Diving: the future

[mike_s]

I don't think any of these will really become more mainstream especially among recreational divers. Rebreathers and helium may become more common in tech as the prices come down, but these technologies don't seem to provide a lot of additonal worth to rec divers.

I think rebreathers will get cheaper... and more people will buy them...

but some will buy it as a novelty dive item and not get the proper training that goes along with owning more advanced diving gear.

 

[Chous]

DIN is available now... however, 90% of the tanks in the US, especially rental tanks, are YOKE valves.

Interesting... In Russia there is the same 90% but on the other side. 90% are DIN

I just don't see carbon fiber tanks being put into use that much. yeah they are lighter... but that's the problem. they are WAY to buoyant. You'd have to wear so much lead to offset them

You absolutly right! I'd 4 or 5 dives with this type of tanks. (Sorry for metric system i did't kwon how correct transfer it to american system) They was 7 litres capacity.
12 litres steel tank, for me, need 10 killograms of lead. 7 litres carbon fiber tank need 15 killograms.

some might say "well they might go up to 5000psi".

In Russia 80% of divers fill in tanks in fire departments (for only $10 pur 1 tank) so it's not a problem at all.

For me, i'll try to dive only with steel tanks, 'cause i didn't like carry much lead

 

[Walter]

I saw a lot of divers in Russia and 100% of them use DIN tanks and regs.

Things are changing faster in Russia than in the US. When I dived in Russia (1991), most of the divers were using double hose regulators and all the tanks had yoke valves.

 

[OldNSalty]

I don’t really see any of those things becoming standard except maybe carbon fiber tanks/ DIN valves because I could see higher volume tanks becoming more popular (and those technologies could play into that).
A few items that I see becoming a ‘norm’ that aren’t listed are
1) NITROX being the standard gas (Maybe/Maybe not)
2) Solo Certifications being offered by more agencies (not really an equipment thing but I think it is one of the most popular certs offered by SDI-I am surprised that more agencies aren’t jumping on it.)
3) Emergency Recall device of some type. Actually we have the ability to make this right now and for probably not a lot of cash. What I am thinking is something that a diver is issued when they get on the boat-or maybe we can communicate with your computer or maybe it is in that new GPS things that some people are looking for; however it is done, some device that the Cpt could hit a button top side and send a signal to all his divers to return to the boat immediately. I see this as a safety device, a diver gets in trouble at the beginning of the dive, the Cpt and crew are giving first aid but they know it will be 20-30 minutes before they can take the victim in because they have other divers in the water. If there was such a device they could start pulling divers out and get underway sooner.

 

[Nemrod]

A "sonar mask" that will allow divers to see despite zero viz via a virtual display or to see beyond visual range in limited viz. N

 

[BDSC]

Think of all the new dive sites created by the rise in sea level due to global warming and melting of the polar ice caps...how cool will it be to dive downtown Manhattan!

And think of all the new PADI specialties that could create!

 

[Rhone Man]

I'm surprised so many clicked on Carbon Fiber tanks.

I just don't see carbon fiber tanks being put into use that much. yeah they are lighter... but that's the problem. they are WAY to buoyant. You'd have to wear so much lead to offset them.

some might say "well they might go up to 5000psi". Well that's great and all, but in some locations I can't even get a LDS that knows enough "bank management" to be able to fill to 3500psi.

I'm a believer in carbon fibre tanks, not because of capacity but because of weight. At the moment, schlepping 100 Al 80s around is a major back breaker. But 100 carbon fibre 118s would be no problem. Yes, you need to have a heavy backplate to offset the bouyancy, but you only need one heavy backplate per diver, not as many heavy backplates as you need tanks (and you don't have to carry backplates back and forth to the compressor).

Yeah, I know... there are other issues too (too vulnerably to "scratch" damage, compressors not rated to those pressures, etc.). But I still reckon it has a good chance of happening one day.

I kind of suspect that Walter is right - there might be changes, but they will be little ones, and by and large we will all dive as we dived before (at the recreational level). Technical diving may well change more as technology catches up with its recent popularity.

 

[Stu S.]

Last trip to the doctor, they put a small device on my finger that measured the oxygen content of my blood. Right through the skin. If the oxygen and nitrogen content of a diver's bloodstream is measured while diving, it would change the way decompression limits are set.

Perhaps a contact sensor on the wrist. Instead of diving to table or algorythm, we would have actual nitrogen and oxygen information available to us.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I would hope someone can come up with a better material for wetsuits. Neoprene is a loser other than cost: Poor buoyancy characteristics and poor thermal characteristics (to much insulation on the surface, too little at depth). D/S are a solution, but still pretty expensive and buoyant. If someone can find a reasonably priced, non-buoyant, thermal insulation for diving, that would be cool - diving with no or minimal lead for the masses in temperate waters.

 

[Thalassamania]

DIN valves are about the only thing, and then just because I suspect that the E.U. will legislated them and that'll cause the resorts to all change over time which will drag the rest of the world behind.