Opinions anyone?

[talonraid]

Go back 32 generations and we're all related. Anyone else in your family have a fear of intermediate heights?

Good point...cousin.

I don't know. The rest of my family either won't speak to me or they've already crossed over due to a common East Texas German disease. Toomuchporkanbier....

My kids and my wife are not afraid of heights. Now here's a another weird one. The kids are not afraid of heights and will actually go dangerously close (in my opinion) to canyon lips, building ledges, etc. but they're afraid to dive. The wife has been diving since she was a teenager...a long long long time ago. I hope she doesn't read this.

 

[booth22]

Thanks for the thoughts... my thinking was something along the lines of... while I respect the diver setting their limitations, I wonder about using a dash to the surface to solve all your problems. I'm assuming the ascent would be controlled, but if something goes wrong you never know how if that gets thrown out the window.

As the person is a newer diver, I'm guessing inexperience is part of the issue and over time may (unless there is a phobia of sorts) go by the wayside- as they learn to solve problems underwater, trust their buddy, etc. Just got me thinking when I heard the comment.

 

[trucker girl]

I've heard a lot dumber things come out of divers' mouths...

I prefer a shallow dive to a deep dive if the view is the same. Fewer details.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Not all that bad of an idea--depth limitations..

Thalassamnia--you are a product of the Caifornia State educational diving system and recall as I do, but a system which most have never been exposed. This system was based on diver performance--Recall the 1/2 mile SIO swim (with out aid of F/M/S) with sand pick up from 30 feet one half way through? This allowed the canidate to be considerd for a diving class...If accepted the long hours of academics and pool training--finally becoming a SIO -Califorina state approved diver depth limitation 25 feet!

I can't recall the exact number of 25 foot dives required for advancement to 50 foot level-- do you? I do recall that the canidate had to make a number of dives, so many with a 25 foot diver and a number with a 50 foot diver but never past 25 foot. Upon completion they would be considered for 50 foot certificate...This was the philosphy of the system all the way down to 200 foot.

And these were very well trained divers all youthful in the prime of their life...;

And now the current crop...Invincible? Out of condition, Equipment dependent, unaware of their mortality depends on a tube and a mecanical device..which can fail..

Cheers from California --where it all began,

SDM

 

[Thalassamania]

Not all that bad of an idea--depth limitations..

Thalassamnia--you are a product of the Caifornia State educational diving system and recall as I do, but a system which most have never been exposed. This system was based on diver performance--Recall the 1/2 mile SIO swim (with out aid of F/M/S) with sand pick up from 30 feet one half way through? This allowed the canidate to be considerd for a diving class...If accepted the long hours of academics and pool training--finally becoming a SIO -Califorina state approved diver depth limitation 25 feet!

I can't recall the exact number of 25 foot dives required for advancement to 50 foot level-- do you? I do recall that the canidate had to make a number of dives, so many with a 25 foot diver and a number with a 50 foot diver but never past 25 foot. Upon completion they would be considered for 50 foot certificate...This was the philosphy of the system all the way down to 200 foot.

And these were very well trained divers all youthful in the prime of their life...;

And now the current crop...Invincible? Out of condition, Equipment dependent, unaware of their mortality depends on a tube and a mecanical device..which can fail..

Cheers from California --where it all began,

SDM

Not Cal State, University of California (not the same system, as you know). After training we were qualified to 30 foot, we then had to make 12 dives (or more) for 12 hours of cumulative bottom time accompanied by a diver both qualified to 60 feet or deeper and specifically approved by the DSO to apply to the DCB for a 60 foot card. The same approach (with decreasing bottom time requirements) held for a 100 foot, 130 foot, 150 foot and 200 foot card. Back in those days you also had to make a free ascent from your certification depth.

 

[Sam Miller III]

... Thalassamania "Not Cal State, University of California (not the same system, as you know). After training we were qualified to 30 foot, we then had to make 12 dives (or more) for 12 hours of cumulative bottom time accompanied by a diver both qualified to 60 feet or deeper and specifically approved by the DSO to apply to the DCB for a 60 foot card. The same approach (with decreasing bottom time requirements) held for a 100 foot, 130 foot, 150 foot and 200 foot card. Back in those days you also had to make a free ascent from your certification depth."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXACTLY! Close cousins same father..

There is a thread else were about a 200 or 400 yard swim for a dive master or instructor and the candidate is concerned--a peice of cake!

The Free Ascent is no longer a Free Ascent It is a bouyant free ascent or so I have been informed. equipment dependentRide the elevator..

As you know, but others probably aren't aware, George Bond made a free ascent from 302 feet in the 1950s...(Great book- recomend "Papa Topside")

LA county Underwater Instructors association requires a free ascent from, 33 foot and 100 feet for graduation.

I made a few, all from equipment failures..swallowed a diaphragm (rupture.) Most notable was when I was in a cave after bugs breathing hard and it ruptured--had to back out and free ascend, the other was at 120 + working on freeing an anchor I was salvaging...it was an e ride thrill all the way to the surface....and there were others...

So diving 30 feet for a while is not all that bad and certainly a great philosphy to follow until diving experience has been gained and confidence is established.

Cheers from California --where it all started,

SDM

 

[Thalassamania]

EXACTLY! Close cousins same father..

well ... second cousins

So diving 30 feet for a while is not all that bad and certainly a great philosphy to follow until diving experience has been gained and confidence is established.

Makes sense to me.

 

[Gombessa]

Can't say I can fault her for that. So long that doesn't make her *over*confident in some way and do anything stupud at <30ft, then there's plenty to see at shallow depth, and if she feels safer, she'll have more fun, so more power to her.

I'm also crazy-scared of heights - airplanes and such don't scare me because such extreme heights aren't visceral (I imagine it's also because you're so far up that your brain can't register the perspective from your two eyes). However, I'm just fine if I'm hanging off a the edge of skyscraper or on the top of a bridge while in a harness, so I think it's definitely more of a "fear of falling" than a fear of heights.

 

[drbill]

Diving to depths no deeper than 30' may give one a false sense of security. Yes, ascents are easy from that depth should something happen. However the pressure gradient from 30 ft to the surface is 2:1 so there is fairly rapid change in pressure over that range (compared to going from 60 ft to 30 ft for example).

Diving within that range may subject to body to continual fluctuations in pressure that are significant IF one varies depth throughout the dive (moves up and down). Buoyancy control is often more challenging in this range due to the changes in pressure, as well as other factors like surge or wave action.

With that said, if one maintains a reasonably constant depth, or changes depth slowly, it should be no problem.

 

[WI Scuba Dave]

Deep doesn't always equal more fun. I've found some of the best diving (at least here in WI lakes) is above 30 ft. More fish and things to see. Once you get below that (depending on the lake) you often get nothing but muck, crayfish, and the occasional beer can. But of course this is a choice rather than a self-induced limitation. Bottom line is to dive how and where you are comfortable, what your experience level dictates, and to be safe and have fun.