Maximum SAC for Tech diving?

[boulderjohn]

The actual answer to the actual question is simple:

1. There is no restriction on SAC rate beginning a tech diving course for any agency I know of.
2. Measuring your SAC rate is part of the tech training.
3. Any decent tech instructor will help you work on yours.

 

[kelemvor]

If you can't bring your SAC down you can always carry more gas. It might make your search for tech diving buddies more difficult unless you're comfortable tech diving solo.

As others have mentioned, rebreather can help - but I wouldn't go that route. I've read too many RB fatalities involving respected guys. If the "pros" can die on a RB, I know for sure I'm not nearly diligent enough to do it safely.

 

[Akimbo]

SAC (or RMV) is a funny thing. Generally, it does not matter in anbd of itself what your SAC rate is. What is important is that you know what it is and plan accordingly.

EXACTLY! I am generally disturbed when discussions focus on minimizing gas consumption rather than optimizing CO2 elimination. Most of the time, posters focus on bragging about their low gas consumption without even mentioning body stats. NEWS FLASH: A 220 Lb/100Kg athletic male needs more gas to keep their CO2 production in safe limits than a petite female that is less than half his size. Fortunately this works, bigger people can usually safely pack more gas.

 

[Ankush Mittal]

I would recommend learning a bit more about how rebreathers work and how your body reacts to CO2, and that you do some more research, before explaining how it works to other people. No I will not go over it for you, they're simple systems and the way they work is largely explained all over the web. (Please don't get offended)


Rebreathers are routinely moved by planes. You just have to find a shop that can get you sorb, O2 and dil (preferably they have a set of tanks for you, but some divers take their own tanks with them...).


Finally, in terms of SAC, I don't think it really matters, I'd guess most tech divers are somewhere between 10 and 15 l/minute, occasionnally jumping higher to maybe 20...

None taken. I did jump the gun and link CO2 with convulsions incorrectly which is not the case but CO2 poisoning is and also convulsions from too much Oxygen both separate problems but very valid in terms of things to be careful about when diving with rebreathers. I still believe that the purpose of my post remains the same and valid which is to warn of the risks associated with rebreather diving specially when the OP is clearly not that interested in rebreathers. And at the same time I made an assumption that he/she would have enough common sense to see that since I haven't even taken my first Tech course yet I am no authority on this subject.

Having said that; rebreathers aren't the most complicated systems but as I am sure you know statistically speaking rebreathers are more dangerous in terms of number of deaths per year and mostly always due to diver error.

I don't need to learn anything more about rebreathers, I can't afford a system anytime soon, I would rather spend that money on just diving lol.

 

[boulderjohn]

If you can't bring your SAC down you can always carry more gas. It might make your search for tech diving buddies more difficult unless you're comfortable tech diving solo.
View attachment 436962

I believe this is the group that trained the man they called Doctor Deep. According to one of the articles, within months of his beginning his tech diving, Dr. Deep had surpassed the maximum depth ever achieved by his tech instructor--215 feet. Within not many more months, they were saying that Dr. Deep "knew more about tech diving than anyone on the planet."

Well, maybe more than anyone they knew on the planet.

They were soon promoting his attempt at a world record for depth. Every knowledgeable tech diver on ScubaBoard tried to talk them out of it. He went ahead and did it anyway. It didn't go well.

So, it does pay to pick tech instructors who will lead you on a safe path to those depths.

 

[kelemvor]

I believe this is the group that trained the man they called Doctor Deep. According to one of the articles, within months of his beginning his tech diving, Dr. Deep had surpassed the maximum depth ever achieved by his tech instructor--215 feet. Within not many more months, they were saying that Dr. Deep "knew more about tech diving than anyone on the planet."

Well, maybe more than anyone they knew on the planet.

They were soon promoting his attempt at a world record for depth. Every knowledgeable tech diver on ScubaBoard tried to talk them out of it. He went ahead and did it anyway. It didn't go well.

So, it does pay to pick tech instructors who will lead you on a safe path to those depths.

Hah.. I just picked a random photo on Andy Davis' website... figures it had to be Doc Deep.

 

[Akimbo]

Hah.. I just picked a random photo on Andy Davis' website... figures it had to be Doc Deep.

Maybe we need a Doc Deep icon/emoji? Sort of a poster-boy for doing it wrong. OK, that's not very nice, but true.

 

[kensuf]

A rebreather is not an answer to a high SAC rate because you need to have enough bailout gas to get to the surface in the event of a rebreather failure.

@boulderjohn hit the nail on the head in post #21.

 

[jadairiii]

A rebreather is not an answer to a high SAC rate ......

You owe me a keyboard for that comment!

 

[Diver0001]

Hah.. I just picked a random photo on Andy Davis' website... figures it had to be Doc Deep.

Pretty sure it wasn't doc deep. The doc dove a trad rig IIRC with triple redundant computers because he had actually no idea whatsoever of the deco theory. He was literally planning on making the deepest dive ever and riding the computer back to the surface. Even if he had gotten to the bottom alive (which I doubt he even managed) then he would never have gotten back to the surface alive or unbent. He was almost literally doing the scuba diving equivalent of base jumping with an umbrella because he had watched Mary Poppins online and had become convinced that he was made of magic.

His entourage were similarly "Mary Poppins" fans and evidently never thought to look further than their own marketing dreams.

Well, guys, the marking is this. You are idiots. Anyone who does business with you are idiots. Every diver on the planet knows that you are idiots and cannot be trusted. You caused -- almost with intent -- the death of a naive bumbling idiot on the gamble that you could profit from it. Idiocy is what you will be remember for. Idiocy is what you are known for. Idiocy is what you are famous for. The lives and safety of any diver in your care is clearly subordinate to your need to make money.

Congratulations. You're the biggest idiots in the history of diving. Even when thousands of people online told you to back off that idea you ignored that. That's the most idiotic thing I've ever seen a dive-op do in my 33 years of diving.

I know it sounds hard but doc got what he signed up for and I hope the op gets what they deserve. He was an idiot and he died an idiot's death. I know that's hard because I know people who knew him follow this forum but even they must face the facts. It was one of the most ill advised dives in the history of scuba diving. Many people tried to dissuade him from doing it but he "jumped off a cliff with an umbrella" while screaming "I AAAAMM MAAAAGGGGGICCCC" anyway.

My on regret is that this reflects on all divers because it played badly in the press and made diving sound dangerous.

R..