Depth Limits for SSI OW Cert?

[ScoobaSam]

dpaustex... Amen brother... A C-Card is nothing more than a license to learn.

devondiver... I too have noticed that discovery show hosts get certified to dive for a show or two. This does not make them divers... I actually have seen a couple of shows where the Shows host was diving extremely deep... You could tell the host had no experience and that the support crew was all over him... That's hollywood, man. It don't mean that they are truly divers.

 

[tstormdiver]

Bappelt has it mostly right... Even though this post is dated, I would like to reiterate that the SSI standards dictate a maximum openwater depth of 60 feet. Deep diver certification is required to be certified to deeper depths up to 100 feet. Anything beyond that depth is now considered technical diving... Don't be surprised if the depth limits continue to decrease. When I got certified the Open water limit was 100 feet and the deep limit was 130... I would highly recommend to anyone interested in diving to depths greater than ~80 feet, to take a deep diver course and to progress carefully and deliberatly. There is always the next dive, don't take any chances on this one.

I'm curious where you got this information. I was just reading over SSI's newest revisions (2011) of its standards, SSI's recomendations for depth is: OWD is a recommended maximum depth of 60 ft. (40 ft for Jr. OWD), Advanced Adventurer, who has done a deep dive as part of the course, has a recomended maximum depth of 100 ft & a diver with deep specialty training is a maximum of 130 ft (maximum recreational limit). The minimum depth for deep is considered at 60 ft. Going to 130 ft is still concidered recreational.

 

[DevonDiver]

devondiver... I too have noticed that discovery show hosts get certified to dive for a show or two. This does not make them divers... I actually have seen a couple of shows where the Shows host was diving extremely deep... You could tell the host had no experience and that the support crew was all over him... That's hollywood, man. It don't mean that they are truly divers.

I mean the scientists themselves...not the tv show hosts.

 

[BoltSnap]

DevonDiver,

What you are describing concerning "scientific" divers inattention to their diving skills is a common observation I had myself in person. The worst types are the archeologists who seem to be oblivious to what's around them and so focused on their work only. Some scientists are so consumed and focused on their science, they forget about safety and proper diving techniques. They have to have a DM chasing them U/W just to make sure that they don't hurt themselves.

What I said above is a generalization but it is a first hand observation based on my working with some "scientific" divers in the past as a DM/Safety Diver. Many of these folks were trained through recreational training centers not through Scientific Diving programs. BTW, the worst ones are the older "Professor" types who, in their mind, can't possibly be wrong in whatever they are doing.

 

[ScoobaSam]

Thanks for the catch there TSTORMDIVER
I get my info the same place as you... Only I am prone to typos, especially when I try to use the 10 key pad on my crappy keyboard.

My statement earlier
"Deep diver certification is required to be certified to deeper depths up to 100 feet."
was incorrect...

I really was thinking '130' when I mistyped '100'. I don't need to be typing 3 AM.
So to be perfectly precise, here it is in list format:

Scuba Diver – 40 feet (12 metres)
Junior Scuba Diver – 40 feet (12 metres, only with a Dive Professional)
Open Water Diver – 60 feet (18 metres)
Junior Open Water Diver – 60 feet (18 metres, after certification with no additional training)
Advanced Adventurer – 100 feet (30 metres, when a Deep Dive was used in the program)
Junior Advanced Adventurer – 70 feet (21 metres)
Deep Diving Specialty Diver –130 feet (40 metres)

Sorry for any confusion there.

 

[tstormdiver]

Thanks for the catch there TSTORMDIVER
I get my info the same place as you... Only I am prone to typos, especially when I try to use the 10 key pad on my crappy keyboard.

My statement earlier
"Deep diver certification is required to be certified to deeper depths up to 100 feet."
was incorrect...

I really was thinking '130' when I mistyped '100'. I don't need to be typing 3 AM.
So to be perfectly precise, here it is in list format:

Scuba Diver – 40 feet (12 metres)
Junior Scuba Diver – 40 feet (12 metres, only with a Dive Professional)
Open Water Diver – 60 feet (18 metres)
Junior Open Water Diver – 60 feet (18 metres, after certification with no additional training)
Advanced Adventurer – 100 feet (30 metres, when a Deep Dive was used in the program)
Junior Advanced Adventurer – 70 feet (21 metres)
Deep Diving Specialty Diver –130 feet (40 metres)

Sorry for any confusion there.

No problem.

 

[SSIdiver]

Sorry for such a late post, but for SSI the real RECOMENDED MAXIMUM DEPTH for OW is 100ft, but they tell you 60ft. Even the SSI dive shop owner/instructor in my town will tell you this.

 

[ScottyJoefish]

Take your time and get some more dives in your log. Take a Stress and Rescue class. Take a night dive class. Take a Boat dive class. And before you decided to dive deep take a Deep Dive class. Dive prepared and dive safe. It's not just your life on the line so to speak. Plan your dive and dive your plan and most of all Have Fun. One more thing Train Train And Train some more.