Using a pony. Mix?
- Thread starter stuartv
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OP
I'm really looking forward to it. And to knocking out 2 full specialties that I wanted anyway. And the course is super cheap for BAREG members. About half the normal cost to get those same 2 specialties. The 2 days of class on U-boats should be really cool. Fascinating history!
I've done the U-352 a few times. One time with wicked nasty current, once with about .0000001 knot of current and 80'-100' of visibility. Fun wreck.
I really want to get to the 701 & 85. If I can get to all 3, that would be my idea of a good U-Boat dive specialty!
I really want to get to the 701 & 85. If I can get to all 3, that would be my idea of a good U-Boat dive specialty!
And, the sense that you are 'touching' history is what makes the experience especially meaningful. Frankly, the dives aren't all that much - the U-boats aren't very big, the critters that have taken up residence aren't particularly unique or numerous, etc. But, as you descend on the wreck, with thoughts of how it came to be there prominent in your mind, you experience a certain sense of connection to a time in history that most of us today only know about from reading. At one level, the same can be said for all of the WWII wrecks off the coast. But, somehow, the U-boats evoke a special sensation, at least for me.stuartv:
For a number of years, I kept a home-made sign / poster tacked to a bulletin board in my office, labelled 'U-Boat Trifecta', which was essentially a map of the coast, with some downloaded U/W pictures of each of the 3 U-boats, aligned with their general locations. It was a bit of a conversation starter for people who came to the office for work-related meeting. I have always had benign experiences on the 352. The 701 for me has been the one with the broadest extremes of conditions, - current, temperature, and accessibility. The 85 has been more consistent - cold(er), poorer viz, but a good dive.
When I subsequently started diving the Tarpon, I came to appreciate just how small the U-boats were.
OP
What is special about those 3 particular U-boats that makes them "The Trifecta"? There are more U-boats sunk along the coast. I know of the U-1105 and U-853, at least.
The U-352 artifacts that Olympus Dive Center has on display were far more interesting to me than the wreck itself. But like Colliam said, the experience of just being there on the wreck is the thing.
That kinda struck me too as overly concerned about worst case out of all worst cases. We can only anticipate so many problems at a time. Being out-of-gas while being down to zero no-deco time at 110 feet seems like something none of us should have to anticipate dealing with. If there's really some not-insignificant likelihood of that happening, then I would imagine the dive really needs to be done as a technical dive.
OP
Nice passive-aggressive insult. But, let's put that aside. What, pray tell, is wrong with that plan?
NOAA NDL for 110'/EAN32 is 30 minutes. What's wrong with a plan to stay down for 29 minutes? What would be wrong with that plan even if I dove without a pony bottle?
---------- Post added February 27th, 2015 at 12:57 PM ----------
I specifically said "change to my pony, for whatever reason" on purpose - so as to not give any basis to just assume I ran out of gas. I was specifically thinking of other possibilities like 1st stage failure or a blown HP hose. I would (hopefully) never plan a dive that would involve running that low on air as a part of the plan.
I like to think of ALL the possibilities, then discount the ones that I choose to. I think that's better than not thinking things through thoroughly, identifying as many risks as possible, and deciding which ones to actually plan mitigation for. If I think of something, then decide "that's never going to happen. I'm not going to worry about it," that's fine. At least I made that as a conscious decision.
answering your question with another: What is your gas plan for this (you and your buddy)? What are the reserves and how are they managed?
If you want to ride that NDL that tight, you should have a lot more into a plan than "I'll switch to my pony"... as said right after my post, you are realistically bordering a technical dive.
What is the deco requirement (and the quantity of gas needed) if you trip that NDL? Do you have have it?
If you want to ride that NDL that tight, you should have a lot more into a plan than "I'll switch to my pony"... as said right after my post, you are realistically bordering a technical dive.
What is the deco requirement (and the quantity of gas needed) if you trip that NDL? Do you have have it?
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