why do people do this ???

[El Orans]

Silly questions???? What is a bounce dive? I understand the discussion on solo/single tank deep dives, but you lose me on bounce dives!

Dropping down to a certain depth just so you can say that you've been at that depth. :thumbs_do

 

[ShakaZulu]

Silly questions???? What is a bounce dive? I understand the discussion on solo/single tank deep dives, but you lose me on bounce dives!

It's where you tempt fate, and end up like these guys..........

 

[Xanthro]

Silly questions???? What is a bounce dive? I understand the discussion on solo/single tank deep dives, but you lose me on bounce dives!

Your profile graph is essentially straight down and back up. The goal usually being setting a new personal depth record.

It's usually a negative term, and if done simply to set personal depth record is rather meaningless in my opinion.

I'm not saying all bounce dives are bad BTW, I can think of times you'd need to do that, but those exceptions are not what people are referring to when they use the term.

 

[84CJ7]

I could see the point of a bounce dive if there was something to see, there are some technical depth wrecks in the great lakes that would have to have sails to be any better preserved. Much better than the shallower lakes wrecks. I wouldn't personally try it due to my lack of skill but I could see taking a big tank and a heavy wetsuit and dropping down, swimming the length of the ship and heading straight up. Don't get to see much at that speed but its better than bouncing for nothing and much easier than dealing with trimix with a drysuit stuff that would otherwise be required.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I could see the point of a bounce dive if there was something to see, there are some technical depth wrecks in the great lakes that would have to have sails to be any better preserved. Much better than the shallower lakes wrecks. I wouldn't personally try it due to my lack of skill but I could see taking a big tank and a heavy wetsuit and dropping down, swimming the length of the ship and heading straight up. Don't get to see much at that speed but its better than bouncing for nothing and much easier than dealing with trimix with a drysuit stuff that would otherwise be required.

No ... it's not.

If the dive is worth doing, it's worth being properly trained and equipped to do. People die because they take shortcuts and think it's "good enough" ... deep dives are pretty unforgiving, and you usually only get to be wrong once.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Finless]

... deep dives are pretty unforgiving, and you usually only get to be wrong once.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob,

I agree whole heartedly with your sentiment. My normal depth range is 35 mtrs (not exactly deep but considering you can drown in 6 inches and the vis is usually not that good where I am) so I always dive with a twin set (I am in the UK, English Channel diver).

HOWEVER, in reply to some earlier comments from various people concerning why do deep dives on air or on single cylinders or why do bounce dives. Well, why not if that is what floats their boat.

My deepest ever dive (2 years ago) was on hols in Tenerife and I did a 60 mtr dive on a single 12 ltr with 180 bar at the start of the dive + it was the second dive of the day. Stupid? Yes (by modern conventions). But I still mention it so I guess I must be a bit proud of it.

I hadn't expected it to be so deep and as I was so chilled out from diving in clear waters (for a change) and enjoying the view and the buzz of doing my deepest dive I was happy to keep dropping down (albeit with my SPG pressed to the front of my mask). The view back up to the surface watching all those different sets of bubbles heading upwards was great - I'm easily impressed when I'm narked. My dive very quickly turned into a bounce dive when I assessed how much gas I had etc. I ascended on my own whilst the others followed the bottom route to the shot line. Had something gone wrong I would without doubt have been screwed.

My point, which I'm not making very well is that I normally dive very safely (I hope)with redundancy of everything (except me) but once in a while it's nice to take a bit of a risk.

Deep air diving is becoming increasingly frowned upon. Why? Some people like it and don't want helium. I'd use He because when I'm narked I tend to forget the details of the dive.

Bounce diving - it's an experience and not for everyone but why not if someone wants to do it. I don't care what anyone says but MOST divers are proud of their deepest dive and even happier if they are the deepest diver in the room. I'd certainly do a bounce dive if it was somewhere nice - very occasionally.

Single cylinder - I never do it in the UK BUT always on holiday - why do I accept that? I firmly believe the only person you can really rely on is yourself + I like a bit of solo diving so redundancy becomes second nature. No excuse for that in my book, especially if you are doing something "challenging".

