When there is no helium or it costs $$$??

[alexxred]

I'm curious what the DIR perspective is on diving within 40-50m rang when there is no helium available or it costs mega bucks.

For example here in Australia, to fill twin 12L tanks your looking at around $200AUD. That's about 170USD. In New Zealand it is even more expensive, like 12c a litre!!

Furthermore what if where you are diving you don't have access to helium. Am i right in saying it would just simply be that you don't do the dive?

 

[dkatchalov]

I'm not DIR but I'm fairly certain I read on a DIR/GUE resource that when diving below 100ft divers are encouraged to add helium to their breathing gases.

 

[nadwidny]

Furthermore what if where you are diving you don't have access to helium. Am i right in saying it would just simply be that you don't do the dive?

No. You don't go to that place in the first place.

 

[lamont]

No. You don't go to that place in the first place.

And every single GUE standard is written to an END (with oxygen being narcotic) of 100 fsw / 30 msw or less. No exceptions. Never any mention of an exception from any GUE instructor.

 

[TSandM]

The DIR answer would be that you either arrange to have the appropriate gases available, or you don't do that dive.