padi dive depths?

[23angler]

i have a friend at work that i got into a bit of tat with today. i just did my padi ow and i am certified to 60 feet as far as i understand. he did his padi ow about 15 years ago and said that he is certified to 130 ft. i said that you need to do the aow course to get certified to that depth. question is did padi change there course ratings due to safty or something in that order. or is one of us right.

let me know
thanks
brian

 

[Gary D.]

i have a friend at work that i got into a bit of tat with today. i just did my padi ow and i am certified to 60 feet as far as i understand. he did his padi ow about 15 years ago and said that he is certified to 130 ft. i said that you need to do the aow course to get certified to that depth. question is did padi change there course ratings due to safty or something in that order. or is one of us right.

let me know
thanks
brian

Neither, Both.
No SCUBA police out there but 60' is the recomended depth for new divers and 130' is the safe recomended depth.

OW is certified to dive. Safe SCUBA limit is 130'.

Gary D.

 

[23angler]

I thought that on dive boats that they can stop you from going on a dive deeper that a certification allows.

From my understanding is that the new padi ow cert is good to 60 and that aow is good to 100 or 130.



Can someone clarify this for me?

 

[northcoast_diver]

It used to be that there were no max depth limits given for the open water certification. The longer ago someone was certified, in terms of decades, the deeper their open water course ostensibly taught them to go. 30 years ago, my first semester college scuba class covered diving to 250 ft including Navy deco tables.

Today that has all changed. Navy deco tables are not taught at all. People are taught to stay within NDL limits. It was not always taught that way.

In a college scuba class today, you would be taught to dive no deeper than the generally accepted nacosis limit of ppN2 of 4.0 which corresponds to about 130 ft. (4.0/0.79 - 1) x 33 ft = 134.1 ft.

In a local dive shop course, 50 to 60 ft is a better limit, since it would take their AOW course in addition, to teach you all the things that a college scuba course would.

So your friend is right, but it also depends on what he/she was taught in their own class. I doubt that any PADI basic cert would be safe beyond 50 to 60 ft, even 15 years ago. But maybe they (PADI) were teaching better than they are today?

 

[partridge]

This was posted by RIDIVER in another thread

Padi limits are:
60 ft OW diver
100 ft AOW diver
130 ft Deep Diver Specialty certified


I suggest you read it. It is called "Is 130 feet too deep" in this same forum.

 

[northcoast_diver]

I thought that on dive boats that they can stop you from going on a dive deeper that a certification allows.

From my understanding is that the new padi ow cert is good to 60 and that aow is good to 100 or 130.



Can someone clarify this for me?

On most dive boats, they won't care.

On a really good dive boat, they will log you back onto the boat and record your depth and time. Based on the depths and times of all the divers, they will select a 2nd dive site, etc.

If you dived too deep for their comfort level, they would ground you for any further diving that day. Its always the captain's call, because he is ultimately responsible for everyone on his boat. Their comfort level is normally going to be in the 100 to 130 range, depending on your training.

For what its worth, TDI puts MODs on each of their technical diving C-cards. Advanced trimix is limited to 330 ft. Basic trimis to 200 ft. Extended range to 185 ft. Advanced nitrox 150 ft. Etc. For all other agencies, 130 ft is presumed to be the max depth limit.

However a boat captain is going to want to see you properly configured for anything deeper than 130 ft. And even then, since the normal surface interval requirement for a deep technical dive is 3 hours, one deep dive and your diving is over with anyway for that boat trip.

 

[RonDawg]

I thought that on dive boats that they can stop you from going on a dive deeper that a certification allows.

Some dive boat operators will, on the more difficult dives, ask about your dive experience.

Then again I've been on dive boats where they never asked to see my c-card.

Just like Gary D. said there isn't a SCUBA cop at the 60 foot level asking you to show your c-card and log book entries. It's ultimately up to you to know what your limitations are.

And Brian, you are right to question your co-worker as to whether or not you should be going to such depths. Just because you CAN go to 130 feet doesn't mean you SHOULD.

 

[northcoast_diver]

... Just because you CAN go to 130 feet doesn't mean you SHOULD.

Exactly right.

A new diver should stay in the 20 to 50 ft range, until their AOW class.

A college diver will have covered OW, AOW, rescue, and maybe nitrox all during one semester, down to depths of 100 or so feet.

 

[Michael Schlink]

The RECOMMENDED depth limit , By PADI, is, and hasn't changed for a quite a long time is
OW diver 60
60-100 training beyond OW
and the max depth 130'
Also every diver that enrolls in a PADI course is supposed to sign a statement of understanding that basically states that you, the diver will " Engage only in diving activities consistent with my training and experience" and "limit maximum depth to my level of training and experience"

 

[DandyDon]

I thought that on dive boats that they can stop you from going on a dive deeper that a certification allows.

From my understanding is that the new padi ow cert is good to 60 and that aow is good to 100 or 130.



Can someone clarify this for me?

Really, his question is ligit. I had already done 100 feet on a Discover Scuba dive - in the far Carriban where rules are but suggestiions :ssst: , and when I asked my Paid instructor about this, his answers were pretty vague.

Some boats will ask for AOW and/or logbbook showing recent deep experiences, but most of the many I've been on don't bother. Indeed, as Ron said, most don't look at my card. I'm going to start flashing my SSI Sientific Diver when assked.