What is your personal "Helium" Depth?

[macado]

I'm adding nothing new to this thread that others haven't already stated but you asked for opinions.

Since switching to a rebreather I am pretty diving helium mixes on anything. It doesn't really matter and the cost is cheap.

I bank 15/50 and use that for anything deeper than a mud hole. I admit to even hunting lobsters at 30-40' on helium mixes topped off with air mostly because I didn't want to drain my diluent tank. Why? Because my tanks are already filled and because I can..

Open circuit.. beyond 100' I want helium up here in New England. I don't have any "old school" stories like some people but I did couple years of diving 150'-165' on air up here before I decided that I didn't really want to do that anymore. In the warm Caribbean-like water with good visibility I don't mind doing those depths on air for a short duration but if helium is available and not obscenely expensive you can bet I will be diving it.

 

[RainPilot]

I'm sincerely curious about this. Why would you teach a diver absolutely new to diving this deep to use a mix you yourself say you wouldn't dive?

Agreed but it's a PADI standards issue. A friend is a UTD and PADI instructor and he is in the middle of a big discussion with them. The long and short, he is a Trimix diver and wants to put helium in his gas while teaching the deep dives on the Tec course. We feel it would be a good thing to reduce narcosis for the guy supposed to be controlling the students and would have no difference for them.
He asked the question and several emails later we still can't get a response that makes sense.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Agreed but it's a PADI standards issue. A friend is a UTD and PADI instructor and he is in the middle of a big discussion with them. The long and short, he is a Trimix diver and wants to put helium in his gas while teaching the deep dives on the Tec course. We feel it would be a good thing to reduce narcosis for the guy supposed to be controlling the students and would have no difference for them.
He asked the question and several emails later we still can't get a response that makes sense.

I'd recommend a phone call until it is resolved.

 

[RainPilot]

It is resolved. Answer is no. The emails are trying to find out any reason behind it other than "because we said so"

 

[KenGordon]

It is resolved. Answer is no. The emails are trying to find out any reason behind it other than "because we said so"

So the standard specifies the breathing gas for the instructor? If you were teaching lots of OW classes the same day and wanted to dive 36% to reduce the chance of a bend would that be allowed or not?

There are some questions you should not ask if you will not like some of the possible answers.

 

[RainPilot]

So the standard specifies the breathing gas for the instructor? If you were teaching lots of OW classes the same day and wanted to dive 36% to reduce the chance of a bend would that be allowed or not?

There are some questions you should not ask if you will not like some of the possible answers.

I agree, usually. The concern is liability. If you are in contravention of standards in any way, the potential for insurance company and agency support disappearing are pretty big. Common sense would say that if a student bangs his head on a rock, that the instructor's tank contents have nothing to do with it, but common sense seems to have a way of disappearing when the lawyers arrive...

 

[exposure]

I'm sincerely curious about this. Why would you teach a diver absolutely new to diving this deep to use a mix you yourself say you wouldn't dive?

Rainer, let me clarify because there is 2 points here.
1) I dive with friends and we are all certified Trimix, then I will tend to limit myself to 130ft END.
2) There is course structure where at the TEC50 level (kind of extended range), the students are not certified Trimix, that's why I suggest them to don't stop at that level and to continue to the Trimix level so they can benefit from a better END. During the course there is only one deco dive between 40 and 50m, as we go step by step, the runtime is not very long and that can be different while diving with friends, thus accepting a different END.

You now, I am in a country where according to some standards, divers use to venture to 60m on air with a single tank with recreational table that have deco stops. That's not the way I see diving but everybody is free to choose.

 

[exposure]

It is resolved. Answer is no. The emails are trying to find out any reason behind it other than "because we said so"

If he is PADI Tec Deep Instructor, he will find the answer in the standard page 6-62
So there is a possibility of using Trimix on the last dive that is below 40m (130 feet).

 

[Remy B.]

question

Is there any particular reason or big difference you guys choose 21/35 over 25/25 if you are diving 45m, I use 28/22 for 40m and 25/25 for 45m and 25/30, TDI Helitrox limits anyway the maximum too 20% He @ 45m, but I guess not to much people follows that, because we prefer to keep the END lower.

 

[RainPilot]

If he is PADI Tec Deep Instructor, he will find the answer in the standard page 6-62
So there is a possibility of using Trimix on the last dive that is below 40m (130 feet).

Dont have the standard in front of me, I think the problem is that he is not a PADI trimix instructor.