when to 100'?

[MXGratefulDiver]

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?

Rather than ask yourself when you should go ... ask yourself why you should go.

When you can come up with what you consider a legitimate reason, it's time to start preparing.

How to prepare?

Learn something about managing your gas supply ... 100 feet isn't the place you suddenly want to learn the significance of Boyle's Law as it applies to gas consumption. I make my AOW students prepare a deep dive plan that includes figuring out how much gas they need ... not because I expect them to do it on every deep dive, but because it gives them practical knowledge in how increased pressure affects how quickly they can blow through a tank of breathing gas. It also usually provides a graphic demonstration of why it's not a good idea for a new diver to be going deep on an AL80.

Practice your buoyancy control ... losing buoyancy at 100 feet can be far more catastrophic than losing buoyancy at 50 feet. You want to be able to deal with common problems like a leaky mask or an OOA handoff without worrying about your buoyancy. Practice those skills in shallow water till you can do them comfortably while holding your depth steady.

And mostly, be comfortable in the water ... you WILL be narc'ed at 100 feet. Different people handle it differently, but narcosis can stress you out ... and the likelihood of getting stressed increases dramatically if you're still struggling with in-water comfort. Stress is not your friend under any circumstances underwater ... but the deeper you go, the worse trouble it can cause you.

I do understand where you're coming from ...for the new diver, depth is a fascination. Oddly, we seem to lose that fascination as we get more experience. Until about a month ago, I did my deepest-ever dive when I was a fairly new diver. Never felt the urge to go that deep again until I got into technical training ... I think a lot of divers go through that cycle.

My advice ... don't go deep until you've got a good reason to ... one that satisfies you that it's a means to an end, rather than the end itself ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[OHGoDive]

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

When I die, my card dies with me!

 

[UWupnorth]

When you are compleetly comfortable with buoyancy and know how to do a proper gas plan. If you have to ask, You're not ready.

 

[shark_tamer]

:14: The underwater police will get you, when you least expect it !!!!

 

[Walter]

There's nothing magical about 100' or 60' for that matter. Your OW card does not limit you to 60' and an AOW card does not qualify you for 100'. Some charter boats operate that way, but it's simply not so.

The two major problems with that concept is first, it's quite easy to get an AOW card without being qualified to dive to 100'. It's possible to get an OW card with 4 dives to 60'. It's also possible to get an AOW card with 1 dive to 60'. Theoretically, you can have two divers with 9 logged dives each. Diver A has an OW cert with 9 dives all to 60'. Diver B has an AOW cert with 9 dives, 1 to 60' and 8 to 20'. Which one is qualified to dive to 100'? Neither. Diver A is farther along to being qualified, but neither is. Some charters would refuse the better qualified diver and accept the other. That's plain silly.

You are limited to a max depth of 60 feet while training for your OW card. After that, your depth is something you should slowly increase and gain experience as you go. Bob (NWGratefulDiver) gave some excellent advise (as usual). Read it and take it to heart. In addition, don't make huge jumps in depth. If your deepest dive has been to 20 feet, don't go straight to 60' on your next dive, gain some experience at 30 - 40', then some at 50 - 60'. It doesn't stop there, when you have a handle on narcosis (we are all narced on every dive) and on your air consumption, move deeper. A slow progression to deeper depths is the safer way to proceed.

 

[jeckyll]

IMO at 10 dives the real issue is that you don't know what you don't know.

Very few places I dive require you to go to 100' to see cool stuff. Around here, unless you are diving wrecks, <60 has the best things to see.

Just my $0.02

 

[nolatom]

Excellent advice above. Bear in mind that 100' in warm, clear, still water is ultimately less of a challenge than 45' in dark, cold water with a current running (but keeping Boyle's law in mind). Don't hurry it, it'll be there when you're ready. Just watch your gauges like a hawk.

That said, I went to 98' at the Flower Gardens as a rookie (100' was the op's limit), then went to 105' on my AOW deep dive off Destin.

Your mileage may vary. Take it slow, even though I probably didn't.

 

[BKP]

Probably won't be a popular response, however... If you and your buddy have your essentials under control, ie: buoyancy, trim, gas sharing, equipment deployment, comfort level, etc., *and* if the conditions are calm, relatively warm, good viz, *and* if you're with an experienced diver the first time (DM on up), I don't see a problem with it. In fact, those are the conditions you *do* want for your first deeper dive.

Some seem to 'get it' after just a few dives... Others are still fiddling with their power inflators and kicking the crap out of reefs even after dozens of dives...

One of my favorite dives is a relatively deep dive to the Spiegel Grove in Key Largo (so, there *are* things to see at that depth... although, I agree the most fascinating stuff is much shallower). It is a much easier, and less stressful dive then the colder, lower viz, quarries I'm used to. 100 feet down, at 50 degrees, in Pelham Blue Water quarry is *not* one of my favorite dives, and I probably won't do it again without some compelling reason (I don't dive dry... yet).

So... enjoy... and dive safe...

 

[Tienuts]

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

What organization is that with?

 

[RonFrank]

Walter, Bob, and others offer some very valid advice. I would stress air consumption, experience, planning, and why go deep, in that order. Why? Air consumption is a major issue at depth. If you suck air at 40 feet, you will be out of air quickly at 100', and it's MUCH more dangerous. Experience, well that goes hand in hand generally with air consumption, and the third rule, planning. Why do I put SAC, and experience in front of planning, well maybe I should not. But people with experience and identifiable SAC rates are MUCH better at planning. A couple reasons why newer divers should NOT push limits even if they do have a plan.

However planning is KEY, and make sure you have a plan, and stick with it. Don't jump on a boat with a unknown DM, and think they can take care of you. They can not. You need to understand your NDL, your SAC rate (air consumption), understand what to do when things go Wrong (experience). If you are uncomfortable, than either call, or change the plan to stay within a comfort zone.

Finally, have a reason to go deep. Sure I know tech divers that go deep to go deep.However they are generally very experienced, are doing so as a long term goal, and do so because they are training. However for most of us why go deep?

Some of my favorite dives are shallow, fun, relaxing reefs at 30~40fsw. However my FAVORITE dives in FL tend to be 80~100 reefs, and wrecks that are even deeper. While stress free shallow reefs are good, you may discover that deeper stuff is very worthwhile. The key is to know your boundaries by gaining experience.

I guess what I'm attempting to say is, make sure you are comfortable with what you are doing. Granted, it's OK to be a bit apprehensive in new situations, but in those cases, try and have trusted buddies with experience helping make a plan, and diving with you. And HERE is a HUGE key. While you need to be comfortable with your decisions, finding people with experience, training, and knowledge will make your diving MUCH safer. The hard part, how do you judge WHO?

If you are looking for Dive Buddies my BEST learning experiences have been diving with SB divers. They tend to make very good buddies, take diving seriously, and know their stuff. Use the board to hook up with SB divers, and dive. You will no regret it, but just like anything else, make sure you use judgment.