What is the best depth?

[pt40fathoms]

JimC once bubbled...
If you can do it at 10 feet, you can do it deep. Everything is harder shallow. You will need some depth for accents, decents and shooting SMBs, but most skills can (should?) be praticed shallow.

Besides, you get more bottom time and its safer if you messup and bolt.

That's true to a point, but remember that when diving in colder waters with the heavy exposure protection that is required. Your bouyancy is greatly effected by depth. I have seen divers who are OW certified get "stuck" at 110 feet, only to shoot to the surface later in an uncontrolled acsent. Now granted, they should have not been at 110 with only an OW certification, and an AOW is not an iron clad guarantee that they will not have any issues at deeper depths. But if you convince yourself that you have mastered bouyancy control by doing pool dives or shallow dives, you are in for a big surprise that could end up hurting you in the end.

Be careful, and dive safe.

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

I think it depends a lot on what skill you're going tp practice. If it is influenced by bouyancy change relative to depth, (ie wetsuit compression), practice the skill at a depth where it's most likely going to be needed. If it's a skill you'll use at different depths, practicve at several to become proficient at each. Holding the deeper deco stops midwater isn't much problem, regardless of surface conditions. The 10' stop with 4 to 6 foot seas will humble almost anyone, (don't impose unrealistic expectations on one's self). You may want to practice a few things at significant depths (100 to 120), so as to be able to do them from conditioning, since narcosis may affect cognitive function. Time a gear swap drill with your buddy at 30' and then swap back at 100'+. You'll swear that you grew 8 more thumbs in 70'.

Regardless, practicing anywhere is far better than not at all.


Safe diving is more fun,

Darlene

 

[sheck33]

Scuba_Vixen once bubbled...
I think it depends a lot on what skill you're going tp practice. If it is influenced by bouyancy change relative to depth, (ie wetsuit compression), practice the skill at a depth where it's most likely going to be needed. If it's a skill you'll use at different depths, practicve at several to become proficient at each. Holding the deeper deco stops midwater isn't much problem, regardless of surface conditions. The 10' stop with 4 to 6 foot seas will humble almost anyone, (don't impose unrealistic expectations on one's self). You may want to practice a few things at significant depths (100 to 120), so as to be able to do them from conditioning, since narcosis may affect cognitive function. Time a gear swap drill with your buddy at 30' and then swap back at 100'+. You'll swear that you grew 8 more thumbs in 70'.

Regardless, practicing anywhere is far better than not at all.


Safe diving is more fun,

Darlene

a gear swap drill? of what possible use is that?

 

[pt40fathoms]

sheck33 once bubbled...


a gear swap drill? of what possible use is that?

It would help in learning several skills. First off, and most important, it helps condition you to keep a cooler head in unfamiliar circumstances. Secondly, your control of buoyancy at depth without a BCD strapped to you. Finally, removal and replacement of the scuba unit at depth is a skill that can save your life if you get tangled up in some sort of line and cannot free yourself otherwise. It has happened to me, my buddy just could not get the steel line free, I removed my gear and was free in minutes. Because I had been practiced in buoyancy control without the aid of a BCD, and removing and replacing my gear, this ended up being just an annoyance.

The gear swap in and of itself has no practical use, however the skills learned and practiced in doing so are of great use.

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

The gear swap in and of itself has no practical use, however the skills learned and practiced in doing so are of great use.

>>>snip<<<

For recreational diving, that's pretty much it. ... It's a difficult drill, untill you get a sequence down that doesn't have you floating uncontrollably away and practice it a few times. It makes you think logically and sequentially and it involves more than just 1 simple task. It builds buddy /team concepts and really gives you feedback on how narced you are at a given depth. ... When you can swap gear And wetsuits, it's amazing how it tweaks the rest of the divers on the boat when you come up.

Once beyond recreational diving, it's good to be able to function somewhat out of your gear, as some hatches in wreck diving are too small to get thru in full gear.

Or maybe we just have far too much bottom time on our hands, lol.

Darlene

 

[PhotoTJ]

Scuba_Vixen once bubbled...
When you can swap gear and wetsuits, it's amazing how it tweaks the rest of the divers on the boat when you come up.

You can swap wetsuits? Impressive!

(Now, if you really want to blow someone's mind on the boat, swap drysuits!)

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

Well, maybe more like pondering on it. But then we'd need to get drysuits that we'd have no other use for. The gear and wetsuit swap was a way to add some fun to lack-luster dives, and besides, we liked the cap and T-shirt.

Still ponderin' on the drysuit swap,

Darlene

 

[learn-scuba]

Swapping dry suits would be an impressive feat to be sure... but swapping bathing suits would really get the boat's attention ~evil grin~

Seriously though... I never thought about actually swapping gear. Always do the gear (and weight belt) removal and replacement drill, but just never thought of actually swapping. That's a great drill for all kinds of reasons.

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

Swapping dry suits would be an impressive feat to be sure... but swapping bathing suits would really get the boat's attention ~evil grin~

You're supposed to wear bathing suits under the wetsuits, hehehehe, <wicked grin>

Darlene