Dive called with 1000psi left?

[SkimFisher]

For both dives, we'll say 40 min and 34 feet.

Thanks for all the help guys!

Yeah, for a shallow dive like that I would have been disappointed. If I'm diving with a well known, experienced buddy (and not in a charter setting) I have no problem with breathing a tank down to 6-500psi (in ideal conditions) before making my stop. Obviously, I don't recommend doing that if you suck down air.

I think in a charter setting the DM's and dive ops are obviously concerned with getting everyone back to the boat. You're basically forced to dive within the limits of the weakest diver in the group.

 

[Blackwood]

for many, that's even late in the game to end the dive. assuming you start at 3000psi, you should be back on the boat (or dealing with an emergency) by 1000psi. for many, 'be back on the boat by 500psi' isn't well thought out.

so it was fine! and i hope you had some great dives.

It's not well thought out for anyone if it's a hard and fast rule that the dive op applies indiscriminately.

 

[BabyDuck]

um, what part? the 'be back with 500' part? in that case, i agree.

 

[charlesml3]

These DM's dive all day every day and they lose their core heat so I imagine they would like to make the dives as short as possible.

I'm sure they would. They'd also rather be sitting back at the dive shop chatting with their girlfriends than leading the dive. If I'm paying a dive shop to take me on a dive, I really don't want to hear the DM crying about being cold. If he doesn't like what he's doing, he's free to pursue other career goals.

I had that happen to me once. DM was demanding that everyone be back on the boat with 1000PSI. He got zilch for a tip and I found another dive op that very same day.

-Charles

 

[jbtut]

I'd be disappointed with that bottom time. Unless there's a current, most dive charters I've been on will do a preset "tour" of whatever they are going to show you, then come back near the boat and send up the people with lower air and let the rest explore a bit and come up when air limits require. Generally on warm water charters I've been on they ask you to stay withing your computer no-doco limits and come up at 60 minutes including safety stop.

 

[SkimFisher]

Turn a dive whenever it's appropriate to turn the dive. This concept obviously relates to your skill level and experience. Don't do anything you're not comfortable doing.

But I do think that calculating rock-bottom for a 34ft dive is overkill.

 

[vladimir]

All the rock-bottom advice is good and correct, but it presumes that you are planning your own dive, including your own gas plan. You should be doing that on every dive, but as long as you are diving in a gang led by a divemaster you can only choose to abbreviate your dive, not lengthen it. Get a little bit of experience, and find a dive operator and a buddy that will allow you to do your own dives.

 

[CaboJim]

Its hard to comment on this scenario. Not knowing the make up of the group diving, is 40 minutes at 40 ft realistic? Some divers, depending on their air consumption could have 1500 psi, while others have 300 psi after 4o minutes.

However, saying that, it seems to me, that the DM has a responsibility to check each diver's air & only send those to the surface who are running short on air. It seems lazy for the DM to require everybody to surface after 40 min., especially when you're only diving 40 ft...
BTW, the DM isn't free, He/She came with the diive boat, & that cost was included....

 

[Blackwood]

It seems lazy for the DM to require everybody to surface after 40 min., especially when you're only diving 40 ft...

OTOH, it seems prudent to keep the group together

 

[ryssyr]

any charters that limit the time on a dive do not get my business. if the dm would have said come up at 1000psi thats another story but time limiting is something that I dont pay for.