Super Long Shallow Water Diving

[Doc]

These are done quite often at Coco View on Roatan.

My wife (aka: Herself) and her dive buddy Lita (the namesake for Lita's Hole dive site) spend several dives every week with over 2:00+ hours BT. I would think that they stay at about 12~18 fsw... and they find the most amazing things.


Me? I can smell lunch cooking while diving. I go in after 1:20.

 

[NewbaScuba]

You could probably do some longer dives off of Key Largo. Most operators will only allow 1 hour bottom time. I'm an air hog and could easily done a 1.5 hour dive in an AL80. And there is plenty to see and not get bored.
I stay fairly warm but at 2+ hours I would say going drysuit would be preferable, and bring some snacks.
I learned via other threads that you can eat many things underwater.

 

[TSandM]

Open ocean dives, I max out about 90 to 100 minutes -- I'm just tired of swimming and tired of the position I'm diving in, and I'm ready to get out and get something to drink.

Cave dives, so far, I've not done anything over three hours. I could cave dive forever, I think sometimes . . . although the insides of my knees get tired of frog kicking.

 

[ermaclob]

the longest dive ive done was about 2h 10m at Lauderdale by the Sea, spent alot of time in the first reef and at about 1800 psi went and searched around the rock rubble in between the 1st and 2nd reef, lots of little thing where people say nothing lives. i then started to run low on air at about 1h 40m and headed back, couldn't even go and see the 2nd reef that day... :/

the biggest challenge i faced that day was that i have not mastered the peeing in the wetsuit skill, and was needing an epic bathroom brake.

one effect of this duration, is that you DO NOT WANT NITROX for this..,You want AIR...You can actually get hyperoxic myopia from high O2 mixes of Nitrox for this duration, and it can last for a few hours, or even up to a day before it goes away.

what exactly happens?? i havent taken a nitrox class yet. and am going by the NOAA 36% nitrox table as to how long you can go and they have 405 min as a max bottom for 40 feet.

 

[danvolker]

the longest dive ive done was about 2h 10m at Lauderdale by the Sea, spent alot of time in the first reef and at about 1800 psi went and searched around the rock rubble in between the 1st and 2nd reef, lots of little thing where people say nothing lives. i then started to run low on air at about 1h 40m and headed back, couldn't even go and see the 2nd reef that day... :/

the biggest challenge i faced that day was that i have not mastered the peeing in the wetsuit skill, and was needing an epic bathroom brake.



what exactly happens?? i havent taken a nitrox class yet. and am going by the NOAA 36% nitrox table as to how long you can go and they have 405 min as a max bottom for 40 feet.

Sandra actually had this about a month before there was a story on this in Alert Diver....
Here is another article I just found....ARE YOU AT RISK OF HYPEROXIC-INDUCED MYOPIA?

Sandra had her symptoms go away in 48 hours.
She never uses Nitrox on BHB dives any more.

She has never had a problem of any kind, with typical O2 exposures that we get from maxing out at 80 or 90 feet, or 60 feet, on boat dives...2 to 4 per day.

 

[krawlings]

I drifted the Savanna River Through Augusta Georgia. . The dive was 105 minutes, average depth was 25'to 32'. did some artifact hunting and looking around. We used 29% nitrox Al100. still had air just had to exit the the next exit was 3 mile farther down I was wore out swimming back and forth and up currant . I think any longer you get chilled and realy board.

 

[danvolker]

the longest dive ive done was about 2h 10m at Lauderdale by the Sea, spent alot of time in the first reef and at about 1800 psi went and searched around the rock rubble in between the 1st and 2nd reef, lots of little thing where people say nothing lives. i then started to run low on air at about 1h 40m and headed back, couldn't even go and see the 2nd reef that day... :/

the biggest challenge i faced that day was that i have not mastered the peeing in the wetsuit skill, and was needing an epic bathroom brake.



what exactly happens?? i havent taken a nitrox class yet. and am going by the NOAA 36% nitrox table as to how long you can go and they have 405 min as a max bottom for 40 feet.

Also...take a Peak Control Buoyancy type course, rather than a Nitrox course... it will be "money much better spent".

 

[PfcAJ]

although the insides of my knees get tired of frog kicking.

I know a fix for that

 

[ermaclob]

so what long nitrox dive can harm you eye sight... is that not factored into dive table / calculations ??

 

[spectrum]

We have a local pond with an island about 1/4 mile away. The bank is strewn with glacial erratic and lots of fish. We do that dive once a year and it can clock in at 2.5 hours. We each wear a HP 100 and share an 80 CF stage so we have plenty of margin. Average depth is 15-20 feet, 30 max. We do cheat a little bringing 1/2 liter water bottles that we stop and drink sanding in the shallows at the island.

Even though we are thermally comfortable it does take a lot out of you. Immersion sucks heat away and hydration and nutrition still catch up with you.That's in water that is in the 70's F.

It's a fun expedition in a benign sort of way.