Tech / Deep Diving at Mansfield Dam - 22-23

[FIXXERVI6]

Rand,
You make a good point.
While straight O2 is incredible there are serious side issues.
Straight Oxygen is a fickle beast and does not give any leeway.
Plus, it has depth restrictions.
Where 50% is earlier to jump onto and you can ride it longer.

I think at this point we should start watching our shifts in nitrogen also. This is more of a trimix issue but still good to start watching- I don’t want to get a Nitrogen shift or ‘slam’ in my ears.

Presently, I am passing on diving below 100 ft until the vis clears up.
Not enough reward for the problems.

Andrew

I'm also not passing into the depths until it clears up, current plan is to dive down to the best vis weather that be 30 feet 50 feet or 80 feet or whatever and ride it out, I dive deep for the vis down there, if its not down there, neither am I.

I also dive 50% as a single deco gas for lakes for the reasons stated above.

 

[PvilleStang]

Well, I hit up mansfield for my class a few weeks ago, and 80 wasn't all too unbearable, so at least you can swim the wall out there for a while and get a little night diving experience going. Especially since 80's had some time to clear out a bit over the last few weeks. BTW, did the rains last night add another inch to the lake levels before LCRA decides to drop it another two feet?

 

[FIXXERVI6]

Well, I hit up mansfield for my class a few weeks ago, and 80 wasn't all too unbearable, so at least you can swim the wall out there for a while and get a little night diving experience going. Especially since 80's had some time to clear out a bit over the last few weeks. BTW, did the rains last night add another inch to the lake levels before LCRA decides to drop it another two feet?

about 90% of my dives could be classified as night

night dives
cave dives
dives with 0 ambient light due to depth and vis

my lights are a perminent part of my rig

 

[PvilleStang]

I'll ditto that, I finally got my can light back in feb, and it goes wherever my rig goes. Any dive I do in Travis needs one anymore, even at 60 that thing helps tons!

 

[Daylonious]

Just out of curiousity what are your goals, cave, wreck, cards, bottom of lakes?

*EVENTUALLY* - I'd like to get full trimix and do some serious wreck diving. My shop is going to Palau in 2007 to do some deep (200-250') wreck dives and I really really want to go, so that's what I'm working towards..

In the future I'd really like to learn wreck penetration - I've been in the cenotes in Akumal and although it's amazing - it just doesn't hold the same fascination for me as wrecks do.

D.

 

[Daylonious]

nah, we just make this stuff up as we go along...since the lake has no seasonal or dynamic variation, the vis should probably be the same as last summer.

Don't forget to bring some EAN80...

**SLAPS HEAD** "D'oh!"

D.

 

[FIXXERVI6]

*EVENTUALLY* - I'd like to get full trimix and do some serious wreck diving. My shop is going to Palau in 2007 to do some deep (200-250') wreck dives and I really really want to go, so that's what I'm working towards..

In the future I'd really like to learn wreck penetration - I've been in the cenotes in Akumal and although it's amazing - it just doesn't hold the same fascination for me as wrecks do.

D.

What about stepping back and getting some classes in for wreck / penetration first? not trying to tell you what to do just thinking out loud

If you want to wreck dive but you are waiting until after trimix its kind of goign to slow you down, if you have nothing but OW experience (I consider extended range open water, no hard overhead) your not going to want to penetrate wrecks at 250 feet anyway when you start wreck diving, you'll want to build up to it, or not but thats my take on it, just like my cave diving, I wanted to get my cave training out of the way before trimix and get a lot of cave diving under my belt before I take on mix and deep caves, if I had done mix first, I'd still be limited to the shallower caves even witha mix cert just to gain experience in a new environment before I push on.

I'm not saying don't take it I'm just saying to me it doesn't make much sense to take extended range and trimix to dive deep wrecks when you have no wreck penetration experience / certifications when the ultimate goal is to dive wrecks.

just my opinion

I'll be at the dam this weekend, maybe we can meet up and chew the fat on the SI

 

[Crazyduck]

Daylonious,
Sir, I don’t know you so this is not meant to be discouraging or rude.
But please take your time in getting into serious deep water.

Palau is known for serious currents, SPAM for food, helium that costs more than your left nut and the nearest deco chamber is in Guam run by the U.S. Military.

200ft dives represent real issues, with limited bottom time, bailout gas, decompression gas, serious decompression hangs and not all the creatures in that neighborhood are nice. Nothing like flapping in a 2-plus knot current looking like a meaty chew toy while doing decompression and having no were to hide.

While many other divers and myself included have such urges they need to be tempered with experience, practice and sound procedures that you and your team already have in place.

Please take care in this process.
There is nothing worse than looking up from deep water and starting a conversation with yourself that opens with ‘Dear God.’ I have had one of those and it is not somethig you never want to do ever again.

Take care, Andrew

 

[texdiveguy]

*EVENTUALLY* - I'd like to get full trimix and do some serious wreck diving. My shop is going to Palau in 2007 to do some deep (200-250') wreck dives and I really really want to go, so that's what I'm working towards..

In the future I'd really like to learn wreck penetration - I've been in the cenotes in Akumal and although it's amazing - it just doesn't hold the same fascination for me as wrecks do.

D.

D.,,, great to see someone other then I interested in wreck diving beyond sport limits with added penetration dives. 250' dives in OW on wrecks whether done with penetration or not is very serious diving,,,and I admire your persuit to those levels! I know you are involved in a Divemaster program as I recall...that is a super start toward your goals. I know you have Adv. Nitrox and Deco.,again a must for you. If you have not taken a good quality sport Wreck Diver class with a good instructor with real-world wreck exp. I would recomm. it,as many Adv. Wreck Diving instr. will req. it. Also a class which I am going to do is a basic Cavern Diving class,,,,you will pick up good line and reel skills//propulsion techniques and some gear configuration ideas (althought wreck is a bit different in the req. gear). Trimix is a good course for any deep OW or tech/serious wreck penetration diving. Then you might take a 4-5 day Adv.Wreck Diver program--this will be invaluable. Don't rush yourself because it is exp$$$ and req. time and travel. Wreck penetration diving involves all the skills and risks associated with full cave diving and then some because of the potentially rough O/W settings and the shear nature of wrecks.....and generally will req. deeper pockets$ in terms of diving wreck sites. Above all keep diving...sport/tech whatever,,,experience is the best training ground. Best of luck man!!!! Alan

 

[FIXXERVI6]

... Wreck penetration diving involves all the skills and risks associated with cave diving and then some ...

Sorry but this is not correct, some risks are similar some are different, but wreck penetration does not involve all of the skills and risks assocated with cave diving and then some, this statement is simply not correct.

just for a quick example do think you will ever find yourself 3,000 feet inside a wreck from an exit? Due to the penetration range of cave dives some of the rules change, this doesn't make a cave diver more of a "man" than a wreck diver, it just means not all of the risks and skills in cave diving apply to wreck diving - different, just like in a cave you don't have to worry about the current shifting on you or the cave colapsing on your, its just differnet environments with unique risks.