How do you know when you're ready to got to 150m?

Ste Wart · Sep 19, 2011

I've been reading this thread with interest over the last few days:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...master-im-ready-200-need-start-preparing.html

We often on this board help others find their way into Scuba, or even further into Tech, Cave, DIR or even Rebreather.

But I wonder how many have considered a dive of such a magnitude? Or indeed managed one. I ask as a few weeks back I was left sickeningly green with envy when a new acquaintance showed me his video; of himself, on the HMS Victoria
HMS Victoria (1887) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have to admit that the discussion of the actual dive was done amidst a few beers and I remember only that the bottom time was 17 minutes, I forget the deco.

But to the question in hand. has anyone on the board managed such a depth? What build up did you take in order to take this dive and how many tech dives had you done prior before thinking about attempting this?

w ripley · Sep 19, 2011

I've been almost that deep (133 M) and all I can say is you either know you're ready or you don't. The only way you know you're ready is to dive, dive, dive, and dive deep. If you're comfortable diving that deep then you're ready. Sure, butterflies are natural, but they're probably going to be with any honest diver on any serious dive.

I was lucky when I did it, as we had a team of tech divers diving together all the time and on a lot of deeper wrecks. We had plenty of workup dives and people in the water to assist, if we needed it, at our upper deco levels.

Ste Wart · Sep 19, 2011

What was the Dive Bill?

ajduplessis · Sep 19, 2011

I agree with Bill that only you will know when you are ready. I would love to help you out but I have not been that deep or plan on doing so in the near future. Diving down to 100m today is seen a relatively safe dive using modern equipment and techniques. Going beyond 130m things change a lot (so I am told) and the amount of equipment and support required becomes a logistics nightmare. Things get even worse should you run into trouble. I also believe than HPNS could come into play 150m and down.

w ripley · Sep 19, 2011

the wart:
What was the Dive Bill?

The Ostfriesland. She's part of the Billy Mitchell Fleet sitting off the VA coast. Here's one link: SMS Ostfriesland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ste Wart · Sep 19, 2011

ajduplessis:
I agree with Bill that only you will know when you are ready. I would love to help you out but I have not been that deep or plan on doing so in the near future. Diving down to 100m today is seen a relatively safe dive using modern equipment and techniques. Going beyond 130m things change a lot (so I am told) and the amount of equipment and support required becomes a logistics nightmare. Things get even worse should you run into trouble. I also believe than HPNS could come into play 150m and down.

Oh not ready in the slightest. Although I've got full 'mix, most of my tech is based in the 50-65m range. I'm very comfortable in that range. Personally I haven't ventured below 80m since 2009.
While the Victoria is a goal, could it be a realistic one? Now that is something I will only find out through commitment to technical diving.

HPNS is a big concern, so to Isobaric counter-diffusion. Building a support team, finding divers you trust to go with you to that depth. Big undertakings. Hence the question. It'll be interesting to see how divers have approached such dives and how they structured it.

down4fun · Sep 19, 2011

Like others have said I think you just know. For one thing you have been making progressively deeper dives in similar conditions. My deepest is 140 meters on a wall so the bottom time was very short and we worked our way back up. But the team and the plan must be solid. We were all on rebreathers with lots of in water support. The window to fix a problem at that depth is very small.

Bombay High · Sep 23, 2011

the wart:
Oh not ready in the slightest. Although I've got full 'mix, most of my tech is based in the 50-65m range. I'm very comfortable in that range. Personally I haven't ventured below 80m since 2009.
While the Victoria is a goal, could it be a realistic one? Now that is something I will only find out through commitment to technical diving.

HPNS is a big concern, so to Isobaric counter-diffusion. Building a support team, finding divers you trust to go with you to that depth. Big undertakings. Hence the question. It'll be interesting to see how divers have approached such dives and how they structured it.

HPNS (helium shakes) is not a concern with a conservative descent. I have been to 306 metres. The deco will take forever. You need team support for a dive like this.

Bombay High · Sep 23, 2011

Disclaimer : My dives to those depths were on surface supply, with bell support.

.... and a really big paycheck. Would not consider 200m (660ft) unless someone was paying me good money.

Thalassamania · Sep 23, 2011

For 150:

1. Deco training.
2. 130 foot free ascent.
3. 12 dives to 30 feet.
4. 12 dives to 60 feet.
5. 12 dives to 100 feet.
6. 12 dives to 130 feet.

How do you know when you're ready to got to 150m?

Please register or login

Ste Wart

Contributor

w ripley

Contributor

Ste Wart

Contributor

ajduplessis

Contributor

w ripley

Contributor

Ste Wart

Contributor

down4fun

Contributor

Bombay High

Contributor

Bombay High

Contributor

Thalassamania

Diving Polymath

Similar threads