Diving past recreational limits...with no deco

[dberry]

One of my regular dive buddies said that 20 years ago his guide led the group to do a bounce dive on air to ~200 ft in a "blue hole" in the Caribbean (I don't recall which island they were on). Apparently it was a regular activity offered to the recreational divers.

 

[Schwob]

Any diver, certified or not, has the right to dive to any depth they wish to dive to for as long as they wish and with any gas they wish to do it with (if they can source it) or with no gas at all. Personal choices...
Certified divers have been taught why they might limit their free choices a bit to healthier and safer options and they have in some way indicated that they received and understood that information on some level.
What they do or don't do with that understanding still is entirely up to them.
Or?

 

[Landlocked123]

I dive hp117's and a redundant 30cubic foot pony. I would never go below 130. To each his own. I think this is what some call the "normalization of deviance" as I have heard it referred to by several expert divers giving presentations for DAN. Its just bad practice in my opinion. The problem is you get away with it and it becomes "normal". Every one can take on the risk they see fit. For me anything below 130 is a doubles dive and I dont dive doubles. Also, as I use high conservativism factors on my Petrel anything past that would put me into light Deco and again to me that means doubles and deco dive training... good luck to all

 

[northernone]

For some divers that is within their training and experience and I won't police them. Others I get nevious watching them in a pool.

I wouldn't want our hobby legislated and like people making informed decisions as to their own risk tolerances are.

Cameron

 

[john triggerfish]

Fact was, a PADI instructor was leading a dive group of four, guiding them through the 'bottle', the entrance to which you approach around 57m. A divemaster was doing an internship with him and had done the dive three times in the same week.
I just got a feeling that the whole thing was somehow wrong, in terms of frequency, PADI standards re the divemaster, and the possibility of severe accidents.

 

[boulderjohn]

Would PADI mount an investigation or is it down to the discretion of the 'open water' diver if he wants to basically kill him/herself?

Fact was, a PADI instructor was leading a dive group of four, guiding them through the 'bottle', the entrance to which you approach around 57m. A divemaster was doing an internship with him and had done the dive three times in the same week.
I just got a feeling that the whole thing was somehow wrong, in terms of frequency, PADI standards re the divemaster, and the possibility of severe accidents.

If this were part of a PADI class, then, yes, PADI should be contacted. PADI has no authority to limit diver activities outside of a class, though.

 

[boulderjohn]

Dive operators sometimes require their employees to lead dives that are outside of the limitations recommended by dive agencies. When the do that, it puts the professionals in a bit of a bind, but if they want to earn a living, they do what their employers tell them to do. As pretty much everyone else in this thread has said, no agency has the power to prevent that.

A good example of this is the Blue Hole in Belize, where dive operators regularly take brand new divers to 130 feet or beyond. A few years ago, PADI took the unprecedented step of writing an open letter asking the local government to enact restrictions. That clearly shows the fact that a dive operation has no power in this regard.

 

[caruso]

This dive is being commonly done on compressed air and as we all know, that's about the limit where oxygen toxicity becomes a factor, never mind narcosis, not to mention the gear maintenance issues at those pressures.

How common is this?
Are there any more known dodgy depth dives?
Would PADI mount an investigation or is it down to the discretion of the 'open water' diver if he wants to basically kill him/herself?

Oxygen toxcity on air is not a factor at those depths cited (63M) no clue why you even mention it?

What does gear maintenance have to due with a greater pressure at 63M vs the standard recreational limits?

There is no PADI police, no one is going to reprimand, punish, fine, or imprison a recreational diver for going deeper than 130' however if there's a fatal accident and your life insurance company can prove you went to excessive depths the policy may not pay the beneficiaries.

130' is the recommended limit. If a diver goes to say 138' they aren't just going to drop dead because of the extra few feet. I've been to about 134' only to get to the bottom of a hold on the USCG Bibb, but my computer made it clear I was totally killing my bottom time and soaking up a whole lotta Nitrogen during a week long wreck diving trip, and I didn't stay long.

 

[john triggerfish]

I guess I thought it wrong for a divemaster doing an internship that they'd picked from the internet to be asked/coerced into doing this.
What can you do after paying for the course and accommodation and all the rest to be told tomorrows dive is to way beyond standard rec limits?
JT

 

[Bob DBF]

SCUBA agencies need to show videos of former divers, who have found the limits the hard way, to drill the point across

They are trying to sell SCUBA to the masses not finish it off. It might draw risk takers in, but probably lose more of those who are sold that SCUBA is perfectly safe.



Bob