How deep have you gone on air?

[Griswoldstahl]

105' in Okinawa in 1981. I believe our bottom time was only 9 min. That dive cost me $150, as I left my post to another sailor in the USN to do the dive, and the XO was not too happy that I did not the get the 'official' approval to be relieved of my duty.

 

[Thalassamania]

Mystic ... nice. Which support ship?

 

[DSRV]

Lockheed Corporation's Ocean Research Division "Transquest". Run by Lockheed in support of the the DSRV program. I was sent there a couple of times (TAD) for launch and recovery operations. Got a chance to go down on a search mission for the USS F-1 (SS-20) lost on 17 December 1917. To bad the DSRV's are no longer in operation. What a great vehicle.

 

[Thalassamania]

Well ... the DSVRs were nice but, as we know, they were just a cover for the DDC that was carried on the Grayback to Sakhalin Island to tap the cables.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

1,389 ft below sea level on air holding my breath. That's 1 ft below the surface of the dead sea.

 

[divermike1011]

DSRV: Welcome! As an old bubblehead it was nice knowing the DSRVs were out there. Haven't heard too much about the new fangled system they have.

Michael

 

[Akimbo]

Well ... the DSVRs were nice but, as we know, they were just a cover for the DDC that was carried on the Grayback to Sakhalin Island to tap the cables.

I’m not sure it is fair to say “just a cover”. The DSRV program started years before the cable tapping idea was even conceived or we had the capacity to make those dives. The boat sailors I knew felt the DSRV program was more to comfort their wives and parents than something that would actually get them back. Like the USS Thresher and Scorpion accidents that spawned the DSRVs, the crew knew they were rarely in water where the bottom was above crush depth so the probability that anyone would be alive was pretty small.

I can’t say for sure, but I believe Lockheed built a real mock-up to test the piggy-back concept on nuclear boats. It was also used to train crews in the yard to handle the real ones. That was adopted as a convenient and plausible cover story for the chamber hidden within on the backs of the USS Halibut and Sea Wolf later. The Navy told everyone it was the mockup because anyone could see Halibut and Sea Wolf passing under the Golden Gate Bridge while the location of the two real DSRVs was public information.

For others reading who may not know the details, there is a very interesting book named Blind Man’s Bluff:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-330608.html

 

[k374]

123 feet, Santa Rosa Wall, Cozumel... I think I was a bit narc'd though. This is the only time I have exceeded 120'.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

Been to 175 ft on air in Caribbean water. (Under the rudder of the Bianca C which is a spectacular dive). I could feel narcosis start at about 130 feet.

With respect to cold water, I was at 130 ft in Lake Michigan a week ago (penetration of the SS Wisconsin - also a good dive). My buddy had about 25% helium in his mix. I was on 25% nitrox with no helium. I could clearly feel narcosis start at about 110 ft. Anyhow, we did an air share drill (pre-planned skills practice) at the bottom for about 7 minutes where I was on his long hose. I swear I could feel the fogginess slowly lift from my mind (helium works!!). Interestingly, when I switched back to my bottom mix, I didn't really notice the fogginess return (for the last 5 minutes or so of bottom time).

 

[rebelrph]

I was the most conservative of a group of 8 (plus 2 DM's) on Maricabo Wall in Coz - I stopped at 154, some were pushing 200. It was a really experienced group and was planned as a deep dive for short duration. No problems (other than I shared air with a diver, who was at 800psi at 60 feet on the way up and happened to not mention it to the DM, to get him up to safety stop safely). After a 20 minute SI we did Columbia Shallows on Nitrox for a 94 minute safety stop.
I too have learned that most of the good stuff is shallower than 100 and can be seen really well from 70. I'd rather 70 minutes over 100 feet any day.