when to 100'?

[jon m]

hey all-
just wondering about depth(for me) i know others have been MUCH deeper, but i haven't seen 100' yet, so it's deep for me.
for instance- while in hawaii, we (2) were going to dive to about 80-90' at a spot (with DM, and 2others) we're only OW with 10 dives at that point. i felt comfortable, wife was worried. it was the whole " we can't go deeper than 70' because we're only OW" more than the depth that made her worried. anyway, we didn't do the dive because another boat was on the spot and ended up at 65' for 2 awsome dives.
i'm, however, not one who wants to "break records" , just wondering if it came up again- wouldn't it be o-k , if with a DM ( couldn't it go to AOW - deep dive?)
thoughts?

 

[shark_tamer]

... we're only OW with 10 dives at that point. i felt comfortable

Only OW certfied and went 100' ....:no

:huh: I say OW divers shouldn't go deeper than 20 meters ( 45' feet ?? ).

What's on the agenda for your next dives ... wrecks and caves !!! :shakehead

Sorry but I'm pretty stiff on yhis matter !!!

 

[TSandM]

Swimming around at 100' is no different from swimming around at 60', so you might think it really doesn't matter.

But it does.

If you have a problem underwater at 20', your best resource is the surface. If you have a problem at 200', almost certainly the surface is NOT your best option if the problem can conceivably be solved underwater. In between, you have to make a judgment call.

If your mask got kicked off at 100', could you and your buddy execute a controlled ascent? If one of you ran out of air at 100', could you begin to air-share, and make a controlled ascent to the surface? How much gas will it take to do that? Do you have enough? How do you figure that out?

My personal opinion is that you should be able to answer those questions easily before you plan on diving to those depths. Of course, that's not what I DID . . . I went to 130 feet on my 10th dive in Molokini Crater. But I know a lot more now than I did then!

 

[DivingCRNA]

hey all-
just wondering about depth(for me) i know others have been MUCH deeper, but i haven't seen 100' yet, so it's deep for me.
for instance- while in hawaii, we (2) were going to dive to about 80-90' at a spot (with DM, and 2others) we're only OW with 10 dives at that point. i felt comfortable, wife was worried. it was the whole " we can't go deeper than 70' because we're only OW" more than the depth that made her worried. anyway, we didn't do the dive because another boat was on the spot and ended up at 65' for 2 awsome dives.
i'm, however, not one who wants to "break records"
thoughts?

When did "feel comfortable" become a good reason to do a dive that you are not ready for?

Remember-you can go as deep as the bottom. It is the return trip that really counts.

100 feet is 35 feet and another atmosphere of pressure deeper than 65 feet. Air consumption will be faster, nitrogen absorption is faster, you could easily wind up narced or in deco. Are you looking to cope with all of this with 10 whole OW dives under your belt?

I have 76 dives. 7 of them are deeper than 100 feet. 3 of them were probably too deep for my experience at the time, but I did not know any better.

Depth will always bee there. Take your time getting there. Depth required a lot more focus that I used to appreciate.

 

[spectrum]

Most OW cards are good for 60 feet. This is more of a guideline though some boats will hold you to it. Making the deeper dives does incuur some elevated risk including nitrogen narcosis and the inability to make a CESA in most cases. A good AOW class will help you explore and understand these things along with how to mitigate the risks.

It can also be done through mentoring, independent study and dumb luck.

Doing so unprepared but with a DM is a "trust me dive". Dive masters have been known to get distracted and groups have frequently misplaced a diver. IMO if you and your buddy are not prepared to make the dive as a pair then don't count on a DM to keep you safe. You and you alone are repsosible for your welfare. Any assistance is a bonus.

Plenty have done it and plenty more will so it can be done. It's really about risk management. Are you feeling lucky today?

Pete

 

[Thalassamania]

Lynne's got it right. Dive no deeper than you are:

1. completly confident that you could make a free ascent from, or
2. completly confident that you could make a backup equipment dependent controlled ascent from, or
3. completly confident that you and your buddy could execute a controlled dependent ascent from.

 

[cudachaser]

For my OW certifications the cards are good to 130ft. The 60ft limitations are for the first 4 training dives

 

[OHGoDive]

But I know a lot more now than I did then!

I've found this to be a very sound insight in matters like this. At 10 or so dives, you really don't know everything that can go wrong at depth, let alone be able to comfortably deal with any of them, should they occur.

As far as myself, until I know and understand the reasons why I shouldn't do a particular dive, and be reasonably certain that I can deal with them should they occur... I'm not ready to do them unsupervised. It won't take long, and there's plenty to do at the level that I am at.

It's like walking into a dark, forboding cave. Unless I know what's in there... I'm letting someone else go first.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

The issue really is not whether or not to go deep, but why? Is there something you really want to see at that depth? To prove something? The deeper you go, the darker and riskier it gets, so if you want to see a wreck at 120' or a wall, fine. But in many places, what you can see and do at 100' isn't much different than what you see and do at 60 or 40', and you can see it better in shallower depths. Too many people look at the depth gauge and not at the beauty around them at all levels of the sea.

 

[Thalassamania]

For my OW certifications the cards are good to 130ft. The 60ft limitations are for the first 4 training dives

The card may be good, but then it's not the card's life is it?