RickHeil
Registered
I took the TDI Decompression Procedures and TDI Advanced Nitrox primarily to better understand diving.
One of the best take aways for me was thinking about every dive as requiring planning - have a plan and dive the plan, beginning with dive within your limits and training, know how much air you'll use/need, deco limits and so on.
I now have the confidence that going to 100 ft for 30 mins is actually very reasonable IF I plan for it, probably use doubles so I have enough air, etc... if the site is worth it. Like all training it builds expertise as well as well as confidence. Practgice and knowing your limits are key as well.
Another realization I got from deoc trainig was that the science while string is still not about absolutes but more probabilites. The only 100% way to assure you don't get DCS is stay out of the water.... from there its all a mater of risk. Stay hydrated, staf fit, and so on. Anoter amazement for me was the variety of ranges in deco plans. PADI tables for example say a 100 ft dive for 20 mins is a no-deco dive. But the V-Planner Buelmann model using a level 3 conservatism actually plans that out with a 1 min stop at 30 ft, a 3 min stop and 20 ft and a 6 min stp at 10 ft. SO here again, thinking about this as a deco dive - or jsut a dive that should be planned like all dives - lets me think about should I add a stop at 20? Can I be a little less conservative because its warm Caribbean water with no current? Maybe I'll take a 20 or 30 cu ft pony with 50 or 80% Nitrox which gives me a nice large extra margin. That to me is the key.. its about margins.
So my take is anyone who enjoys diving and wants to add the ability for more variety, more understanding, more confidence should indeed consider and 'advanced' class... not to explore a half mile into an ink black wreck or cave 200 ft down... but to understand every dive you undertake more confidently.
Finally, the real fundamental of planning for "non-recreational' dives is to be a better dive. Have backup equipment and SKILLS to handle most situations that might occur. Even at 40 ft 5 mins into a dive, having these skills are ONLY a good thing. One thing that I think the 'recreational' plans seem to almost 'allow' is simply bolting to the surface... this is jsut a poor way to address problems. For example, one should NEVER run out of air.. so why stress so much out-of-air drills... how about some planning so you don't run out of air, and how to use a backup reg should the primary fail, etc.
One of the best take aways for me was thinking about every dive as requiring planning - have a plan and dive the plan, beginning with dive within your limits and training, know how much air you'll use/need, deco limits and so on.
I now have the confidence that going to 100 ft for 30 mins is actually very reasonable IF I plan for it, probably use doubles so I have enough air, etc... if the site is worth it. Like all training it builds expertise as well as well as confidence. Practgice and knowing your limits are key as well.
Another realization I got from deoc trainig was that the science while string is still not about absolutes but more probabilites. The only 100% way to assure you don't get DCS is stay out of the water.... from there its all a mater of risk. Stay hydrated, staf fit, and so on. Anoter amazement for me was the variety of ranges in deco plans. PADI tables for example say a 100 ft dive for 20 mins is a no-deco dive. But the V-Planner Buelmann model using a level 3 conservatism actually plans that out with a 1 min stop at 30 ft, a 3 min stop and 20 ft and a 6 min stp at 10 ft. SO here again, thinking about this as a deco dive - or jsut a dive that should be planned like all dives - lets me think about should I add a stop at 20? Can I be a little less conservative because its warm Caribbean water with no current? Maybe I'll take a 20 or 30 cu ft pony with 50 or 80% Nitrox which gives me a nice large extra margin. That to me is the key.. its about margins.
So my take is anyone who enjoys diving and wants to add the ability for more variety, more understanding, more confidence should indeed consider and 'advanced' class... not to explore a half mile into an ink black wreck or cave 200 ft down... but to understand every dive you undertake more confidently.
Finally, the real fundamental of planning for "non-recreational' dives is to be a better dive. Have backup equipment and SKILLS to handle most situations that might occur. Even at 40 ft 5 mins into a dive, having these skills are ONLY a good thing. One thing that I think the 'recreational' plans seem to almost 'allow' is simply bolting to the surface... this is jsut a poor way to address problems. For example, one should NEVER run out of air.. so why stress so much out-of-air drills... how about some planning so you don't run out of air, and how to use a backup reg should the primary fail, etc.
