Technical diving? you're gonna die!

[skywalk]

Ok so, I want to take up technical diving. But all the people i've spoken to, have discouraged me from doing that.
the top reasons being
- if you do tech dives enough, then statistics will catch up to you and you'll end up being a statistic
- it's way to expensive
- screw up your gasses and you're screwed
- sometimes, even though you've been doing it over and over, one fine day comes when your body is not up to it, and you'll get DCS over a dive thats more conservative than some that you've done in the past...

the list goes on.

so, all you technical divers out there...help me out here please?
whats the bottom line?
thanks

 

[JeffG]

- if you do tech dives enough, then statistics will catch up to you and you'll end up being a statistic

Ummmm. Not really. The chances are still pretty small.

- it's way to expensive

Yep. I have about $20,000 - $30,000 invested in gear. Dive trips tend to be a bit more expensive as well. Either have to rent more gear or spend more getting your gear to some place.

The gases are more expensive as well.

- screw up your gasses and you're screwed

Pretty much. One of the top ways to kill yourself is to breath the wrong gas.

- sometimes, even though you've been doing it over and over, one fine day comes when your body is not up to it, and you'll get DCS over a dive thats more conservative than some that you've done in the past...

Thats true for all diving, but plays a bigger role (or has a greater chance of occurring) in decompression diving.

 

[rakkis]

I haven't done very much technical diving, but I know a bit.

- if you do tech dives enough, then statistics will catch up to you and you'll end up being a statistic

Don't know enough to have an opinion.

- it's way too expensive

TRUE. I guess it depends on what you consider too expensive. Most people that go technical end up spending a considerable amount of money, but deals can be had if you luck out and buy nice used stuff. But expect to pay 10-20x what you spend for a recreational setup if you want to go all the way.

- screw up your gasses and you're screwed

Most certainly true. No more explanation needed.

- sometimes, even though you've been doing it over and over, one fine day comes when your body is not up to it, and you'll get DCS over a dive thats more conservative than some that you've done in the past...

The same can be said about recreational diving. However, chances of this happening go up when doing technical depths/bottom times.

 

[mania]

somehow if you look at all diving accidents reports - such as i.e BSAC published annually the highest number of accidents is not among technical divers but OWD and AOWD ones.
Out of 16 fatalities in the UK in 2006 5 could be listed as technical - 4 were rebreather dives and one a deep one (over 60 meters).

The rest of them are clearly recreational dives. And btw I'm almost positive that the deep dive was done by a recreational diver becasue he/she didn't do any stops while technical divers would.

Statistics in technical diving are better than in sport one. The only difference is that they are more spectacular so you read about them while you barely find news about sport diver's accidents.

It's a little bit alike car accidents. The ones in Formula1 are more interesting than the normal ones. So you will see a lot of coverage of Formula 1 and barely no coverage (unless it's a real jamm fo several cars) of normal road accidents.

Those who talk about statistic should read them first.

Mania

 

[rjack321]

- sometimes, even though you've been doing it over and over, one fine day comes when your body is not up to it, and you'll get DCS over a dive thats more conservative than some that you've done in the past...

So what? DCS isn't a boogy man. DCS ranges from itchy skin to death. Whether its more common after deco dives I don't know. Diving conservatively isn't really any different if you have a deco obligation or not. You still need to advance slowly, keep good habits (not smoking, be well hydrated, etc.), and listen to your body. And yeah you can still get bent.

 

[Meng_Tze]

the top reasons being
- if you do tech dives enough, then statistics will catch up to you and you'll end up being a statistic
- it's way to expensive
- screw up your gasses and you're screwed
- sometimes, even though you've been doing it over and over, one fine day comes when your body is not up to it, and you'll get DCS over a dive thats more conservative than some that you've done in the past...

Interesting..... Life seems to have a 100% mortality rate too. And if you do the tings above:

- You live enough, it is going to catch up on you and you WILL be a statistic.
- Life is expensive, period.
- screw up your (doctor administered of course) drugs and you are screwed.
- get up every day and one day your body will not be up to it.....one fine day to die: when you did it previously...


So in reality, yes it is expensive but no more dangerous than living.....? People who say these those things really don't look at things relatively. Do what you want to do as safely as possible, but do them as part of living a life.

 

[JeffG]

Whether its more common after deco dives I don't know.

My thinking is that if you know that your tissues have too much inert gas in them vs not having enough...the chances of getting bent are a little bit higher. Call me crazy...but it sounds more plausible to me

 

[Blitz]

If you can find someone in the states that would watch a broadcast of an F1 race. Here it is all redneck circles, all the time. (sorry, hijack over.)

Signed,

Disgruntled F1 fan.....

It's a little bit alike car accidents. The ones in Formula1 are more interesting than the normal ones. So you will see a lot of coverage of Formula 1 and barely no coverage (unless it's a real jamm fo several cars) of normal road accidents

Mania

 

[mania]

Blitz
They watch it here - on the second side of the pond


Mania

 

[rjack321]

My thinking is that if you know that your tissues have too much inert gas in them vs not having enough...the chances of getting bent are a little bit higher. Call me crazy...but it sounds more plausible to me

Yeah but you might actually have a plan for that deco gas/time vs. going up when that console beeps at you