How Many Days of Straight Diving?

[Tank4507]

Let's face it, it's time to stop viewing the "ADVANCED" course as a course that is making someone a advanced diver. It's not. In all actuality it is a certification card that gets new divers MORE DIVES UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A INSTRUCTOR. I'm sure everyone has different opinions on this, some people say that it's stupid that a new diver can complete Open Water and roll right into the Advanced Open Water course the same day. And there is plenty of sound arguments as to the opinion that a diver needs more dives before they should even be able to take that course.

The truth is the wording on the certifcation card is wrong. The course alone doesn't make you a advanced diver. 5 dives doesn't get you there.... sorry. Now what it does is it gets your 5 more dives under the supervision of a instructor. SO DO IT. You mentioned that you only made one dive after your course. So you are talking about getting 5 more dives with a instructor, GO FOR IT. Any time spent with a pro is going to make you a better diver.

Now, as far as is it to much diving for you? I think some of the comments that have already be thrown out there at you like the comment about how if you don't already know your body well enough to know on your own then you shouldn't do it are misleading. It's easy for people that have been through their classes years ago to sit back and make comments like that, however, the question that you are asking is no different then the same questions we all asked ourselves when we were in your position. NO ONE KNOWS HOW THEIR BODY IS GOING TO REACT BEFORE THEY DO IT. Thats part of learning!

So go for it, you might get through it fine, then again maybe on dive 5 you realize it's to much for you, and that is where you have to have the maturity to say NO. Any diver can end any dive for any reason. That is what you have to remember.

Are you going to get tired? Probably, but we all did. I didn't go through the classes and then on the next day could i run out and do a two tank trip in the morning followed by a two tank trip in the afternoon, followed by a night dive and NOT GET TIRED. I had to work up to that lifestyle.

Even now, working for a dive shop, doing two trips a day 5 days a week (weather depending) and sometimes 6 and that is if we get lucky and don't have a night dive thrown in there, you get tired. It's part of it, but after doing it for awhile your body responds better to it.

So don't let anything on here discourage you, go for it, you need the 5 dives with an instructor. The rest of the dives you will know if you are ready for, and if you aren't, then don't to it.

 

[Centrals]

And your point is....

1. It just came to my mind whenever Belize, Dancer and Liveaboard got mentioned together.
2. My liveaboard trip to Tubattaha in Philippines was cancelled because the boat was damaged by typhoon many yrs ago(99/00). Luckily I was able to transfer to another boat without paying any additional charge.
2. There were some questions about getting up early in the morning or dive schedule etc on liveaboard. As far I am concerned those are the less worry, my mind is always on the weather.

 

[Capn Mike]

Hello!
I am getting my Advanced Open Water certification in Semporna, Malaysia which will consist of five dives over two days in early June. I would then like to do a three dives in one day package in Sipadan. I've only logged one dive (a wreck dive off Aramoana in New Zealand in Feb 2017) outside of my Open Water cert (Oct 2016) but I am a fit 30 year old. Will I most likely be fine (tired wise) if I do the 5 dives to get my Advanced over two days and then the 3 dives in Sipadan on the third day or should I rest a day in between? I'd like to just do them all over 3 days since there isn't a ton to do in the area outside of diving and that would mean cheaper accommodation but I don't want to be exhausted! Any advice would be appreciated!

I think a lot of people don't understand your question but I see that there was a sponsor of scubaboard who really hit the nail on the head you're concerned about is loading too much nitrogen over multiple days I stumbled upon this post with the same concern cuz I'm going to be diving 3 weeks Non-Stop and I was reading in my divemaster book about a need to rest take a day off from diving every few Dives exact quote and page 83 of the PADI divemaster manual..

Personally I'm going to be diving for 3 weeks straight and I guess I'm going to plan the last few Dives of those three weeks last few days at a shallower depth just to be conservative

 

[outofofficebrb]

I think a lot of people don't understand your question but I see that there was a sponsor of scubaboard who really hit the nail on the head you're concerned about is loading too much nitrogen over multiple days I stumbled upon this post with the same concern cuz I'm going to be diving 3 weeks Non-Stop and I was reading in my divemaster book about a need to rest take a day off from diving every few Dives exact quote and page 83 of the PADI divemaster manual..

Personally I'm going to be diving for 3 weeks straight and I guess I'm going to plan the last few Dives of those three weeks last few days at a shallower depth just to be conservative

You could try setting your computer to be more conservative. I think my longest repetitive dive count is 37 so far. I never take days off and set my conservatism according to how far away I am from a chamber and the conditions while keeping in mind my current condition (whether jet lagged, hydrated, etc.). I also ensure that I don’t constantly push the NDL, especially if I am diving low conservatism.

 

[Neilwood]

I think a lot of people don't understand your question but I see that there was a sponsor of scubaboard who really hit the nail on the head you're concerned about is loading too much nitrogen over multiple days I stumbled upon this post with the same concern cuz I'm going to be diving 3 weeks Non-Stop and I was reading in my divemaster book about a need to rest take a day off from diving every few Dives exact quote and page 83 of the PADI divemaster manual..

Personally I'm going to be diving for 3 weeks straight and I guess I'm going to plan the last few Dives of those three weeks last few days at a shallower depth just to be conservative

So long as you are using the same computer (which will track your nitrogen loading continuously) you should be ok without having to take a day off. A lot depends however on the type of dives you are doing. If you are pushing NDL on every dive, taking a dive or two out might be a good idea however if you are staying clear of NDL (and therefore building in a bit of conservatism) you have a bit more of a safety buffer. Also if you are doing drift dives with no effort expended your body will be in better shape WRT nitrogen loading than if you are exercising hard swimming into currents etc.

As @outofofficebrb says though, diving according to how you feel and the risk factors is not a daft idea. I certainly would tend to be more conservative if I was a long way away from a chamber or if I was feeling below par healthwise by way of nutrition, hydration, sleep. Also nothing wrong with sitting out a dive or two if you aren't "feeling it". The dives will still be there for the future.

 

[dmaziuk]

So long as you are using the same computer (which will track your nitrogen loading continuously) you should be ok without having to take a day off. A lot depends however on the type of dives you are doing. If you are pushing NDL on every dive, taking a dive or two out might be a good idea however if you are staying clear of NDL (and therefore building in a bit of conservatism) you have a bit more of a safety buffer.

If you're using a DSAT computer, go read the 1994 DSAT report: no more than 4 tanks/day, if you're pushing NDLs take every 3rd day off/reduced load and don't do it for more than 6 days straight. Of course that was for air, but nitrox is no different unless you're diving it on air NDLs.

 

[Neilwood]

If you're using a DSAT computer, go read the 1994 DSAT report: no more than 4 tanks/day, if you're pushing NDLs take every 3rd day off/reduced load and don't do it for more than 6 days straight. Of course that was for air, but nitrox is no different unless you're diving it on air NDLs.

That is of course assuming that the computer is running a version of DSAT based on that 1994 report and that the algorithm it hasn't been updated (24 years seems to me a long time to run an algorithm without revisiting it however I have no idea how you would find that information though). It is also worth noting that, in comparison to other algorithms, DSAT can be pretty aggressive with regards to longer NDL.

I did actually say that if you are pushing NDL that taking a dive or 2 out might be a good idea ( and I would advocate that irrespective of what computer is used)