What is the PADI "deep" specialty?

[sleepyhead]

Amazing, lots of people get interested in this particular dive. Maybe i did not phrase it right the first time. First of all, i knew what is going to happen on that dive. I did not dive with a computer but a dive watch. We did the necessary timing at how long are we staying at that depth etc, how many mins per safety stop.

Of course, i know it's a violation of the rules of diving. This was only a taste of what tech diving at that depth would give me. I think a diver who knows exactly what the procedures are, would know what to expect, plus my inst and i were ex army men so we follow strictly to what has been laid down, i follow his orders strictly. So it's safe and we had 2 extra divers along with extra air.

It was really professionally done. I been diving with him for 3 weeks before so i know whether he can be trusted. So i guess it's not for every diver cuz i got slightly narked but i was fine. Next on my list would be wreck and ice diving. Yes..!

 

[String]

If you do want to explore deep diving, I would be suggesting that Nitrox would be a better start and then perhaps look into some technical training.

I dont see nitrox as useful for "deep" diving.

I tend to only class a dive as deep if its below 30m or so and a decent nitrox mix with a significant increase of NDLs is only good down to about 35m. Below that you're on air anyway.

Of course, advanced nitrox for staged decompression is useful in deep diving but thats a different story.

 

[bwerb]

I tend to only class a dive as deep if its below 30m...<snip>...Below that you're on air anyway.

There is a nice little gas called helium for those deeper dives.

 

[String]

There is a nice little gas called helium for those deeper dives.

Yes but thats not nitrox which is what my reply was about.

(that aside, helium is nice if you can (i) afford the large cost of it and (ii) its available)

 

[To_Narced]

I have the AOW but I was told that PADI AOW is supposed to qualify you to dive to 100 FSW and that to dive from 100-130 FSW you're supposed to have PADI "deep" specialty. Is this just a gimmick to sell more courses? Has anyone here taken PADI deep? thanks

Hey,

I actually teach the PADI Deep diver course and can tell you that it is worthwhile if you have never been deep (100ft+) before and would like to do it under supervision of a experienced instructor. It's true that PADI AOW certifies you to only 100ft and to be "PADI certified" to dive to 130ft you need the Deep specialty. The advantage of taking this course is that it will take you into the realm of nitrogen narcosis in a more controlled situation (assuming your instructor is competent). After you experience nitorgen narcosis once, you will be better prepared to recognize and deal with its symptoms the next time. Safe Diving.

 

[voop]

Why doubt it?
I know a CMAS establishment that does the 2 star deep checkout at 48m.

Hmm...when I did my CMAS 1 star checkout many years ago, we hit 40m, and actually hung around for deco (on a single 12l cyl, none the less) -- on the very first open-water dive!

Worse yet, at that time "tables" and such wasn't taught in the CMAS 1 star course I took "since you will always dive with a more experienced diver at that level".

Today, many years, many dives and much training later, I am just happy that I survived that "instructor"....(I won't blame the agency, although I do not agree with their standards...)

 

[DareDevil]

Hmm...when I did my CMAS 1 star checkout many years ago, we hit 40m, and actually hung around for deco (on a single 12l cyl, none the less) -- on the very first open-water dive!

Worse yet, at that time "tables" and such wasn't taught in the CMAS 1 star course I took "since you will always dive with a more experienced diver at that level".

Today, many years, many dives and much training later, I am just happy that I survived that "instructor"....(I won't blame the agency, although I do not agree with their standards...)

That "instructor" was a clueless idiot.

You aren't allowed to do deco-dives with a first star CMAS degree, much less diving to 40 meters with a tiny 12 liters...

I have +10 years of diving experience and I would never go to 40 meters with the equipment you described.

DareDevil

 

[MikeFerrara]

Of course, i know it's a violation of the rules of diving. This was only a taste of what tech diving at that depth would give me.

That dive din not in any way give you a tast of what technical diving is about. It was a recreational dive done at technical diving depths which is exactly the oppposite of what technical diving is about

I think a diver who knows exactly what the procedures are, would know what to expect, plus my inst and i were ex army men so we follow strictly to what has been laid down, i follow his orders strictly. So it's safe and we had 2 extra divers along with extra air.

Army shmarmy...what does that have to do with technical diving?

It was really professionally done. I been diving with him for 3 weeks before so i know whether he can be trusted. So i guess it's not for every diver cuz i got slightly narked but i was fine. Next on my list would be wreck and ice diving. Yes..!

How can you say a class which violates the training standards that define the limits of that class is professional? On the contrary it's very unprofessional.

 

[Rick Inman]

It's really fun what this brought up...

That's what we're here for!

 

[voop]

That "instructor" was a clueless idiot.

You aren't allowed to do deco-dives with a first star CMAS degree, much less diving to 40 meters with a tiny 12 liters...

I have +10 years of diving experience and I would never go to 40 meters with the equipment you described.

DareDevil

Couldn't agree more With roughly the same no. of years of dive-experience as you, I look back at that as one of the more stupid things I've been involved in. Yet, I didn't know better then ;(

I know fully well what the current CMAS standards state, but -- as I am sure you fully know -- plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of local "federations" award CMAS-cards but their training and evaulation criteria have little (if anything) to do with the CMAS standards......