The Truth Is Out There...

[PhotoTJ]

Perhaps I missed it, but did you mention what size tank(s) you were using?

 

[Popeye]

PhotoTJ once bubbled...
Perhaps I missed it, but did you mention what size tank(s) you were using?

Luxfer AL80 @ 3500, second dive, 34 minutes with a 116 ft max.

Most of the dive was at 70-80 ft, trying to stay out of deco.

 

[diverbrian]

100 divers diving and not one having a problem is totally normal, however, and was the point of my post.

I would disagree with that. From what I understand, you have already helped get an accident victim out of Gilboa this year. The silt that gets stirred up from all of the classes could be alleviated somewhat if the instructors took time with students to get their buoyancy right in the pool BEFORE doing check-out dives.

On my "cattle boat" trip to Provo, I observed a gentlemen who looked like an elevator and eventually ran into fire coral because of it. At least two of the people on the boat were having trouble equalizing their ears because they were dropping like rocks (these were the recently certified divers from out of town, not the students of the dive operation).

Anyways, enough of my observations! We will agree to disagree on some things and the fact that training could be and should be improved appears to be one of them. I just had to get my two psi of air in on that issue. Sorry about that.

I am glad that you had a great time down there. I don't get to dive warm salt water that often, so these stories are always good to hear. I can sympathize with you on running around trying to stay out of deco. I quit doing the cheap thing and went to nitrox to end my week in Provo when I found myself doing that at 40 ft. on my second dive of my second day, LOL.

Have fun and keep diving.

 

[Diversauras]

Nice to hear about a good trip for a change. I agree that what you saw was the norm, based on my experience that is, good report, thanks.

 

[Raven C]

Glad to hear you had a good experience. R

 

[DeputyDan]

very much............

 

[Popeye]

diverbrian once bubbled...


I would disagree with that. From what I understand, you have already helped get an accident victim out of Gilboa this year. The silt that gets stirred up from all of the classes could be alleviated somewhat if the instructors took time with students to get their buoyancy right in the pool BEFORE doing check-out dives.

Ya, but.

There were 499 0ther divers there, some who made multiple dives.

And didn't die.

How many divers dive Gilboa without injury every year?

After they flew the guy out, Mike shut down the quarry (I would have, too). My pal from Cleveland said "They should let us all dive the rest of the day. Statistically, we're -bulletproof!-"

On my "cattle boat" trip to Provo, I observed a gentlemen who looked like an elevator and eventually ran into fire coral because of it. At least two of the people on the boat were having trouble equalizing their ears because they were dropping like rocks (these were the recently certified divers from out of town, not the students of the dive operation).

Anyways, enough of my observations! We will agree to disagree on some things and the fact that training could be and should be improved appears to be one of them. I just had to get my two psi of air in on that issue. Sorry about that.

Study my argument more closely. I think training could and should be improved, but not for safety reasons.

My point is that agency standards are good enough. Whether they get to students, or students remember them, is another story.

But I saw enough divers last week to tell you that there's no -system wide- problem, with standards -or- instructors, at least on South Florida tourist boats. I can assure you that in my other 51 weeks of diving, it isn't in Tennessee either.

No agency teaches a diver to flail around in fire coral, and I doubt his instructor taught him that either.

I am glad that you had a great time down there. I don't get to dive warm salt water that often, so these stories are always good to hear. I can sympathize with you on running around trying to stay out of deco. I quit doing the cheap thing and went to nitrox to end my week in Provo when I found myself doing that at 40 ft. on my second dive of my second day, LOL.

Have fun and keep diving.

I'll tell ya, it's the first time I ever thought my Sunnto was too conservative.

I'm eyeing up the new Nitek 2-gas now.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Popeye once bubbled...
I'll tell ya, it's the first time I ever thought my Sunnto was too conservative.

I'm eyeing up the new Nitek 2-gas now.

Suunto computers do seem to be more conservative than some others. When I got nitrox certified I switched from a Suunto Favor to an Oceanic Versa Pro ... and noticed a huge difference in allowable bottom time.

I still do very conservative safety stops, however ... more out of habit than because my computer thinks I should ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[diverbrian]

I'll tell ya, it's the first time I ever thought my Sunnto was too conservative.

Actually, that is why I switched to Nitrox in spite of the cost. I figure that my Cobra did its job. It warned me, that "Bud, you are overdoing with the absorbed nitrogen, back off and do one LOOONG sagety stop," LOL. By switching to Nitrox, I could do the diving that I wanted to do and put myself farther from NDL's. That is a good thing when you are doing a bunch of repetitive dives.

But, I hear you on that. It's frustrating when you see something that you want to photograph at 60-80 ft and you have already sucked in too much nitrogen to go down there to get within 3 ft and get a good picture. I would be thinking about a less conservative computer myself if my actual diving weren't a little agressive and I didn't dive Nitrox most of the time. Shhh! Don't tell some of the people here that we are diving anything but a bottom timer. We don't want to hijack this thread into that debate. I liked the stories about the Carribean better.

 

[Popeye]

diverbrian once bubbled...


Actually, that is why I switched to Nitrox in spite of the cost. I figure that my Cobra did its job. It warned me, that "Bud, you are overdoing with the absorbed nitrogen, back off and do one LOOONG sagety stop," LOL. By switching to Nitrox, I could do the diving that I wanted to do and put myself farther from NDL's. That is a good thing when you are doing a bunch of repetitive dives.

But, I hear you on that. It's frustrating when you see something that you want to photograph at 60-80 ft and you have already sucked in too much nitrogen to go down there to get within 3 ft and get a good picture. I would be thinking about a less conservative computer myself if my actual diving weren't a little agressive and I didn't dive Nitrox most of the time. Shhh! Don't tell some of the people here that we are diving anything but a bottom timer. We don't want to hijack this thread into that debate. I liked the stories about the Carribean better.

Most of the time, I get nitrox free, or at a reduced price. If you figure your bottom time in minutes, divide that by charter costs, it's really no more expensive than air.

I tend to hang around under the boat, as opposed to hanging on the drag line, waiting to re-board, and the Vyper seems to forgive when you do this, I dunno why.

Extended safety stop?

I ride my computer like a roller-coaster, but one reason why is because I know it's conservative.

I told a guy last week (jokingly), you couldn't get bent by a Vyper unless you were leaving our atmosphere.

Don't worry about the bottom timer guys, I sharpen my teeth with DIR zealots.

Especially the anti-computer crowd.