Tech Mania

[Ste Wart]

You can take IANTD advanced Nitrox with 30 dives.

Technically it's not classed as tech with IANTD, sort of a grey area in between.

 

[Sat Diver]

Greetings Sergio,
I have not read the links you posted regarding oxygen and N2 narcotic levels. When Ii was first taught, a long time ago, we were told thatO2 is more narcotic than N2. Maybe that has changed, but I am not a very clever man, so I do not question what I was taught, unless there is reason to.
And in this case I see no reason to.
I know one thing for sure. I will take my chances with N2 narcosis rather than O2 poisoning.
Unfortunately when CNS poisoning strikes, it never looks at tables before doing so.
It is better to err on the conservative side.
I have dived in excess of 300 meters.
I dont consider depth, duration etc to be achievements.
The diver who lives longest wins.

You never know what you dont know, which is why conservative is good until you know more.

I wish you good luck.

 

[Sergio Longhi]

Greetings Sergio,
I have not read the links you posted regarding oxygen and N2 narcotic levels. When Ii was first taught, a long time ago, we were told thatO2 is more narcotic than N2. Maybe that has changed, but I am not a very clever man, so I do not question what I was taught, unless there is reason to.
And in this case I see no reason to.
I know one thing for sure. I will take my chances with N2 narcosis rather than O2 poisoning.
Unfortunately when CNS poisoning strikes, it never looks at tables before doing so.
It is better to err on the conservative side.
I have dived in excess of 300 meters.
I dont consider depth, duration etc to be achievements.
The diver who lives longest wins.

You never know what you dont know, which is why conservative is good until you know more.

I wish you good luck.

I totally agree with you, remember that I respected the ppo of 1.45 and my main concern was not to go narc because that con lead to dangerous situations too.
May be I'm just someone that is imagining things, but plain air is quite narcotic for me after 30 meters.

Other than that I'm well aware about the O2 poisoning and possible consequent death, thank you again to remind me how dangerous can be.

My main goal is not to goo deeper no metter what, friends invited me to go see a plane wreck at 52 meters on air, I think I'm not ready and I will refuse. I just want to learn more and I perceive that "tech" is the way to go.

 

[tstormdiver]

I totally agree with you, remember that I respected the ppo of 1.45 and my main concern was not to go narc because that con lead to dangerous situations too.
May be I'm just someone that is imagining things, but plain air is quite narcotic for me after 30 meters.

Other than that I'm well aware about the O2 poisoning and possible consequent death, thank you again to remind me how dangerous can be.

My main goal is not to goo deeper no metter what, friends invited me to go see a plane wreck at 52 meters on air, I think I'm not ready and I will refuse. I just want to learn more and I perceive that "tech" is the way to go.

Sounds like, if you are that worried about depth & narcosis, after completing your AN/DP or other tech courses you may pursue, you may want to look at recreational (Normoxic) Trimix. In Trimix, the He replaces the Nitrogen, thus reducing narcosis, without raising the PPO2 to potentially dangerous levels, down to certain depths. In the case of your last dive, you basically just exchanged 1 bullet in the chamber (Narcosis) for another (Oxygen Toxicity).

 

[TSandM]

Although I totally agree with the rest of the folks who are saying that fewer than 50 dives is too early to get into technical training or do technical dives (and Devon Diver said it perfectly!), I very strongly think that it's the perfect time to take GUE Fundamentals (or somebody else's Intro to Tech). Getting introduced to the skills you'll need and seeing what the difference in training and standards between the usual recreational curriculum and tech-style classes will be VERY useful, and may help YOU see why you need to go more slowly.

 

[watboy]

I've been diving on and off recreational for years. But never did more than a few dives a year, and never logged them. As luck would have it, I got laid off a few years ago and took the opportunity to become a beach bum and started a new log book. I got over 200 dives in the last 2 years, 100 of which i logged in just a few months and even did my DM course. I got better quickly diving that often, but at some point, I started to get a little complacent and cocky. You know what you know, but you don't know what you don't know. Then you get that first dive that scares the bejeebus out of you. It was around dive 70 when that happened to me. You realize that you really aren't as good a diver that you think you are. Before then, I was so gung ho about going tec, I was about to order my doubles wing and more regs, but I clearly wasn't ready, there was a lot more for me still to learn about recreational diving. So I got more dives, I became a more cautious, more deliberate diver. I crossed 200 dives earlier in the year and finally felt ready to do my tec course which I completed a few weeks back. It felt like starting all over at dive #1 again. I had to relearn buoyancy and trim like an OW noob. I found myself fumbling over tasks I thought I had mastered, such as launching an SMB. My SAC rate shot up. My instructor loves this exercise where we are all hovering in a circle and have to pass our deco bottles around. That was an even bigger circus than my DM equipment exchange. The biggest thing I got out of my tec class was realizing... I really am not as good a diver as I think I am. I am finally at the point where I can appreciate patience and humility. Tec diving is far less forgiving than rec diving.

