PADI Deep Diver Standards

[shoredivr]

No kidding, Thalassamania. I did an educational chamber run to 200 ft prior to taking a tech course and that sure was useful in terms of understanding being narced.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

You are right Jim. There should be an experience portion of the class. However, I do feel that taking students to the maximum depth of the cert on a training dive is not a good idea. Most tech training standards will not allow the instructor to take a student to the maximum depth. TDI Trimix course for example says the maximum depth for class isn't to exceed 180 feet, but it certifies the student to 200 feet.

Good point. I could see the argument for not taking a student to 130', even in a deep diver course. However, as you've indicated, 4 x 61' feels subpar. That's why I like the guidelines you listed. I think they are good, but an instructor doesn't have to follow the guidelines, just the standards. This is where asking questions and shopping around is critical if you're going to take the course.

 

[ppo2_diver]

This is where asking questions and shopping around is critical if you're going to take the course.

Absolutely!!!! Always be an informed consumer. This is why one should talk to the instructors teaching the class and not the fella behind the counter selling you the class.

 

[String]

I dont think a course should certify someone in theory to 40m when the deepest they may have experienced in training is 20m.

Id be more comfortable with mandating a minimum depth of 30m/100ft for it. Conditions there are nearer to the max.

If some sites cant offer that then tough - dont offer it. Its not doing anyone any favours training them "deep" diving and then taking them 3ft deeper than OW depth.

Also the "Adventure dive" deep is max depth 30m, only the full speciality is a 40m.

 

[Thalassamania]

No kidding, Thalassamania. I did an educational chamber run to 200 ft prior to taking a tech course and that sure was useful in terms of understanding being narced.

One of my first chamber runs was back in the mid 1970s at an ITC. Lee Somers had a chamber at Michigan and gave us an opportunity (in groups of 4) to make a drop to 160, this was when I found that I did not seem to get as impaired with depth as some others are.

In my group was that year’s Our World Underwater Scholar, a very straight-laced (surprised?) Lieutenant of the Michigan State Police and a PhD psychologist that went by the moniker of “Mad Dog Hamilton” (no relation to Bill Hamilton). We dropped down to 160 and I was feeling a little buzzed, but the other three were laughing uncontrollably, everything seemed hilarious to them.

Mad Dog then says, “there’s four ports and four of us, drop ‘em,” and proceeds to drop his pants about his ankles and paste his hams onto one of the ports. I was amazed as the State Policemen and the O/W U/W Scholar followed suit and then, more to not be left out than as a result of intoxication, I did the same. I could hear Lee through the coms yelling, “Bring them up” and there was a priceless scene at about 60 feet when everyone was sheepishly, and with sudden newfound modesty, trying to get their pants back up. It was an object lesson to me in what narcosis can do.

 

[Steve R]

I dont think a course should certify someone in theory to 40m when the deepest they may have experienced in training is 20m.

Id be more comfortable with mandating a minimum depth of 30m/100ft for it. Conditions there are nearer to the max.

If some sites cant offer that then tough - dont offer it. Its not doing anyone any favours training them "deep" diving and then taking them 3ft deeper than OW depth.

Also the "Adventure dive" deep is max depth 30m, only the full speciality is a 40m.

It does them even less good to bring them to where they should not be at that level of the game for any reason, unless you're counting organ donation, but then the benefactor of the deep dive is not the deep diving organ donor paying the cert fee.

The problem here as I see it is that you seem to think that "depth" is the all important thing here, which it is not.

Mandating a minimum depth of 100ft on a single tank with a dozen dives or so in my opinion is just more insanity on an already outrageously run class.

 

[in_cavediver]

It does them even less good to bring them to where they should not be at that level of the game for any reason, unless you're counting organ donation, but then the benefactor of the deep dive is not the deep diving organ donor paying the cert fee.

The problem here as I see it is that you seem to think that "depth" is the all important thing here, which it is not.

Mandating a minimum depth of 100ft on a single tank with a dozen dives or so in my opinion is just more insanity on an already outrageously run class.

There are two sides to this. Personally, I don't think a diver with a dozen dives has any buisness in a deep class to start with. Correct that and now you are looking a diver who has a legitimate interest in deep diving with some requisite skill to be at that depth. What's the point of the class unless you actually take them diving deeper where narcosis occurs? Do they need to hit 130' - No, should they get to 115'-120' - Yes.

I see the insanity in many places. Starting with the content of the course, moving through the required gear as gases, hitting student diver expierence and ending with the instructor's expierence.

As for the Trimix class, 180' max, end limit to 200', its apples and oranges to the PADI class. I see that as a very different animal. Simply put, in that case, the only variable depth adds is increased gas consumption. He allows you to decide what narcotic depth you are going to and you can adjust 02 content for O2 exposure. To be blunt, you can get in as much trouble at 180' on mix as at 200'.

 

[Steve R]

There are two sides to this. Personally, I don't think a diver with a dozen dives has any buisness in a deep class to start with. ....

yep, and that's all I need to know about what to think of their standards here. The fact that it's even allowed to be considered, is hosed up.

 

[Karibelle]

how is this course different from the deep dive in the AOW class? or i guess how does this course build on the lessons learned in the AOW class deep dive?

In the PADI world, the deep dive in the AOW course should be the same as "dive 1" of the deep diver course. Depending on how the instructor did the paperwork, adventure dives done in the AOW course may give you credit for dives in specialty courses, and vice versa.

kari

 

[Walter]

One of my first chamber runs was back in the mid 1970s at an ITC. Lee Somers had a chamber at Michigan and gave us an opportunity (in groups of 4) to make a drop to 160, this was when I found that I did not seem to get as impaired with depth as some others are.

In my group was that year’s Our World Underwater Scholar, a very straight-laced (surprised?) Lieutenant of the Michigan State Police and a PhD psychologist that went by the moniker of “Mad Dog Hamilton” (no relation to Bill Hamilton). We dropped down to 160 and I was feeling a little buzzed, but the other three were laughing uncontrollably, everything seemed hilarious to them.

Mad Dog then says, “there’s four ports and four of us, drop ‘em,” and proceeds to drop his pants about his ankles and paste his hams onto one of the ports. I was amazed as the State Policemen and the O/W U/W Scholar followed suit and then, more to not be left out than as a result of intoxication, I did the same. I could hear Lee through the coms yelling, “Bring them up” and there was a priceless scene at about 60 feet when everyone was sheepishly, and with sudden newfound modesty, trying to get their pants back up. It was an object lesson to me in what narcosis can do.

Reminds me of Heinlein's Gentlemen be Seated.