Leadweight, assuming you are addressing these comments to me...
leadweight:
Yeah, I see you did 3500 dives without my input or it seems like the imput of any sane person, but the only reason you are alive today is luck.
I'm not sure what you base your judgement of my sanity on, but I assure you, I am quite sane, and take diving quite seriously. I suppose I might have been lucky... or possibly I am a capable, cautious diver...
leadweight:
What was the name of that cave diver regarded as an expert who died a few years ago on a solo dive?
Sheck Exely. However, an attempt at a 900' world-record setting dive in a cave is hardly comparable to the dives I do! I remember having a few beers with Sheck at a conference in Toronto many years ago. He was a nice guy who had done some amazing dives. The diving world lost a pioneer when he died.
leadweight:
Is all your gear redundent, or just two computers?
It's all redundant. As stated earlier, I always dive with twins, with an isolator. I have three sets of different sizes and I choose the lightest ones that will provide the supply I want on any given dive. Each has two valves (duh), two regs, two spgs. The isolator is just open, so the tanks can be separated in seconds. I have two separate power inflators feeding two bouyancy systems (drysuit and wings)... one from each reg. Two cutting tools, and when appropriate, two or three lights. And a liftbag and a reel. And either two computers and a watch, or as in this case, a computer and a watch since it was a pretty basic dive. Hell, I even use redundant fins... one on each foot!
leadweight:
What happens if for any reason you do not make it back to the O2 tank under the boat?
I'm not sure I understand the question. If I don't get back to my boat, then I would likely need to swim several, perhaps many, miles back to shore. One of my favorite wrecks is 37 miles out, so getting back to the boat tends to be a bit of a priority! Did I mention there is a tender in the boat? And two anchors out, if I'm not at a mooring? And two VHFs (+ a cell phone), two GPS systems. And that it's a Zodiac Hurricane RIB with 5 separate air chambers, a foam filled hull AND self-righting gear?. Only one engine mind you... but two paddles...
But getting back to the original question... well I still don't understand the question. If you're concern is that I would run out of air... well I kind of dive the old 1/3s rule. If your concern is how I would complete the deco without 02, well I do my deco largely based on air profiles. The 02 is a buffer. So, I would simply do my deco with the gas on my back, and hang a little longer. (Generally, I carry my 02/nitrox with me, but it wasn't necessary in this case since this was really more of a shore dive with an easy ascent...)
leadweight:
I guess owning a boat is a license to do any thing you want to do.
Um no... but it does give me trendous freedom in how I dive... and more importantly, I get to choose who I dive with. Having my own boat allows me to avoid having to dive with self-righteous, overly-opinionated arse-hats! I take you don't have a boat? Too bad....
leadweight:
How many of those dives were spear fishing bounces to 150 feet for 5 minutes and 500 PSI used.
Oh, that's easy. None. I've never been spear fishing. I did spend a couple of seasons doing construction work in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and a couple of seasons teaching/guiding in the Carribbean; I taught diving as a hobby for 25 years, although much of it was advanced open-water, since the basic stuff wasn't much fun. Virtually all of my diving for the past 25 years has been in the Great Lakes. It is almost all in excess of 100' with many dives in the 150' - 200' range, where the temp never gets above 41F at the bottom. The vast, vast majority of these were solo dives. And yes, I have had the occasional white-knuckle moment, although none stand out just now...
leadweight:
I have run into a bunch of guys with amazing numbers of dives piled up that way. Geez, you can do 12 in an afternoon that way.
That's interesting. I rarely do more than one dive in a day because I'm old and tired. And because most of my dives require deco, and I think it best not to do repetitive decompression dives. (The exception being while I am vactioning in the Carribbean, where I follow the usual resort profiles when I'm diving with my g/f)
I will mention that I have been bent twice. Once (badly) while welding a water intake at a steel plant (70' for about 3 1/2 hours) when the dive supervisor messed up, and a second time while salvaging a yacht in 110' of water while testing an early prototype dive computer for the The Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine (They test equipment for the Canadian military.)The computer worked fine, but I burned my arm warming up after the dive on a coffee pot, resulting in a mild skin bend...
leadweight:
You mean using their mouths? Leadweight, I'm afaid I don't understand your hostility. Why are you attacking me? I am quite comfortable with my diving resume and methods. Really, all I was trying to do was get a little info on my computer that died unexpectedly. I couldn't give a rat's-arse if you don't agree with my type of diving. But many do, including most of my diving friends. (You think I'm a whack-job? You should meet them...) Go do your little dives the way you like and I'll do mine the way I like. The world has a lot of water on it. We should each be able to enjoy our hobby in our own way, without being judged by the narrow-minded and ill-informed, don't you agree???
To the rest of you that provided valuable information, I thank you!
