Need some advice...

[VaScubaGirl]

Hey y'all! I am AOW and would like to get into technical diving. My goal: dive the Doria. So aside from needing to get certified in pentration diving, dry suit diving, tri mix, and stress and rescue, what else should I do? What's the best type of equipment/configuration to get? I'd rather do it right once then jump in feet first and have to keep changing it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as would your insights Thanks!

 

[OneBrightGator]

VaScubaGirl once bubbled...
Hey y'all! I am AOW and would like to get into technical diving. My goal: dive the Doria. So aside from needing to get certified in pentration diving, dry suit diving, tri mix, and stress and rescue, what else should I do?

Dive. That's a mighty big goal, especially considering the Doria will just get more dangerous. Also, set small goals to satisfy you on the way, cause it will take a while, I can promise you that. You might want to do a quick search on "Chris Murley" and read "The Last Dive" to see if this is something you're really able to do.

What's the best type of equipment/configuration to get? I'd rather do it right once then jump in feet first and have to keep changing it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as would your insights Thanks!

Get a backplate and wings, take in all the information you can and figure what works best for you.

Ben

 

[MikeFerrara]

Wow!

I don't know where to start.

Why tewchnical diving and why the Doria?

I think that now that you've picked a mountain to climb that maybe you should pick some hills you can play on in preperation. Pretty much what OneBrightGator said.

 

[PacNWdiver]

Kind of inspirational to hear someone set pretty high goals!

I read the Last Dive. I must say at no point did I say to myself, "Wow! I gotta dive the Doria!"

Now that I have started training that well could lead me to the possibility of a dive like that, I'm still not convinced I'd really want to. Not because it's so dangerous or expensive or risky. But, because there are so many more interesting, enjoyable and more easily accessable sites. Although maybe not as infamous.

At any rate, Good luck! So long as you have at least 50 dives and basic Nitrox (and DIR-f if you go the GUE route) you should have no trouble getting into a tech training program. You already know about the wreck specialty. Be prepared to spend at least $500 to start for training and nearly $2000 for gear.

John

 

[flw]

Why the Doria? - it is simply a well known, well dived, well publisised wreck - there are plenty of less well known, less accessible wrecks which are far better. If it's liner's particularly then the Justacia, Laurentic, Affric are better dives.
It is more fun and more challenging to go find something no one else is diving - which tends to be deep, but isn't necessarily the case
Maybe have a think on what you want to do and why

F

 

[jbm]

PacNWdiver once bubbled...
Be prepared to spend at least $500 to start for training and nearly $2000 for gear.

John

a bit conservative......to say the least!!


jbm

 

[nalfein]

Hi VaScubaGirl, you probably won't get the sort of answer I think you're looking for on here. I'm headed the same way you are, although I don't have as specific a goal as you. I think it's good that you have an ultimate goal like the Doria, it provides direction and purpose, it will help to keep you on track. I've no doubt that you have some smaller benchmarks laid out to check off on the way. Just read through lots of threads here and on the deco stop, I think you'll get a good idea of what sort of things are involved as far as training and gear are concerned. Oh yeah, find yourself a good instructor, people will consistently tell you that's the most important part. You should have no trouble getting names if you ask for them.
I know you'll find lots of great info and advice between those two sites anyway, I have. Good luck, and dive safe and often, if you're anything like me, there are lots of dives between today and the Doria.

 

[Doppler]

Well at lest you have a well-identified goal... which is attainable all things being equal.

Couple of things that have struck me when "potential techniqual divers" start into this end of the sport:

1/ there are a lot of unknown unknowns out there for you. The learning process should be geared to your ability to commit. Technical diving is expensive, labor intensive and invasive.

2/ you already know most of the basics... the transition from recreational to technical is more about training your mind and body in the art of risk assessment and management than: "What type of wings should I buy?"

The best advice I can give you... as an instructor who's had many students dive the Doria and tougher (and they've dragged me along a couple of times)... is think about your training as a mind/body issue. Start there. If you practice martial arts, you have a leg up. If you ride a mountain bike in citizen races, you have a leg up.

Good luck... now go find a mentor.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Advice ... and I won't mention equipment

DIVE DIVE DIVE ... dive some more ... dive even more ...

Practice skills .. practice skills .. practice skills .. ON EVERY DIVE

Dive in currents, dive in crappy vis, dive in cold water ....

 

[pipedope]

Just like planning a dive you can plan a diving life.

First a good evaluation of you current knowledge, skills and equipment.
Then think about where you are going and how you want to get there.

Now step back to where you are now and ask what is the next step in training? Nitrox? Advanced Nitrox? Extended range? Mix?

What agency/instructor actually the other way around is probably better. Do you want to go the GUE/DIR direction? Or is another direction better for you?

What resources do you have available locally? Instructors, diving locations etc.

You will progress much faster is you can dive more than once a week. Doing a little theory and skills work in a pool midweek and a real dive on the weekend you will learn and retain much more.

Do you have a permanent or semi-permanent dive buddy with the same goals? If not, see if you can find one.

There is even the question of gear type. Will you stay with OC or transition to rebreather? There are strong arguements in favor of rebreathers for deep difficult dives. The trade offs are substantial and the training in rebreathers is a substantial investment as is the equipment but the gas savings does help.

Remember that you can stop at any time.