What was your deepest and...

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Depth is relative - to the individual, according to their training, past experience and the diving location.

Most divers have no need to exceed 'recreational' depth limitations - because the majority of marine life exists within a depth where sunlight can allow ecosystems to flourish.

An open water diver (limited to 18m/60ft) can enjoy a lifetime of exploration amongst wonderful corals or kelp etc. A keen diver, who is able to visit and explore different locations and ecosystems will still be spotting new species decades after they take their first dive.

Moving below 18m, certain new marine species may become prevalent. Typically pelagic animals, especially sharks, are seen in deeper waters...or next to deeper waters (on underwater 'wall' or 'pinnacle' dives).

Dropping below the recreational max depth of 40m is rarely done for 'critter watching'. The most common reasons for these dives (that will invariably bring a requirement for staged decompression...and require much more training and equipment) is for the purposes of wreck or cave exploration. Certainly for shipwrecks...deeper depth has the benefits of (usually) a more preserved wreck (from storm degredation) and the fact it is less (if ever) visited before.
 
Dropping below the recreational max depth of 40m is rarely done for 'critter watching'.

While I kind of agree with that there are always exceptions. The deepest dives I have done are on Grand Cayman at depths of around 200 feet. It is fascinating to see how the corals are giving way to sponges at those depths. It is a different ecosystem to the surface and one that is not seen by many divers.
 
I'm in the not really worth the trouble group but is not due to any lack of experience. For me, it's more the been there done that mind set.

If I'm targeting (video tape) something that requires a deep dive, and I can find a buddy that will go that deep, I'm fine with it but mostly I like shooting in the 30'-90' range.:wink:

That wasn't meant as in indication of the divers experience level (although that should be a factor), it was meant as an indication of the effect the experience has on the diver.

i.e. Diving to 200' to explore a wreck is a different experience than bouncing to 200' for a "computer screenshot" just to say you've been there.
 
BDSC:
233 ft......Nothing interesting to see that deep really.

Unless you were on trimix, you don't remember if there was anything to see or not. Short term memory is one victim of narcosis. At that depth, you are barely able to think at all, you have little memory of what you saw, you have tunnel vision and only see what is directly in front of you. You do not care about anything, you may feel wonderful or you may be scared out of your mind. You are having hallucinations, you have no dexterity, and you have lost feeling in many parts of your body, especially your face. If anything goes wrong, you are not prepared to deal with it.

BDSC:
We just did it to say we did it at the time.

Possibly the worst possible reason to dive deep.
 
Unless you were on trimix, you don't remember if there was anything to see or not. Short term memory is one victim of narcosis. At that depth, you are barely able to think at all, you have little memory of what you saw, you have tunnel vision and only see what is directly in front of you.

On my deepest dive to date (about 180 feet), I was fortunately very close to an excellent videographer while we explored the hold of the San Francisco Maru in Chuuk. I am glad I have the resulting video so that I know what we were looking at. I have a somewhat better memory of the things on the deck.

That's why I am in training for trimix certification. There are indeed some things worth seeing at such depths in some locations, but if you are going to see them, you need to be properly trained and equipped.
 
I would like to say MANY thanks to everyone- I find all of ya'll experience in deep dive pretty interesting.
 
My deepest was also on the San Francisco Maru using Nitrox 23. I only went to the deck at 165 ft in order to see the tanks and the bow gun and then headed back up. I remember it well. However, I did have a rather euphoric feeling at that depth. It was a very short dive and I had a very short deco obligation on my Oceanic VT3. My dive buddy was on a Suunto. So, by the time he cleared I was already done with deco.

On my deepest dive to date (about 180 feet), I was fortunately very close to an excellent videographer while we explored the hold of the San Francisco Maru in Chuuk. I am glad I have the resulting video so that I know what we were looking at. I have a somewhat better memory of the things on the deck.

That's why I am in training for trimix certification. There are indeed some things worth seeing at such depths in some locations, but if you are going to see them, you need to be properly trained and equipped.
 
That wasn't meant as in indication of the divers experience level (although that should be a factor), it was meant as an indication of the effect the experience has on the diver.

i.e. Diving to 200' to explore a wreck is a different experience than bouncing to 200' for a "computer screenshot" just to say you've been there.

Exactly.

However, there are those that will indeed drop to 200' just so they can say they have. Sadly, some don't realize all of the risks and there a few that just knowing how risky it is, makes it more desirable. Sometimes you just can't fix stupid.
 
I don't know why people say that there's nothing to see or that it's not worth the time to go to deeper depths.

I've been to wrecks at 80 feet with large operations and you have 20 to 30 people crawling on the wreck lifting silt. It's great to go wreck diving when only few people are on there at one time. Sightseeing on the Bill Boyd or the R B Johnson, or spearfishing on the Hydro Atlantic, or diving the Eagle's nest with only a hand full of very experienced divers is great.

Is deep diving for everyone? Absolutely not. Some people don't have the patience for it. Frankly some people don't have the skill.
(I'm not saying that people that don't do deep dive have no skill)

I love shallow dives, above 100 ft, there are great photo ops and the marine life is beautiful. This is where I do 90% of my diving.

Please don't hate the deep diver that can hang in deco for an hour and play Tic Tac Toe with his buddies. :dork2:
If you do decided to do deep dive make sure you are trained by a good instructor and know that when you dive that deep you are on your own even with with a buddy. If you run out of air your buddy can't share his air with you because it won't last long enough for the two of you.
 
My deepest was also on the San Francisco Maru using Nitrox 23. I only went to the deck at 165 ft in order to see the tanks and the bow gun and then headed back up. I remember it well. However, I did have a rather euphoric feeling at that depth. It was a very short dive and I had a very short deco obligation on my Oceanic VT3. My dive buddy was on a Suunto. So, by the time he cleared I was already done with deco.

Were you my buddy on that dive? :wink:

Seriously, except that you did not go into the hold, every other detail of your story, right down to the buddy team's computer choices and the deco differences, matches mine. I am willing to bet you were coming off the Odyssey, and I am further sure I know why you were diving EAN 23, which most people would find a curious choice. (You topped off the EAN 32 left from your previous dive with air.)
 

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