Big Mistake

[Spectre]

MASS-Diver once bubbled...
(Aside from diving your plan) to write down in advance your deco times (from a table or program) in case you overstay your bottom time or exceed you depth (for a multi-level you could figure it on the fly using the UP method of time below 3 atms + time above

Sure... that works if you're trained for deco diving, and with that comes a gas supply that is planned to deal with the overstayed time....

 

[SeaJay]

navy85 once bubbled...

SeaJay - as a relatively new, inexperienced diver, thanks for having the guts to share your experience and endure a few pokes.

Hehehee... "Par for the course" around here.

I am gaining a better understanding of dive computers, their limitations, NDLs and of course the reasons for diving your plan as a result of this thread.

Very cool. I learned a lot as a result of the dive, too, and sharing the experience - so that others could benefit too - was the main objective to putting myself up for ridicule. I'm thrilled that you're finding use for it. Maybe it'll help to keep someone else a little safer, too.

BTW, my parents live in Summerville (and I am an SHS alumni - Go Greenwave). If I have time to dive next time I'm there, I'll look you up - I've never been diving in the area.

Pfffttt... That's right up the street!

Yes, you've got to come dive with us! Check the website address in my signature line.

jiveturkey once bubbled...
You have some pretty serious peaks and valleys in your profile. I wonder if this has anything to do with the long deco time. I don't know exactly how much movement it takes for nitrogen to come out of solution but I wouldn't be comfortable yo-yoing more than a meter or 2. Your Suunto probably doesn't like it either.

Yeah, I was waiting for someone to notice that, especially on my second dive. I thought for sure I was getting "nailed to the cross" for that one! I'm surprised that it took this long for anyone to notice.

The reason for the "yo-yo-ing" was because the dive was on our local "big wreck" out here. Each up and down was the slight decent and ascent over wreckage. I'd swim along the deck of the boat and descend down into it's enormous holds, checking for anything that was cool. These holds were like 50' wide and 50' across, and maybe 30' deep, and missing altogether their enormous topside hold doors; thus it was never a true penetration. Pretty amazing stuff, really, and a very cool dive.

But you're right... That made for a less-than-ideal dive profile, and that might have been a contributor.

For the record, I think that most of the "spikes' were 10-15 feet (2 meters or so) each, with one exception to maybe 20 feet (a little over 3 meters).

But yeah, the profile was resultingly a little "spikey."

 

[GearHead]

Even those that use their Suunto's in gauge mode still have access to a valuable tool it provides: The Ascent Rate Indicator.

I believe it's on the far right of all of their units (I've only got experience with the Mosquito and Vytec), and it's dead easy to use. At the end of your dive, I recommend that it's use to ensure that you're not going up too fast . . . or even too slow.

 

[Jeblis]

Even at the surface some of your slow tissues are still on gassing as fast tissue (at higher pressure than the neighboring slow tissue) is off gassing.

After playing around with my suunto's simulate features I always go shallow long before I get near the NDL.

 

[Cave Diver]

SeaJay once bubbled...
Instead, at the point where I turned the dive, my computer was reading "3 minutes," not "1 minute." I know the log doesn't show that, but perhaps I looked at the 'puter a few seconds before actual rock bottom. However it happened, I understood three minutes, not one.

And maybe you were just narc'd outta your mind diving air at 90' and not reading/thinking/comprehending clearly, or your reactions were severely delayed...

 

[Spectre]

SeaJay once bubbled...
Yeah, I was waiting for someone to notice that, especially on my second dive. I thought for sure I was getting "nailed to the cross" for that one! I'm surprised that it took this long for anyone to notice.

I noticed... but looking at the rest of the picture it seemed to be the least of the issues.

I have, however, seen the suunto algorithm freak out when yoyoing. I was checking and moving some lobster traps. Basic profile was 3 minutes @ 18 feet, bounce up to 9 and back down. 10 minutes max depth 19 ft. 16 minute surface interval, 20 ft for 8 minutes surface and return. 4 minutes @ 20 ft. Surface and return. zigzagging between 16 and 10 for 4 minutes. Dive time 20 minutes, max depth 20 feet.

When I began my final ascent, I got a 10 ft ceiling for 4 minutes.

When I downloaded the profile, It didn't show the ceiling I saw. Sometimes the ceiling is just something that pops up when your ascent is going too fast.

 

[Genesis]

having seen it a couple of times.

The reason for the "ceiling" warning is microbubble suppression - their algorythm REALLY does not like fast ascents or anything else that produces microbubbles, and it will attempt to get you to do a "mandatory" deco obligation to suppress them if it doesn't like what you're doing.

They were unable to tell me though if it would hard-violate (e.g. "ER") if I ignored the ceiling designation in that situation - that is, is this really advisory or is it a truly mandatory stop.

Some day I might do a "simulated" dive with my Vytec by hooking it to a fishing line and weight, sending it down to 60' or so, then cranking it up beyond the ascent rate to intentionally violate it and see if it raises hell. I should be able to get it out of the water and look at it with the "ceiling" display still up there before it goes into error mode (3 minutes.)

 

[Nanook]

SeaJay once bubbled...


In short, my buddy planned his dive, and dove his plan. He had a better profile than I did because he used the right gas, too. And he stuck with me the whole time, surfacing because I needed to, even though he didn't.

BS. You're buddy can't have a different plan than you. Comeon... you drink the koolaid.

You both either have the same plan, or you were diving solo. Simple as that.

And then diving dissimilar gases? Then you both needed to plan the dives as air dives.

I think you need better training and you should rethink your diving philosophy. You have too much of a jumble of information from various agencies.
You speak so highly of your DIRF experience, but throw it all away on this dive.


Summarize:
1. Don't dive air
2. Plan your dive
3. Dive your plan
4. You and your buddy have the SAME plan
5. get more training
6. understand your training
7. understand and heed your limitations, whether they are physical OR mental

 

[SeaJay]

What a troll...

C'mon, man... Even I can see that one!

*yawn*

 

[JeffAustin]

especially if you are diving air. An hour S.I. is minimum with 32 EANx, not air. I like an hour and a half S.I. when diving 32 EANx, you are not saddled with ridiculous short bottom times on repetitive dives if you give yourself a reasonable S.I.

Put your Suunto in gauge mode and trust your plan.