Deep Diver Certification

[colby]

Passed my PADI Deep Diver certification on the weekend, and finished with two excellent dives on the Sunday. Things I learned...

My asp (air sucking pig) ways are really exagerated in deep water. My first dive into deep water, I was on an AL-80. I did this dive in my AOW course on an AL-80, but it was our second dive of the day and so was a bit shorter. So Saturday's dive was the first of the day, a bit longer as we did some timed tasks under water, but some "practicing" of alternate air helped me get back on the boat with just over 500psi in the tank!

I switched to an AL-100 for the second and fourth dives, and used my steel HP-130 for the deep dive first thing on Sunday. Lots of air left on those three last dives.

We dove out of the Brockville area, and did the Muskie, Gaskin, Ash Island drift and then the Kinghorn. Add in a water gun fight, some DQ late Saturday night and a couple of bbq's, and it was an excellent weekend!

 

[MikeFerrara]

You ran low on gas during a training dive?

Gas in the tank does little good on the boat but it's a good idea to turn a dive when you still have enough gas left to get you and a buddy to the surface should your buddy lose his/her gas.

 

[colby]

It wasn't really as bad as my post sounded. We had ended the dive with about 1000PSI left in my tank, and started the ascent. I was watching my pressure really closely because I know that i use a lot of air. We ascended slowly, and when we got to the safety stop I had between 6-700psi in the tank. Rather than risk getting the tank too low, and forcing the rental tank into a VIP or whatever happens, the instructor gave me his octo for the safety stop. After the safety stop I went back onto my air, and finished the acsent. I would have made it back with my tank alone, but it would have been pretty low. The last time I dove this site, I also used an AL-80, but the dive time was a good 5-6 minutes less at depth because of residual nitrogen. Lesson learned, by another big tank!

 

[victor]

Lesson learned, buy another big tank!

Learn to relax in the water, do lots of shallow dives, get your trim and buoyancy right.
One day you will get back to the safety stop and there will be 1500psi instead of the normal 500. Then you have cracked it. Also you won't be tired or cold. Beware once this happens you are officially addicted to diving.
:lol:

 

[colby]

Learn to relax in the water, do lots of shallow dives, get your trim and buoyancy right.
One day you will get back to the safety stop and there will be 1500psi instead of the normal 500. Then you have cracked it. Also you won't be tired or cold. Beware once this happens you are officially addicted to diving.
:lol:

LOL, I'm already addicted! I'm relaxed enough, and my bouyancy gets better with every dive. When I wear my HP-130, I only have 4 pounds of weight with my 7mm, reef gloves and booties. I sink really good, and I have a big chest cavity

Looking at my downloaded data, I started the dive with 2755psi in the tank, so a bit short to begin with.

 

[JimC]

I would have made it back with my tank alone, but it would have been pretty low.

But screw my buddy if he needed gas.

Lesson learned, by another big tank!

Lesson learned: Find out more about safe gas gas planning such as rock bottom. Then use that to make a dive plan worth verbalizing. Then how to actually dive following said plan.

Just because you started "low" or with out enough gas to do the dive is NO excuse to come up short. And I don't mean that 500psi bull snot they "teach" you. 1000psi isn't enough left to end a 100 foot dive in an AL80. Just slapping on a big tank isn't looking at the big picture - whats your buddy got and is that enough to get you out?

 

[ClayJar]

Just wondering... how deep were your deep dives?

 

[colby]

But screw my buddy if he needed gas.


Lesson learned: Find out more about safe gas gas planning such as rock bottom. Then use that to make a dive plan worth verbalizing. Then how to actually dive following said plan.

Just because you started "low" or with out enough gas to do the dive is NO excuse to come up short. And I don't mean that 500psi bull snot they "teach" you. 1000psi isn't enough left to end a 100 foot dive in an AL80. Just slapping on a big tank isn't looking at the big picture - whats your buddy got and is that enough to get you out?

OK. I guess I will have to get into the nitty gritty for those tech heads. The intent of the thread was just to talk about the fun time we had.

Here was the setup. 3 students, one instructor, three DMs, two of which are also deep instructors. The instructor and one of the DMs had large ponies slung on, and one had doubles. Part of the dive plan during the weekend was to do alternate air source, not part of the standards, but good to practice, during the safety stop, especially since we knew that air in the AL-80s would be close on that dive. That's why we had bigger tanks for the other dives.

And just because you are of the opinion that 500psi is bull snot doesn't mean that it's worthless for straight recreational diving. Did we have enough air for emergencies? Absolutely, with no worries.

Clayjar, we went 97, 67, 125 and 92 feet, all in fresh water.

 

[Jason Ooi]

Congratulation....
If you Interesting deep water dive...go for IANTD Advanced Nitrox/Deep diver twin tanks setting ...
Not necessary to buy a big single tank

Lesson learned, by another big tank!

 

[colby]

Jason,

Thanks for the positive message. I know a couple of IANTD instructors and I will probably go that way at some point in time. I'm still pretty new in all of this, but getting pretty comfortable. My plan is to finish up the rescue course, do a few more specialties just because I feel that diving with an instructor really helps to reinforce some skills that you forget when you learn so much.

I'm sure that doubles are in my future, but probably next year. Baby steps for me