Kevin
Registered
Whilst reading some of the replies to the 'how deep' thread I noticed that some people were talking about working up to diving deeper. Is this a divers rule or is there any published evidence to back up this need ?
Working up to depth ?
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large_diver
Contributor
I agree with the points of working your way up (or down as the case may be) to deeper depths. I only get in about 25 dives in per year. As a result, a month can sometimes go by between dives for me during the summer. When this occurs and I am planning to go 80 feet or deeper, I try to get in some shallower dives the week before to polish my skills. Obviously at deeper depths the margin for error is lower. I also try to make sure that I increase my non-diving fitness regimen (swimming) for at least a few weeks beforehand.
I was at scuba show here in Boston yesterday and I was talking about this very topic with a very experienced diver I know who works for DAN. We were discussing a WWII U-boot dive site off of the coast of Rhode Island -- he advised ensuring that my skills and gear configuration be "well-tuned" prior to attempting this dive (90-130fsw wreck site with lots of entanglement possibilities, lots of currents, vis often only 5-10 ft, etc.). As a result, while I am going to attempt this dive this summer, I will do it at the END of the summer when I've got 15-20 more dives under my belt and my skills are fresh (vs. early in the season, when my skills are rusty from a long winter of non-use). It really makes sense.
Hope this helps.
I was at scuba show here in Boston yesterday and I was talking about this very topic with a very experienced diver I know who works for DAN. We were discussing a WWII U-boot dive site off of the coast of Rhode Island -- he advised ensuring that my skills and gear configuration be "well-tuned" prior to attempting this dive (90-130fsw wreck site with lots of entanglement possibilities, lots of currents, vis often only 5-10 ft, etc.). As a result, while I am going to attempt this dive this summer, I will do it at the END of the summer when I've got 15-20 more dives under my belt and my skills are fresh (vs. early in the season, when my skills are rusty from a long winter of non-use). It really makes sense.
Hope this helps.
ericfine50
Contributor
In my opinion it is a comfort thing. As you dive deeper, you have more task loading. You go from a single, to doubles, to double with a stage, to doubles with multiple stages.
At deeper depths, a small problem can quickly get out of hand and you don't have that option of just heading up to the surface. Also, any delay can increase your decompression and that can really screw you up (not enough gas). And.. What is the rush. Dive and have fun and see where it takes you.
Eric
At deeper depths, a small problem can quickly get out of hand and you don't have that option of just heading up to the surface. Also, any delay can increase your decompression and that can really screw you up (not enough gas). And.. What is the rush. Dive and have fun and see where it takes you.
Eric
Kevin...
I am unaware of any scientific study(s) to substantiate the premise that by gradualy increasing your depth you can better tolerate the affects of increased pn2; perhaps the good Doctors will chime in with such research should it exist. My recommendation is based entirely on my own experience.
I liken it to the effects of alcohol. The habitual drinker can tolerate much higher blood alcohol levels than the occassional drinker who, for whatever reason, decides to drink to excess. This is in no way an endorsement to take up heavy drinking as a method of "training" for deeper diving!
In my professional career I spent many summers air diving in the natural gas fields of Lake Erie. Depths ranged from as shallow as 30' to the deepest areas of the lake. I remember that early in the season I would feel the effects of Narcosis for the first few weeks until I "acclimatized" to depth; however, were I to go from regularly working in say 110' of water to make a jump in 210' of water I would definitely feel the effects of such a drastic increase in pressure. Now, had I worked my way deeper gradually, say 110' to 140', then 160'& 180', my ability to tolerate the higher pn2 would incrementally increase, so that my eventual dive to 210' would not be such shock to my c..n.s.. The narcosis, while still present, would be more of a "nuisance" to me & would not significantly impair my ability to function as compared to the earlier scenario, where the drastic increase in pressure would be of much greater consequence to my performance.
I hope I have "cleared the waters" somewhat for you in this matter, though I confess my powers of rational discourse would wither in such waters should Warhammer happen along & perform a "maneuver".
Regards,
D.S.D.
I am unaware of any scientific study(s) to substantiate the premise that by gradualy increasing your depth you can better tolerate the affects of increased pn2; perhaps the good Doctors will chime in with such research should it exist. My recommendation is based entirely on my own experience.
I liken it to the effects of alcohol. The habitual drinker can tolerate much higher blood alcohol levels than the occassional drinker who, for whatever reason, decides to drink to excess. This is in no way an endorsement to take up heavy drinking as a method of "training" for deeper diving!
In my professional career I spent many summers air diving in the natural gas fields of Lake Erie. Depths ranged from as shallow as 30' to the deepest areas of the lake. I remember that early in the season I would feel the effects of Narcosis for the first few weeks until I "acclimatized" to depth; however, were I to go from regularly working in say 110' of water to make a jump in 210' of water I would definitely feel the effects of such a drastic increase in pressure. Now, had I worked my way deeper gradually, say 110' to 140', then 160'& 180', my ability to tolerate the higher pn2 would incrementally increase, so that my eventual dive to 210' would not be such shock to my c..n.s.. The narcosis, while still present, would be more of a "nuisance" to me & would not significantly impair my ability to function as compared to the earlier scenario, where the drastic increase in pressure would be of much greater consequence to my performance.
I hope I have "cleared the waters" somewhat for you in this matter, though I confess my powers of rational discourse would wither in such waters should Warhammer happen along & perform a "maneuver".
Regards,
D.S.D.
There is a very real reason to approach deeper diving in steps, and it involves all those things mentioned above and one other that is perhaps the most important of all - deep water blackout. People who experience this phenomenon keep breathing, may even have their eyes open, but just simply stop responding to signals from their buddy or to outside stimulae in general. Afterwards they don't recall the event at all.. there are just "missing minutes." This phenomenon is, to my knowledge, *always* on the victim's "deepest dive so far" - therefore, never attempt a new depth (even moderate ones) without a buddy who's already been there, and never attempt a huge incremental increase in depth all at once. (I'm not talking tech here, which is a different matter with different support requirements)
Rick
Rick
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