Quick Maui review- pictures

[Oside Jimc]

Yes it was a typo. I just checked my log book, and it was 140 on the dot. And yes, it was on an AL80 IIRC.

I am very glad that you had a good time, just as I'm planning on a good time when I visit Maui in 2 weeks, but before you try a dive to 140fsw on an al80 please read this to understand proper gas planning:
Rock Bottom Gas Planning

Tank Size
The rule of thumb is that you should not dive to a greater depth in fsw than your tank capacity in cu ft. This works reasonably well for most beginning and intermediate recreational divers and caps the depth that an Al80 should be dove to to 77 fsw (Al80 == 77.4 cu ft). A steel 100 tank should not be dove past 100 fsw and a steel 130 should not be dove past 130 fsw (which is the limits of recreational diving as well).
In some circumstances, experienced divers in good viz and warm waters may do dives to 100 fsw routinely on Al80s so this rule may clearly be stretched.

It is probably not a good idea to be doing dives to 130 fsw on Al80s under any circumstances, though, and inexperienced divers (100 dives or less) doing coldwater dives to 100 fsw on Al80s are what this rule is squarely aimed at preventing. Also, the diver with 100 dives who think they're okay with an Al80 at 100 fsw in warm water and good viz is probably at the edge of being overconfident.

I hope you don't think I'm being an @$$, just have serious concerns about the safety standards of an op that would take a diver with limited experience on a dive to such serious depth. So thank-you for sharing, now I know who NOT to dive with!

 

[DiveMaven]

I have to agree that I seriously question the intelligence of an operator that would take a new diver (25 dives is still a new diver IMO) to 147'. Guess I'll vote with my wallet since we were talking about booking a charter or two with Dive and Sea. Timely information for me....

Stevethepirate, it's great that you had an excellent time on Maui and enjoyed your diving. Thanks for the trip report, the pictures were fun and made me look forward to our trip in December.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Then again some divers have a wonderful sac rate. I've gone just a little deeper ()than 140 on an 80 and had plenty of air.

 

[TSandM]

Glad you had a wonderful time, and that looks like a really nice boat!

I would highly recommend you read the link provided above, about the concept of rock bottom gas. Another good link is THIS one. I have no problems with people taking risks, but I think they should be informed ones.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

So did you see anything special on the backside of Molokini at 140? I think it's a wonderful site and I'd love to check it out at the deeper depths... They had some interesting site descriptions in the Diving Hawaii and Midway book about the deeper sites on the backside.

Sean

 

[stevethepirate]

Thanks for the opinions guys. I'm not trying to sound cocky here, so I apologize if thats how I come off... and I know that I am young and think I am invincible, but here it goes.
I was using SIGNIFICANTLY less air than the other divers we went with, many of whom had 500-1000 dives under their belts. When they were at 500, I was at 1100 or 1200. There is no doubt in my mind that the DM would have refrained from taking us that deep if he thought we were not capable. In addition, in my now 35 dives, I had to deal with running out of air fairly deep in Dominica (faulty equipment), and was absolutely calm and had no problems. As tired as you guys probably are of hearing n00bs saying this, I don't think that my dive count truly represents my ability. So once again, I am sure that Captain john and the DM gauged our skills on the first 2 days, and then acted accordingly.

Unfortunately I am currenty 7600 miles away from my log book (in Oman for a while), but all that I can remember off hand was the black coral. That would be the main reason for me to go back down that deep. Other than that, I forget what exactly we saw on that dive.

DiveMaven- Give John a call. Not sure if he will remember the day exactly, but you can ask him what was up! As I said, he is a great guy. All depends on what you want I guess!

As soon as I get a chance, I will read up on some of these links that you guys posted. Always trying to learn more.
Cheers!

 

[blesi varney]

Aloha Steve,

Is the black coral you saw the one under the overhang near the end of the world? If so, did you see the 2 longnose hawkfish? They're a treat to see. Glad you had a good time, though. Take care.

 

[ApexLongimanus]

i really liked diving molokini but imho it does not come close to diving the red sea. no offense.

also, unless the depth of 140 fsw was accidental bounce (**** happens) i would clearly question the operator. i don't think that 25 dives enable you to make a qualified judgement on the risk you are taking.

as to the breathing, hope it is still above average when you run into problems where training and experience are a considerable part of a solution.

hope you enjoy oman. let us know how diving is over there....

 

[KrisB]

Thanks for the opinions guys. I'm not trying to sound cocky here, so I apologize if thats how I come off... and I know that I am young and think I am invincible, but here it goes.

I'm not hearing you coming off that way. I am, however, hearing an under-education on the perils of depths beyond your training and appropriate experience.

I was using SIGNIFICANTLY less air than the other divers we went with, many of whom had 500-1000 dives under their belts. When they were at 500, I was at 1100 or 1200.

The depth issue is not just an air consumption issue. This hit the nail on the head for that:

as to the breathing, hope it is still above average when you run into problems where training and experience are a considerable part of a solution.

But furthermore, you have little to no experience with narcosis at shallower depths. You also have little to no experience with the way depths that great affect your buoyancy... and that's of course assuming you have buoyancy control figured out (at 25 dives... you're probably just getting close to having that sorted) and you're correctly weighted.

There is no doubt in my mind that the DM would have refrained from taking us that deep if he thought we were not capable.

Did you stick with the DM, or is there a chance that your max depth was something that you went to, then the DM came down to get you?

In addition, in my now 35 dives, I had to deal with running out of air fairly deep in Dominica (faulty equipment), and was absolutely calm and had no problems.

Without specifics, I'm hesitant to afford any credit by this. What sort of equipment failure? Should it have been noticed by a pre-dive safety check? Being "absolutely calm" actually concerns me more...

As tired as you guys probably are of hearing n00bs saying this, I don't think that my dive count truly represents my ability.

It may not. Let's get crazy and give you double credit for the 25 dives you started this series with. So, you've got 50 dives and an open water certification. This is *still* an insufficient amount of training/experience to do this dive.

DiveMaven- Give John a call. Not sure if he will remember the day exactly, but you can ask him what was up! As I said, he is a great guy. All depends on what you want I guess!

also, unless the depth of 140 fsw was accidental bounce (**** happens) i would clearly question the operator.

Having dove with John & Emi before, I'm having trouble believing either of them would have advocated this dive for you if they had the same understanding of your training and experience as we have here.

i don't think that 25 dives enable you to make a qualified judgement on the risk you are taking.

I couldn't have said that better.

I really don't mean to rail on you -- I just really don't want to see you become part of DAN's annual report, and the potential for that to have happened in my playground (undoubtedly further restricting access to that dive site) upsets me greatly.

If you enjoy these deeper dives, PLEASE... GET MORE TRAINING!

 

[SterlingDiver]

I am glad you had a great time, but I have found the more you dive the more you actually respect the risk of the sport. Though, I will occasionally push the recreational limits, I find the more experiance I gain the less I am interested in going "deep" unless there is a significant reason to do so.

I would listen to your friends here and lay off the deeper stuff until you have a little more experiance. The narcosis risk to your judgement is enough reason to avoid rec. limits until you gain some more experiance.

Best of luck.

Dave