Deep Diving 108 feet w/ a single AL 80 (Air.) No redundancy.

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Another one of these threads, huh? I guess we're all a little bored with the pandemic.

Considering many many many thousands of recreational divers have done many many many thousands of dives to 100ft on AL80s for many many many years, and survived just fine, how is it that you think this behavior is "insane"?

Honestly if you're that uptight or self righteous about dive behavior, I just don't see how you can have any fun at all, what with everyone around you being insane. :shakehead:

Sorry for the rant, I'm just a little tired of the pedantry of some of these 'questions'. I won't bother you any more, apologies.

So much of this issue is with respect to experience, confidence, and composure.

There is such an ingrained institutional conservatism exhibited here that is more of a scare tactic than a learning moment.

So much is discussed about being mechanically and mentally prepared for diving.

We all know that if you are not comfortable with any dive, then call it. That is the message that we, as experienced divers, should deliver.

Setting up hypothetical scenarios and debating pros and cons accomplishes nothing.

Presenting real world experiences, and their outcomes is how we exchange knowledge and inform others.

I have been accused of having “survivor bias”, however I would suggest that is “learned experience” that can be shared.

The key is that we all dive to our own level of confidence, and we, as divers, should either know what that confidence level is prior to undertaking a dive such as the OP outlined, but if we question it, know that we should not assume that risk.

Somewhere out there, common sense must prevail.
 
Another one of these threads, huh? I guess we're all a little bored with the pandemic.

Considering many many many thousands of recreational divers have done many many many thousands of dives to 100ft on AL80s for many many many years, and survived just fine, how is it that you think this behavior is "insane"?

Honestly if you're that uptight or self righteous about dive behavior, I just don't see how you can have any fun at all, what with everyone around you being insane. :shakehead:

Sorry for the rant, I'm just a little tired of the pedantry of some of these 'questions'. I won't bother you any more, apologies.

Does PADI or the other agencies demand or specify redundancy for a non-deco dive to 125 feet? If not, then perhaps the OP should be lobbying the training agencies to modify their position so that this type of "insanity" is no longer accepted.

Does PADI or the other training agencies define the minimum tank size for a 100 plus foot dive? If not, then calling the practice (of using an 80) "insane" seems a little "dramatic" to me.

Personally, I would use a pony bottle if I had one available for a 100 ft dive. The size of the main tank would be whatever was available at the time (within reason).
 
Some one will always find something to disagree with!
This is human nature unfortunately.

11L tank for a 40m no deco dive has NOTHING to brag about!!

No amount of training or redundancy or extra large tank etc etc would ever prevent out of gas or accumulate large deco penalty if the dive forgot to check his/her own content gauge or understood what the dive computer displayed.

Scuba diving is a recreational sport however some people are NOT really suitable for it for various reasons. Unlike most recreational sport, careless/ignorant etc etc will kill you in scuba diving!
 
I did it many times back in the 80's and 90's and to much deeper depths, I won't admit to how much deeper! I also dove double tanks and did many decompression dives before I received any kind of formal technical training! I survived and am much more careful now that I am older, anything deeper than 80 feet and I carry a pony bottle plus my personal tanks are 95 or 100 cubic feet these days at a minimum! Not that I need the gas, my SAC and RMV are pretty low.
 
At high tide the the wreck sits in 108fsw. It always amazed me that people would do this dive "Normally." on single aluminum 80's without any type of redundancy.
I always thought it was insane???? Divers would come back on board with extremely low pressure readings on their gauges. Too me, it left no room for error, or any type of contingency whatsoever.
So, I was curious? The question is: Would you personally make this dive, staying within N.D.L. on air........No redundancy?
Cheers.

I was around that depth last week, with a single tank, sans pony; but in the 1970s-80s, that activity was very common; and most of the favorite dive spots, on the Monterey / Carmel Bay, were generally quite deep. We often went significantly deeper.

We typically had 72s and 80s back then; and the NDL limit on my old Suunto Solution for 30 meters or so, was seventeen minutes . . .
 
That would have a been a routine dive 40-45 years ago for me using a 72, no pony no 2nd 2nd stage and a horse collar orally inflated BC. The ascent would have 60FPM without a safety stop and about 200 psi left in the 72.

Sometime during the mid 1980's I started using IDs for 100+FSW dives, still do today.

Some folks won't be able to get their head around a time when Al80's didn't exist, and the old steel 72 was the big tank and ya know the dive has to be made.

So I guess you guys don't want to hear about my 220' dive on a single steel 72 in Palau in 1981? :)

Now that would be interesting to hear.

Does PADI or the other agencies demand or specify redundancy for a non-deco dive to 125 feet? If not, then perhaps the OP should be lobbying the training agencies to modify their position so that this type of "insanity" is no longer accepted.

PADI trains for NDL diving with a buddy, your buddy is your redundancy. I don't believe they train for redundant redundancy, except in self reliant diver.


As for the initial question, I have done greater than that depth on an old steel 72, but not as deep as Scuba Laywer. I have done it solo, using the surface as my redundancy,
 
MOD on 32% is 111 fsw. I've done that in Bonaire, just a little swim down the sloping bottom from the tugboat. Didn't seem like a big deal...obviously bottom time is limited on an Al80, but I didn't feel like I was cheating death.
 
The post should be on "basic scuba discussions".
 
You've passed your courses with heaps of gear you have no idea about but been told to buy
also with a very limited understanding and a much stifled initiative told how to use and with
No Divemanship

Waiting in anticipation for permission from someone you don't know who's not you rather than
investigating for yourselves to make informed decisions and learn everything you possibly can
Abdicate Responsibility

You jump in the water with someone equally inept and make it back only because of the odds
Buddy Diving

I'll dive my al80 well within its limits and if I want surface with zero bar, my air and I'm using it
All by Myself

Conquering other peoples fears when diving is not something I need when conquering my own
In the Fools Paradise




John Denver couldn't access his reserve either
probably thought he could, like a buddy diver
 

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