Why dive Deep Air?

[muddiver]

The 130' limit was put in place by the US Navy because that was the limit time and depth wise that allowed a reasonable amount of work to be done on scuba with twin 90 cu/ft tanks.
It had absolutely nothing to do with narcosis as scuba was allowed to 200 feet for short duration jobs and surface supplied air for long duration jobs and still is.
In the beginning rec agencies simply adopted what the Navy did without questioning why the Navy did what it did even though most rec diving was done with single 72 cu/ft tanks. Since then rec agencies have thrown in various depth limits for various reasons unrelated to narcosis in most cases..

I am under the understanding that it was/or is the maximum depth that a double hose regulator will work effectively, opposed to the twin 90 cu/ft cylinders.

 

[Andy077]

I had a very interesting experience in the Red Sea last October. I dove the same wreck three times -- twice on Nitrox, and once on mix. The first dive, I remember thinking that the wreck wasn't very interesting, because there was no color on it at all. That was at 100 feet, on 32%.

The second dive was much deeper, on mix, and I was stunned by the riot of color and life that was EVERYWHERE. I wondered if it was just a different time of day or different light (although I carry a 21W HID, so I have my own light down there). But I did the third dive at almost the same time, on 32%, and the wreck was dull and drab again.

That was the experience that really brought home to me how much narcosis affects my brain even now, when I don't feel paranoid or stupid any more.

Which wreck?

 

[sunspot11]

Hi In the 60s in COZ with my dad. There was only one dive shop and it was at the foot of the main peir. Julio Blanco was the owner, dive guide, boat Capt, ect. After 5 dives on the walls he asked me if I would like to make a deep dive to get Black Coral. (Black coral was sought after back then) We had been diving between 100 and 130 that week. He asked if I could find another diver that would like to go. I spent the next day and evening looking for a buddy I found one and we went with Juilo and made the dive with him. Palancar deep 200ft and we got the branch we went to get. It was nuts and we were narced, but we mad it. THANK GOD WE LEARN

 

[captain]

I am under the understanding that it was/or is the maximum depth that a double hose regulator will work effectively, opposed to the twin 90 cu/ft cylinders.

Nothing to do with the type of regulator, everything to do with time to get the job done.
There is a chart in my 1970 Navy diving manual that defines what type of dive scuba is suitable for. Dives to 200' under 15 minutes scuba is suitable. This was when the two hose was in common use.
The first single hose regulator to meet Navy approval was the Voit Swim Master MR 12 and it is not in the manual. It was the first single hose to meet Navy exhalation resistance standards.

Some of us vintage divers still dive our two hose regulators to 200'.

 

[vshearer]

I'm not sure that the OP really wanted to know about deep air, as opposed to wanting to know what would make people do deep bounce dives.

I think the fact the thread was posted on April 1'st is significant.

 

[Divor]

 

[Anti-Hero]

This topic should be a sub forum all on it's own.

 

[Herk_Man]

What's going to happen when theres no more helium left in the earth? Probably what'll happen sooner is Helium will be to expensive for divers.

We are running out of helium???

 

[Herk_Man]

I'm a she, Mike and Jax! And I'm always open to suggestions. I only chose that avatar because my efforts to upload a picture of a 'give-a-****-o-meter' were unsuccessful (much to my great chagrin).

Perhaps the front of a Massengil box would be fitting? :shocked2:

 

[Herk_Man]

Speaking about when helium runs out (or becomes cost prohibitive)...I have read that neon may become a more popular mix. Some commercial divers use hydrogen from what I've read, although because of risk that probably will not become mainstream. I am just advanced open water so I don't dive helium, or neon etc yet so if anyone has info to contradict whet I've read please share.

I think that will be a problem, environmentally speaking, for the fish on night dives. All that flashing and bright colors. But the bubbles sure will be pretty!