas use, including determining turn pressure, ascent pressure and reserve pressure. Establish no stop and dive time limits.​

The Deep manual goes into gas consumption. calculating planned usage, etc. The fundamental constraint is maintaining a reserve pressure.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I took deep diver in about 2006 or 2007 at Gilboa Quarry in OH. That is a great site for the course. I do not recall specifics, but it did not include gas planning to the level of rock bottom type minimum gas calculations. My instructor focused more on redundant gas (I was not yet diving doubles), closely watching NDL and narcosis exposure in a guided setting. There was certainly gas planning, but more along the lines of a stern talking to about burning through gas faster and therefore you need to start ascending sooner. Nothing that I recall too complex about how to calculate WHEN to start your ascent. I didn't get that until I took Wreck Diver from a DIR-focused instructor.

 

[tursiops]

I took deep diver in about 2006 or 2007 at Gilboa Quarry in OH. That is a great site for the course. I do not recall specifics, but it did not include gas planning to the level of rock bottom type minimum gas calculations. My instructor focused more on redundant gas (I was not yet diving doubles), closely watching NDL and narcosis exposure in a guided setting. There was certainly gas planning, but more along the lines of a stern talking to about burning through gas faster and therefore you need to start ascending sooner. Nothing that I recall too complex about how to calculate WHEN to start your ascent. I didn't get that until I took Wreck Diver from a DIR-focused instructor.

Your memory of a course 18 years ago is interesting, but probably not very relevant to someone taking the class today from a different instructor.
My response was what the PADI Instructor Manual says, today.
Whether a particular instructor meets that standard, ignores it, or goes beyond it, is the key issue.
Anyone thinking to take the class would be advised to discuss with the instructor -- before the class -- how gas management will be addressed. The background do do this should have been obtained in the student's AOW class, which is a prereq for Deep.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Your memory of a course 18 years ago is interesting, but probably not very relevant to someone taking the class today from a different instructor.
My response was what the PADI Instructor Manual says, today.
Whether a particular instructor meets that standard, ignores it, or goes beyond it, is the key issue.
Anyone thinking to take the class would be advised to discuss with the instructor -- before the class -- how gas management will be addressed. The background do do this should have been obtained in the student's AOW class, which is a prereq for Deep.

Fair enough, but the OP asked for thoughts from those who have taken the course. I have taken it and provided my thoughts.

Until I took Wreck Diver from a different instructor a few months later, I had never been exposed to rock bottom type gas planning. That much I am certain of. Whether my instructor taught to the standards I have no clue. I'm not and have never been a PADI instructor.

 

[scubadada]

...Anyone thinking to take the class would be advised to discuss with the instructor -- before the class -- how gas management will be addressed. The background do do this should have been obtained in the student's AOW class, which is a prereq for Deep.

Hi @tursiops

For my AOW in 2004, I took Wreck, Navigation, Deep, PPB, and DPV. Where in the curriculum is the background to discuss gas management located? I have no manuals left from this time.