Can I dive to 40m (130ft)?

[outofofficebrb]

Others have already shared their responses about whether you are ready. I will address the other part...

Honestly, there isn't much at 40m to see unless there's a specific wreck or something like sunfish in Bali you are chasing after. Most of the beautiful life I've witnessed is much shallower than that. Additionally, the colors and light start to go at that depth. With that said...I will address the deep specialty. It may be beneficial to have since some operators insist that you have a deep specialty before you can do certain dives with them but YMMV. I don't have one and haven't needed it. It has also not been an issue in the places I've dived. Another thing to consider is the travel insurance, dive accident insurance, and/or dive travel insurance you have. Some have depth limitations (a max depth), while others have depth limitations based on what you are certified for (ah, fine print....), while others don't and that may have significant/adverse results in the event you have an issue and need to make a claim.

 

[CWK]

I did my Padi deep speciality after about 500 dives and I loved it. The course was with a Padi Tec/Rec facility and the course was, in certain ways, almost an introduction to Tec. The only significant practical (non theory) difference between my Padi deep speciality and my SSI XR nitrox course was that I was carrying a stage with deco50 instead of a stage tank filled with air in the SSI course, and it also involved gas switching. But I suspect that the Padi deep speciality course for an inexperienced diver would have strictly followed NDL.

 

[Dan]

A good reading: Scuba gas planning - Wikipedia

 

[Steve_C]

Need Data:

-What is your SAC rate? (If it is not good, then probably no)
-What size tank are you diving?
-Do you know how to read your computer if you bust NDL and need to ride the computer coming up. Stuff happens. Big Shark swims by. You go wow and look at it and there went more time than you expected and you were probably breathing faster than normal.
-On your 100 ft dives did you feel any narcosis? It will be worse probably at 130 ft. Personally for me when I hit 100 ft I start feeling a lack of attention. I have to make a point of checking NDL and air regularly

-Not every boat hangs a bottle under neath. On 479 dives, many in the 80-110 range I have never seen a bottle hanging under the boat. I would not count on anything but what you carry with you. As you note the guide may have to be helping somebody else.

 

[TMHeimer]

I won't add much to the already good advice. For me, the 10 minutes on Air bottom time wouldn't be worth the expense of the trip. On the Deep Course we used Nitrox 28--can't recall the bottom time on that--about 15 minutes. A little more worth it. As stated, you can see just as much at shallower depths. As a shell collector, I'd rather have more time at shallower depths to find the same species. On Air, even as deep as 100' gives you maximum of 20 minutes--I usually do about 15-17 to leave some margin. I'm more partial to the 50-80' range.
One way that's sort of approved by PADI in order to extend depth range is to go with a pro buddy.
Even so, perhaps it's a good idea to do a bit more diving where you are not guided --ei. with another non-pro diver, where you do all the planning without an instructor or DM as your backup.
My progression was:
Started the Deep Course after dive #56.
Prior to that my deepest was 78, and a couple of more 70 foot dives and a bunch of 50-60'.
Then to 120 and 130 (well 131-40 meters) on the course. I've only been to 120' a couple of times since, but quite a few dives to 80-90-100.

 

[Bob DBF]

I'd rather not run into any problems in the first place than rely on the guide if I happen to if that makes sense

With that in mind, what happens if the guide needs help? The problem with "trust me" or dives relying on another's skill, is that you are diving beyond your own skills. I'd suggest that you develop your own skills before you increase your depth, you might be diving too deep for your skills already.


Bob

 

[BDSC]

I've done 32 dives, 7 of which have been at 30m (100ft), with one at 35m. I have a PADI AOW certificate where the recommended depth is 30m. The dive will be on air.

Do you think I have enough experience to try doing dives of up to 40m

In my opinion yes, you have enough experience to do 40m dives assuming your dives to 30 and 35m went as planned.

 

[w3dge]

In my opinion yes, you have enough experience to do 40m dives assuming your dives to 30 and 35m went as planned.

I'd argue that the OP would have more experience if the dives to 30m and 35 DIDN'T go to plan.

 

[rivers]

I had done two dives to 43m after having only done one dive to 30m before, with the rest staying above 25m. However, before doing those two 43m dives, I had done 20+ over two weeks straight, which meant I was pretty "into the groove" at that point. I had good buoyancy and air usage. For the two dives, the guide, who was an instructor, had four of us to keep watch. One person did end up low on air and had to share air during the first safety stop, then switched to the bottle hanging underneath the boat for the second. We did two safety stops, by the way, hanging ourselves off the mooring line to keep depth.

My recollection was that it was about 5 minutes down, 15 minutes swimming around, then about 10 minutes back up, with two safety stops. We had a two hour surface interval, when we had lunch, then we repeated the dive on another part of the wreck.

I really have no words to express how many things are wrong with this... You most likely went into mandatory deco, hence the 2 stops. Did you have any sort of gas plan? Obviously not, if one of the other divers had to share. Did you discuss your "safety stops" on the surface. Did anyone look at tables or planning mode on a dive computer to see how long you could stay at depth without going into deco as from the sounds of it you are not decompression trained. Or did you just take what the guide said as gospel?

 

[CuzzA]

Honestly, there isn't much at 40m to see unless there's a specific wreck or something like sunfish in Bali you are chasing after.

That is nonsense. Some of my most amazing reef dives to date were at those depths. The cool stuff doesn't just top at 60 ft. Some would argue the really cool stuff is 200 ft.+.

OP, get your EANX cert. and see if you can't get bigger tanks. With a guide, you'll likely be fine. Watch your gas.