 

[Sergio Longhi]

I've been diving on and off recreational for years. But never did more than a few dives a year, and never logged them. As luck would have it, I got laid off a few years ago and took the opportunity to become a beach bum and started a new log book. I got over 200 dives in the last 2 years, 100 of which i logged in just a few months and even did my DM course. I got better quickly diving that often, but at some point, I started to get a little complacent and cocky. You know what you know, but you don't know what you don't know. Then you get that first dive that scares the bejeebus out of you. It was around dive 70 when that happened to me. You realize that you really aren't as good a diver that you think you are. Before then, I was so gung ho about going tec, I was about to order my doubles wing and more regs, but I clearly wasn't ready, there was a lot more for me still to learn about recreational diving. So I got more dives, I became a more cautious, more deliberate diver. I crossed 200 dives earlier in the year and finally felt ready to do my tec course which I completed a few weeks back. It felt like starting all over at dive #1 again. I had to relearn buoyancy and trim like an OW noob. I found myself fumbling over tasks I thought I had mastered, such as launching an SMB. My SAC rate shot up. My instructor loves this exercise where we are all hovering in a circle and have to pass our deco bottles around. That was an even bigger circus than my DM equipment exchange. The biggest thing I got out of my tec class was realizing... I really am not as good a diver as I think I am. I am finally at the point where I can appreciate patience and humility. Tec diving is far less forgiving than rec diving.

I do agree that Tec diving is far less forgiving then rec diving, but you do agree that you learned a lot from tec diving, you do agree that you should go over 40 m without tec gear?

 

[DevonDiver]

I do agree that Tec diving is far less forgiving then rec diving, but you do agree that you learned a lot from tec diving,

You can learn a lot if you are at a stage to assimilate that extra knowledge. That 'stage' is complete proficiency at a recreational level.

you do agree that you should go over 40 m without tec gear?

I don't think that you should go below 40m without the gear, or the training, or the mindset, to ensure your safety and comfort.

If it was merely a question of 'gear' then the only restrictions on our safe depth limits would be our bank account balances...

 

[tstormdiver]

You can learn a lot if you are at a stage to assimilate that extra knowledge. That 'stage' is complete proficiency at a recreational level.

Amen... because my initial OW training was not what I would consider the best (didn't know it until I started into technical diving- you don't know what you don't know), it took me 2 yrs & multiple attempts to complete my Adv. Nitrox/ deco procedure course & another 2 yrs & attempts to complete cavern- full cave. I would go through the course, get constructive criticism from my instructor & take that criticism back home & work on the skills & problem areas, until I have them down pat, then try again.

I don't think that you should go below 40m without the gear, or the training, or the mindset, to ensure your safety and comfort.

If it was merely a question of 'gear' then the only restrictions on our safe depth limits would be our bank account balances...

I agree. Technical diving (in many ways like recreational diving, but on a much bigger scale), is a mix of the diver (training, ability & mindset) & the (proper) equipment for the dive. Diving beyond one's previous training without formal training or at a very minimum of mentorship (& you'd better make sure that mentor KNOWS what they are doing before entrusting your life to them), is asking for trouble. The courses are designed to let the diver advance in, at least, a semi- controlled environment. The mistakes have been made in the past, the courses (with their safety rules & guidelines) try to help the student avoid making those same mistakes & possibly paying the same consequences. The minimum prerequisites are just that,.... minimum. Like I stated in an earlier post. When I started my technical training, I had about 150 dives (I think minimum was 50, with a certain # of deep dives- I don't remember for sure), I was still VERY woefully unprepared. I found out the hard way (through taking the courses again & again, until I got it) that experience is a major player in being prepared. The only way to get experience is to dive (withing your training) & perfecting your skills.

 

[watboy]

I do agree that Tec diving is far less forgiving then rec diving, but you do agree that you learned a lot from tec diving, you do agree that you should go over 40 m without tec gear?

I was taught that two of the qualities a good tec diver possess is humility and patience. The humility to know and stick to your limits and the patience to master the skills within your limits and slowly push those limits. You have numerous divers and instructors with thousands of dives telling you to slow down, you should listen to them. I know the tec gear looks cool, and the redundant everything and extra gas seem useful to a rec diver. But if you were a skilled rec diver, you should never need any of that redundancy. The surface should always be readily available, you should never go OOA.