Increased conservatism?

[northernone]

What factors have had you reduce your maximums? Moving away from 'bigger dives' towards self preservation as training goals.

Through experience and training we extend our limits as we 'progress'. When have you moved the other way?


- my contribution to the topic -

For me it was a possible near miss. Last fall a dive had me concerned enough to go on surface o2. Since that I've been more conservative regarding off gassing.

Also a bad back has me more careful than I was. Dives requiring hauling multiple cylinders are less appealing.

Another reduction was prompted by a primary light failure while tangled in a SM restriction while cave diving. I took 7 months working on my skills before returning to those passages.

Not exactly a reduced maximum, but through this forum I developed more residencies on dives I use to 'risk' with less backup.

- conclusion -

Anyone else taking a slower route?

Cameron

 

[northernone]

Asked my mom about it.

-guest post-

I limit my dives to a maximum of 3 hours. If I dive longer I get hungry.

------------

....if only I could talk her into an AOW cert.

That is all,
Cameron

 

[Lorenzoid]

I have never done "big dives," but in a way I have become more conservative. Not due to any particular event. Rather, I think it's a natural product of aging: When you're young, you feel invincible--it's the other guy who's going to get hurt, never you, etc.

I am presently in a mode of "progressing" and "expanding my limits," but due to being more conservative than I was when I was younger, I am choosing to take what I consider a very conservative approach.

 

[scubadada]

I've been diving Oceanic computers running DSAT for the last 15 years, 1300 dives. I dive aggressive rec, light deco. I always take a 3-5 minute safety stop and I pad my shallow stop with another 3-5 minutes. So far, so good. I'm 63 years old, exercise 6-7 days per week since a young man. I can't think of a good reason to cut back at this point.

 

[boulderjohn]

If I am doing a decompression dive at Rock Lake, Santa Rosa, NM (elevation 4,600 feet), on the same day I am going to drive home to Boulder (passing elevations nearing 8,000 feet along the way), I will breathe pure oxygen while I am driving for at least the first hour of the drive, which is before I get to the first significant elevation gain.

 

[scubadada]

If I am doing a decompression dive at Rock Lake, Santa Rosa, NM (elevation 4,600 feet), on the same day I am going to drive home to Boulder (passing elevations nearing 8,000 feet along the way), I will breathe pure oxygen while I am driving for at least the first hour of the drive, which is before I get to the first significant elevation gain.

So, you are not following DAN guidelines of waiting in excess of 18 hours after a decompression dive, but are breathing oxygen to make up for your transgression. Are you following some kind of alternative flying after diving recommendations?

 

[scubajoe123]

So, you are not following DAN guidelines of waiting in excess of 18 hours after a decompression dive, but are breathing oxygen to make up for your transgression. Are you following some kind of alternative flying after diving recommendations?

I think he is doing something similar to this article in TDM: http://www.techdivingmag.com/download001.asp

 

[boulderjohn]

So, you are not following DAN guidelines of waiting in excess of 18 hours after a decompression dive, but are breathing oxygen to make up for your transgression. Are you following some kind of alternative flying after diving recommendations?

Yes, I am. I am following the NOAA ascent to altitude guidelines while including guidelines on using oxygen to move from one pressure group to another on the NOAA tables that was provided by Dr. Clem, the hyperbaric oxygen specialist in Denver. The exact protocol being followed is my own, since none is available. Much of this is spelled out in a sticky thread in the Rocky Mountain region forum.

How is this conservative? Everyone else I know just heads for home.

 

[TMHeimer]

I have never done "big dives," but in a way I have become more conservative. Not due to any particular event. Rather, I think it's a natural product of aging: When you're young, you feel invincible--it's the other guy who's going to get hurt, never you, etc.

I am presently in a mode of "progressing" and "expanding my limits," but due to being more conservative than I was when I was younger, I am choosing to take what I consider a very conservative approach.

Same here. My shore diving hasn't really changed from age 51 to now 63 since I'm retired, and other than when I was assisting OW courses, I could (almost) always pick a day with good conditions. I think things gradually go a little slower with age, one thing being gearing up & down. Anotheis hauling stuff. I think I swim a bit slower but can still motor when I want to--split fins and all....

 

[KeithG]

A (first) slightly different perspective (maybe).

As a lazy vacation diver I hate the effort of gearing up and then cleaning up afterwards. It is overhead. So I have progressed towards maximal bottom time per "prep/cleanup effort". This means I have tended to dive even more shallow than before in order to extend my gas and NDL. So I guess you can claim my average depth is getting reduced.

I shy away from deep. Well at least extended deep. Square profiles are out. I am happy to gently go down to see something and then start to slowly go back up. 90 feet for 90 minutes is my favourite Bonaire dock dive profile.

If I can not get at least an hour of bottom time from an AL80 then my interest level tends to drop off. Maybe that is why I love LOBs? Minimal overhead effort.

P.S. This does not work so well for LOBs in the T&C. For many sites the wall generally starts around 45 feet...