Recreational Scuba Deco Diving

[Centrals]

I was trained by PADI. NO recreational dive involves planned deco dive.
Planned deco dive is part of tec dive.
No grey area.
Trained by IANTD for tec dive.

I have never came across any dive operator in SE Asia that will let anyone to do planned deco dive without tec certification.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I was trained by PADI. NO recreational dive involves planned deco dive.
Planned deco dive is part of tec dive. No grey area. Trained by IANTD for tec dive.
I have never came across any dive operator in SE Asia that will let anyone to do planned deco dive without tec certification.

PADI is but one certifying agency. There are some operators who will take BSAC Sports Divers as they are Deco trained divers. Deco dives PADI want to say are tec dive so they can sell their Tec 40 Tec 50 certs. BSAC sports diving is already 50m on air. Do I need a Padi Tec 50 to dive to 50m?

So no PADI recreational dive allows for DECO dives. Switch to BSAC

 

[rjack321]

@jadairiii,

You're quite correct, of course. This is the "Advanced" forum, so I am assuming everyone here knows this.

My definition is attempting to describe decompression that is done in open water and doesn't involve high-octane deco gasses (so, no EAN50 and no oxygen deco cylinders, and no overboard oxygen, etc.) No stage bottles. No travel bottles either. Just "simple" decompression.

I didn't want to belabor things by being too wordy. Oops, I guess I just did.

rx7diver

The word you are looking for is "backgas deco" vs
"accelerated deco" which uses one or more higher fO2 gases in a separate cylinder to shorten the deco time.

I do deco dives all the time, but I never do deco dives without a deco gas.

 

[rx7diver]

The word you are looking for is "backgas deco" vs
"accelerated deco" which uses one or more higher fO2 gases in a separate cylinder to shorten the deco time.

I do deco dives all the time, but I never do deco dives without a deco gas.

@jack321,

I actually considered using that term ("backgas deco"), but determined it wasn't sufficiently flexible to let side-mount diving be included as a possible kit option here.

rx7diver

 

[Blackcrusader]

The word you are looking for is "backgas deco" vs
"accelerated deco" which uses one or more higher fO2 gases in a separate cylinder to shorten the deco time.
I do deco dives all the time, but I never do deco dives without a deco gas.

Well does that include 21% air it's also a gas after all. Would you do a nitrox 26% mix and do a deco dive at 30m then ascend to a point where your deco obligation is cleared on Nitrox 32% pony? Or even 21% to 30m and clear deco obligation on 32% on say a 10l pony.

I believe rx7diver might ask would you do a 30m dive on air and do say 10 minutes of deco and then clear deco obligation using a single tank for the dive? Your dive buddy doing the same. Or you could use Nitrox 32% to give longer time to get to deco then need enough to complete the dive on a single tank?. Most recreational diving is done at 30m or less but of course we should account to 40m.

 

[EFX]

@jack321,

I actually considered using that term ("backgas deco"), but determined it wasn't sufficiently flexible to let side-mount diving be included as a possible kit option here.

rx7diver

So call it "main gas deco". I've done occasional deco of 2 to 4 minutes while solo diving on air. I carry a 19 ft3 pony which I use only for primary OOA emergencies. Typically, I rack up sufficient N2 on the first dive so that after a short SI I end up going into deco on the second dive. This dive scenario is not planned because I don't always have a set goal on what I'm doing for the second dive. When deco hits I have at least 1000 psi in my 80 ft3 tank. If I have less air than this I avoid going into deco by ascending to a shallower depth. So, I'm careful to watch my computer and adjust my depth accordingly.

 

[rx7diver]

Since when recreational diving included planned deco dive?

@Centrals,

Like a lot of divers here, my initial scuba certification course (YMCA/NAUI, in 1986) actually covered deco diving. We had to plan deco dives using the Navy tables that are in the "New Science of Skin and Scuba Diving." We were tested over this topic. We even received instruction on how to actually do it--well, sort of, since the technique involved hang tanks! And, since we were trained in buddy breathing (both using a double hose regulator and using a single hose regulator), this would be what we would do if we had to share air during a deco dive--at least until we arrived at the hang tank.

However, we were "forbidden" to actually do a deco dive during our open water practicum.

I believe the thinking then was that if any of us eventually, in the distant future, after much experience, decided he/she wanted to do a deco dive, he/she would know what is involved in actually doing one without killing him/herself or his/her buddy.

rx7diver

 

[rx7diver]

So call it "main gas deco".

@EFX,

You can call it whatever you like. I'm not picky--so long as we both agree what I'm asking about. Semantics can be challenging, yes?

rx7diver

 

[Blackcrusader]

So call it "main gas deco". I've done occasional deco of 2 to 4 minutes while solo diving on air. I carry a 19 ft3 pony which I use only for primary OOA emergencies. Typically, I rack up sufficient N2 on the first dive so that after a short SI I end up going into deco on the second dive. This dive scenario is not planned because I don't always have a set goal on what I'm doing for the second dive. When deco hits I have at least 1000 psi in my 80 ft3 tank. If I have less air than this I avoid going into deco by ascending to a shallower depth. So, I'm careful to watch my computer and adjust my depth accordingly.

Are we counting Solo divers with a pony as recreational divers? Doing the solo course is the last course I plan on doing.

 

[rx7diver]

Gentle SB Members,

I am interested in knowing (a) if you engage in what I define above as "Recreational Scuba Decompression Diving", and (b) if you do, what are the particulars/details?

That's it. Nothing more complicated than this.

Thank you to everyone so far who replied, answering my OP.

Thanks,

rx7diver