Happy to always dive advanced within recreational limits, forever ? [Poll]

Advanced diver, do you have any plans to move eventually to "technical" diving ?

  • n/a

    Votes: 1 0.3%
  • I already do "technical" dives.

    Votes: 90 26.8%
  • Yes, as soon as possible.

    Votes: 40 11.9%
  • 50-50 chance.

    Votes: 35 10.4%
  • Probably not, but time will tell.

    Votes: 82 24.4%
  • No intent whatsoever.

    Votes: 78 23.2%
  • Other (please specify).

    Votes: 10 3.0%

  • Total voters
    336

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

And your "hole" is filled with gear that now needs service, overhaul, or replacement due to usage cycles, age, or engineered-obsolescence.
<snip>
PS: Thank God I don't own a full panoply of tech gear like @Jim Lapenta! Service costs would kill me.

Many of us learn to do our own service for this reason. I have seven regulators that see regular use and forty or so tanks. At dive shop prices, that's a lot of annual cost for service, inspection, O2 cleaning, etc. It costs a fraction of that to DIY even including the cost of the classes, the ultrasonic cleaner, and such.
 
I personally don't like the "hard line" often drawn between Technical and Recreation

I'm often diving to 50m with a little bit of deco and a max dive time of 60 mins. I don't consider that to be Tec diving, as it' a huge step from what I do to those diving at say 70+m on a wreck with multi hour dive time etc etc

But for me the fact that I'm able to drop down to 40-50 and spend say 15 mins hanging with a Mola Mola is well worth it. Because I dive reefs I can then come shallow (switch to rich) and still get a 1hr dive

I know however that Deep Trimix and long run times will never be my kind of diving, I'd get board on deco for one, plus age etc

Rebreathers again not on my radar, they were for a while but having the opportunity to dive alongside one for a weekend, proved to me that they weren't compatible with my favorite kind of diving - ducking and diving currents on a scooter - hanging out with the big fish. And of course for the price of a box I can have a seriously OP scooter.

But having Technical training does have great value and I can highly recommend people gain more knowledge because its equally applicable to rec diving
 
But for me the fact that I'm able to drop down to 40-50 and spend say 15 mins hanging with a Mola Mola is well worth it. Because I dive reefs I can then come shallow (switch to rich) and still get a 1hr dive

Hi DD,

I could definitely get into that type of tech diving. I enjoyed tech 40 for the reasons you stated as I did learn worthwhile things and it was just plain interesting. Having been trained to exceed "no stop" limits and do short bouts of deco is nice to have in my holster, so-to-speak.

cheers,
m
 
I'am 53 years old now and venturing into tech diving. Started diving 5 years ago after wanting to learn to dive for more than 30 years, but never had the time or the money to do so. At this point I'am not saying: I won't do that on anything. Cave, tech and rebreathers, DPV's, it's all on in the game. There just one thing that can put me off going further something: not having fun doing it. That's the only real question I ask myself: do I feel comfortable with it and do I enjoy it?
 
At 58 (she's 52) I'm hoping we will have many years to enjoy the new adventures but last years ankle surgery and long recovery makes me wonder if all the investment will be worth it in the end.
I'm just a smidgen younger than you, and right now I'm considering how much gear I should sell. The rugrats are moving out, and since they won't go diving with Dad particularly often, I have a bit of gear which probably is superfluous. But it kinda hurts to sell it; that'll be closing a door.

It's not so much the financial penalty; I bought most of the gear used and will probably recover most of the financial cost. It's mostly an emotional thing.
 
The rugrats are moving out, and since they won't go diving with Dad particularly often, I have a bit of gear which probably is superfluous. But it kinda hurts to sell it; that'll be closing a door.

It's not really closing a door, if the kids aren't going to be diving that often it starts to make sense to rent gear if and when they join you rather than maintaining gear that won't be used enough to even break even on rental costs or make it worth lugging to remote dive destinations.
 
if the kids aren't going to be diving that often it starts to make sense to rent gear
Renting gear usually isn't an option around here.
 
Renting gear usually isn't an option around here.

Oh. Then I guess you might want to have the conversation with the kids about whether they plan to dive in the future before selling off their stuff. What if you don't ask them and one day they're like "Dad, I want to join you on the next dive trip" and you're like .."Um that could be a problem".
 
I guess you might want to have the conversation with the kids about whether they plan to dive in the future before selling off their stuff.
"I really don't know, Dad."

It's easier with the gear they've bought themself. No matter my opinion, it's their money. It's worse with the gear I've bought "for the family".
 
I'm just a smidgen younger than you, and right now I'm considering how much gear I should sell. The rugrats are moving out, and since they won't go diving with Dad particularly often, I have a bit of gear which probably is superfluous. But it kinda hurts to sell it; that'll be closing a door.

It's not so much the financial penalty; I bought most of the gear used and will probably recover most of the financial cost. It's mostly an emotional thing.
Understood completely.
I'm about two decades older than you, with just that much more gear I've accumulated. Advanced Trimix, CCR, Full Cave, etc. About the only gear I've never bought is a DPV because I'd rather carry a camera and go slow than zoom around. I've already decided no more CCR (sold that), and no more Trimix (sold the He analyzer), and not interested anymore in long deco; may stop caves after my next trip, not sure. So, lots of stuff to maybe sell, but nothing I want to not have....it's hard to say goodbye to a fair chunk of your life. But, do I really need four backplates?
 

Back
Top Bottom