Why do you dive so deep?

KeithG · Jan 19, 2014

Was going to do this as a poll, but since I do not understand deep divers, I assume all of my options would be stupid. Cancel the poll.

The whole premise of my question is targetted towards divers that push depth limits and as a consequence NDL limits.

I am happy to dive 30 foot dives all week. Even on a live aboard.

Why do many (some, all, most) divers dive deeper than is required? Because you can?

Sometimes the answer is that is where the stuff is. But when there is something not so deep, why do you go deep?

Nemrod · Jan 19, 2014

giffenk:
Was going to do this as a poll, but since I do not understand deep divers, I assume all of my options would be stupid. Cancel the poll.

The whole premise of my question is targetted towards divers that push depth limits and as a consequence NDL limits.

I am happy to dive 30 foot dives all week. Even on a live aboard.

Why do many (some, all, most) divers dive deeper than is required? Because you can?

Sometimes the answer is that is where the stuff is. But when there is something not so deep, why do you go deep?

Because there is something down there I want to see. If everybody thought like you propose then nobody would have ever crossed the sea, or climbed a mountain or jumped from a perfectly good airplane or a punch a 200 MPH hole with their motorcycle. We do it because we want to and because we can and because we have our own reasons that are good enough for us, those that do. And those that do not, will never understand.

But, what I have discovered is that those who do not will attempt to pass laws to keep those of us who do from doing. You know, so we can all be safe.

Safety is way over rated.

N

k374 · Jan 19, 2014

nobody dives deeper than is required.... that would be quite an odd thing to do. One usually dives to see and explore whatever it is they want to see and should be diving only to the depth required to achieve that goal.

Perhaps a very small percentage of divers engage is testing their limits but I think this sort of thing is more common in freediving where people try to go as deep as possible on a breath of air.

freewillie · Jan 19, 2014

Depends on what you mean by deep, or deeper than you have to

I don't dive that deep. Maybe to 100 ft most but that's bottom of a wreck. Did few dives where wrecks are on bottoms of 90-100 feet. I stay within NDL limits so bottom time very short maybe 20-25 minutes max. Generally like shallower dives since get much more bottom time. But, that's where the wrecks are.

---------- Post added January 18th, 2014 at 11:05 PM ----------

I also been on a couple of wall dives and just naturally found myself near 80-90 feet. Didn't go that deep just to be down there but that's how the dive evolved. It's deep compared to 30 ft but way less than some here who go doubles and exceed decompression levels for fun.

Rhone Man · Jan 19, 2014

I think you question is more complex that you realise. As one of my former instructors once said: "I like to go deep because I like to go deep." I think there is an explorer gene that a lot of people have which enjoys just pushing on that bit further. See also: cave diving - nothing in there but more rocks and an excellent chance of dying.

I have this theory that people who plan and execute deep technical dives, at great expense and at high risk, for dives with a bottom time which is sometimes as short as 5 minutes - these people don't do it despite the complexities and risks. They do it because of the complexities and the risks. The view from the top of Mount Everest is almost always terrible. But every mountaineer wants to stand there once.

I personally just love that little buzz you get when you have clipped in all your tanks and finished all your predive checks ahead of a planned technical dive. You are starting to sweat fiercely in all your gear in the hot sun, and everyone has that last lingering nervousness about what might go wrong, and then you get that little rush - "OK, let's do this!". And then you stagger to the edge and crash into the cool blue water below and head away from the light. Nothing quite like it for me.

Just my 5 PSI. YMMV.

cmulvaney · Jan 19, 2014

To kill Lionfish with Chugwhump!!! Duh!!! We are a couple of :dork2:

divers.

Dr. Lecter · Jan 19, 2014

Partly I dive as deep as I do because I like wrecks and that's where the wrecks are.

But a more driving reason has a lot to do with Rhone Man's second paragraph. I like diving ever deeper wrecks instead of wrecks in a fairly constant range for same reason I hunt big boar with a spear and a knife: it's a challenge in an environment I enjoy with severe consequences should I be tested and found wanting. I enjoy playing biotech stocks for the same reason, but putting a few (or even many) grand on the line doesn't compare to putting yourself on the line.

Foxfish · Jan 19, 2014

There is a lot to be said for shallow diving. More colour, longer bottom times and often easier access are a few.

I did a dive under a jetty yesterday. Dive time was 2 hours 20 minutes with a MOD of 8 m. I can see more marine life on this dive than on a deeper dive off a charter boat.

Wingy · Jan 19, 2014

Some sights lend themselves to deep diving - the bottom of the canyon in the pass at rangiroa where the hammerheads are often found is at 50m. From 48.5m you get a much better view of them than you do at 20m. Im also a geomorphologist so I am often looking for seismic or volcanic activity signs underwater...which requires a bottom...therefore im not going to see ancient lava tunnel scars at 15m so...I dive deeper.

JMBL · Jan 19, 2014

Well, it's not so easy to answer. Why do I dive deep ?

1st : Most of the best sites on this side of the Atlantic (I live in France) are below 30 feet and we tend to practise deco diving.
2st : When you dive deep, you meet different species, which you are unlike to meet in shallower water, for exemple : John Dory
3rd : The atmosphere is utterly different : light, life, and let's face it, there's also narcosis.

All of the above tend to make a deep dive special to me. I do not go deep just for depth's sake, I also like shallower dives, all depends on what there's to see and to experience.

Why do you dive so deep?

Please register or login

KeithG

Guest

Nemrod

ScubaBoard Sponsor

k374

Contributor

freewillie

Contributor

Rhone Man

Contributor

cmulvaney

Contributor

Dr. Lecter

Contributor

Foxfish

Contributor

Attachments

Wingy

Contributor

JMBL

Contributor

Similar threads