It is becoming 'de rigeur', IMO, these days to frown upon people who want to take a risk or push the limits a bit. I see it on the dive fora where people may be castigated for going below their C Card max depth (which is only a recommended depth) etc. It just seems that you need permission to do almost anything these days and limits are being imposed by others all the time. I am probably getting parnoid in my old age and maybe you don't suffer the same in the USA?

Anyway, apologies for all that waffle ...... there may have been a point to it somewhere ......

Also, please don't mistake my flippant attitude as being not caring - I dislike hearing about the demise of any diver as much as any other diver does.

 

[emcgregor]

Your profile graph is essentially straight down and back up. The goal usually being setting a new personal depth record.

It's usually a negative term, and if done simply to set personal depth record is rather meaningless in my opinion.

I'm not saying all bounce dives are bad BTW, I can think of times you'd need to do that, but those exceptions are not what people are referring to when they use the term.

ok, the discussions make a lot more sense to me now. Thanks!!!

 

[Hank49]

These discussions about how people can dive deep on air etc etc... never cease to amaze me on SB. I mean, you can ride a motorcycle at the speed limit...but some people do backflips on them while 30 feet in the air. You can water ski on two skis at 18 mph...but some barefoot at 45 mph. You can ski gently down the bunny slope and be safe and sound. But some due multiple flips in half pipes at 25 feet in the air....I don't see why some just can't get it their heads that some people just like to take risks. That's their nature. These are the type of people that discovered America. That landed on the moon. They can't understand how people can be so conservative in THEIR lives and not try anything that could end up in physical injury. People are just different....thank GOD.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

These discussions about how people can dive deep on air etc etc... never cease to amaze me on SB. I mean, you can ride a motorcycle at the speed limit...but some people do backflips on them while 30 feet in the air. You can water ski on two skis at 18 mph...but some barefoot at 45 mph. You can ski gently down the bunny slope and be safe and sound. But some due multiple flips in half pipes at 25 feet in the air....I don't see why some just can't get it their heads that some people just like to take risks. That's their nature. These are the type of people that discovered America. That landed on the moon. They can't understand how people can be so conservative in THEIR lives and not try anything that could end up in physical injury. People are just different....thank GOD.

I think you rather miss the point.

When you see someone doing backflips on a motorcycle while 30 feet in the air, waterskiing barefoot at 45 mph, or doing multiple flips in halfpipes, you can bet that they have trained (usually for years), practiced (mega hours), and equipped (through careful thought and selection) adequately for those tasks.

That's quite a bit different than, say, the guy pulling wheelies at 100 miles per hour on I-5, the vacationing jet-skier blasting around a crowded harbor, or the out-of-control snowboarder flying down a crowded slope at 50 mph.

And what kind of training do you suppose those guys who went to the moon got? About the same as the average week-end pilot, perhaps?

There is a huge difference ... the former group understands the risks and makes the effort to prepare for them. The latter group just jumps into it without knowing, or caring, about the risks.

Guess which group invariably has the higher mortality rate?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[do it easy]

These discussions about how people can dive deep on air etc etc... never cease to amaze me on SB. I mean, you can ride a motorcycle at the speed limit...but some people do backflips on them while 30 feet in the air. You can water ski on two skis at 18 mph...but some barefoot at 45 mph. You can ski gently down the bunny slope and be safe and sound. But some due multiple flips in half pipes at 25 feet in the air....I don't see why some just can't get it their heads that some people just like to take risks. That's their nature. These are the type of people that discovered America. That landed on the moon. They can't understand how people can be so conservative in THEIR lives and not try anything that could end up in physical injury. People are just different....thank GOD.

I think there is a difference if the risk is intentionally assumed, or the person just charged off blindly without thinking. Usually, the ones who charge off heedlessly are warnings and lessons for the rest. If the risk is analyzed and understood, then I have more respect for this type of risk taker, but there is a fine line between being an explorer and heading into the unknown, and doing something that hasn't been done before because most people already realized that it's a bad idea.