Performing technical dives on same boat with recreational divers
- Thread starter Garth
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In answer to the OP: yes it can be done, and it can be done in safety, especially for wreck dives. Wall or drift dives are different.
However, there are a few requisites.
1. the rec divers do two dives on the same site (usually OK for wrecks)
2. the Tec do only one dive.
3. the boat can reliably drop a shot line to the wreck - must be a shot line with a buoy at the surface, and a second buoy on a 5m line - boat ties onto the 5m line.
4. the divers are prepared to listen for and obey any recall signal given.
As the boat handler, I would always want to be able to recall divers and be able to leave the site ASAP.
Now what I have done in the past is this:
- accurately drop the shot line (or tie onto a permanent buoy)
- On arrival throw the rec into the water for their first dive (usually 40-45 minutes)
- Throw the tech divers into the water afterwards, and timed so that they enter into a deco obligation a good 10-15 minutes after the planned end of the first rec dive.
- The Tec divers go into a deco obligation during the rec SI, and they perform all deco and get out of the water before the rec go in for their second dive - usually gives an SI of around 75 minutes for a >100 min tec dive - of course, actual timing depends on depths and relative dive times.
The advantages of this are
1. during the first dive the boat is free to leave the shot line at any time to pick up any emergency. All divers down can be recalled in an emergency.
2. The tec are in deco with no other divers in the water - as such boat is managed as for normal deco diving.
3. everybody goes in and out at different times to avoid too much clutter and mess on the deck.
4. boat free to collect Tec divers if they surface away from the boat.
5. second rec dive has no tec in the water.
6. boat free to collect Rec divers after their second dive if they surface away from the boat.
7. the two buoy shot line means that any divers doing stops on the shot line are away from the boat if it has to leave the line for any reason - if the boat has to leave, surfacing divers tie onto the 5m line and are at no risk from surface currents.
The only down side is that it takes a few minutes longer than the normal two dive rec profile.
HTH
Jon
However, there are a few requisites.
1. the rec divers do two dives on the same site (usually OK for wrecks)
2. the Tec do only one dive.
3. the boat can reliably drop a shot line to the wreck - must be a shot line with a buoy at the surface, and a second buoy on a 5m line - boat ties onto the 5m line.
4. the divers are prepared to listen for and obey any recall signal given.
As the boat handler, I would always want to be able to recall divers and be able to leave the site ASAP.
Now what I have done in the past is this:
- accurately drop the shot line (or tie onto a permanent buoy)
- On arrival throw the rec into the water for their first dive (usually 40-45 minutes)
- Throw the tech divers into the water afterwards, and timed so that they enter into a deco obligation a good 10-15 minutes after the planned end of the first rec dive.
- The Tec divers go into a deco obligation during the rec SI, and they perform all deco and get out of the water before the rec go in for their second dive - usually gives an SI of around 75 minutes for a >100 min tec dive - of course, actual timing depends on depths and relative dive times.
The advantages of this are
1. during the first dive the boat is free to leave the shot line at any time to pick up any emergency. All divers down can be recalled in an emergency.
2. The tec are in deco with no other divers in the water - as such boat is managed as for normal deco diving.
3. everybody goes in and out at different times to avoid too much clutter and mess on the deck.
4. boat free to collect Tec divers if they surface away from the boat.
5. second rec dive has no tec in the water.
6. boat free to collect Rec divers after their second dive if they surface away from the boat.
7. the two buoy shot line means that any divers doing stops on the shot line are away from the boat if it has to leave the line for any reason - if the boat has to leave, surfacing divers tie onto the 5m line and are at no risk from surface currents.
The only down side is that it takes a few minutes longer than the normal two dive rec profile.
HTH
Jon
cwhite6
Contributor
Just in case you do not want to read the first page.
I've done this before on the oriskany. Me any my dive buddy were doing a tech dive and bunch of divers doing Rec profiles.
My plan would include double 120's with 50% on deco with about 18-20 min deco. My concern is with the Rec divers having a problem and the boat pulling me off my deco. The dive is to 95ft. 45-60min on air backgas. Would have been great to have nitrox 36% but I was unable to get a fill and well my tanks are filled with air now so that's what I thought I would do.
I am adv nitrox and deco certified. I will be diving alone but would rather not make this into one of those threads. Figure I would answer the questions so far though.
Just in case you do not want to read the first page.
I've done this before on the oriskany. Me any my dive buddy were doing a tech dive and bunch of divers doing Rec profiles.
My plan would include double 120's with 50% on deco with about 18-20 min deco. My concern is with the Rec divers having a problem and the boat pulling me off my deco. The dive is to 95ft. 45-60min on air backgas. Would have been great to have nitrox 36% but I was unable to get a fill and well my tanks are filled with air now so that's what I thought I would do.
I am adv nitrox and deco certified. I will be diving alone but would rather not make this into one of those threads. Figure I would answer the questions so far though.
Thanks, missed it entirely. I was basing it off his profile as a PADI AOW diver with a SB Challenge to get AN/DP.
That and I know of no operation on my West coast that takes rec and tec divers to the "O" on the same boat.
OP
Garth
Contributor
Just to report after the weekend.
Cape fear dive center canceled and gave no reason for cancel - I won't be doing technical dives with them and don't recommend anyone else. I called back and asked a few more questions and well they have no idea what they are doing...
So I called aquatic safaris who I dove with before on the cassimer with a run time of around 90 minutes. They canceled due to low turnout.... I would do tech dives with them if the situation came around again.
So I called coastal scuba... FYI these guys are not technical divers... At all. We did two dives on barracuda alley. One other person had more than ten dives on the boat... Two people were on their first dive and the seas were 5ft so well.. Two thirty minute dives were had because that is what the captain requested. By the time I got the go for the dive I didn't care where or for how long.. I just wanted to dive.
No problems, no worries, just a clear understanding that who you dive with matters... Both for the operation your using and your buddy.
Advice: choose wisely. ;-)
Cape fear dive center canceled and gave no reason for cancel - I won't be doing technical dives with them and don't recommend anyone else. I called back and asked a few more questions and well they have no idea what they are doing...
So I called aquatic safaris who I dove with before on the cassimer with a run time of around 90 minutes. They canceled due to low turnout.... I would do tech dives with them if the situation came around again.
So I called coastal scuba... FYI these guys are not technical divers... At all. We did two dives on barracuda alley. One other person had more than ten dives on the boat... Two people were on their first dive and the seas were 5ft so well.. Two thirty minute dives were had because that is what the captain requested. By the time I got the go for the dive I didn't care where or for how long.. I just wanted to dive.
No problems, no worries, just a clear understanding that who you dive with matters... Both for the operation your using and your buddy.
Advice: choose wisely. ;-)
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