Why do you dive so deep?

[DivemasterDennis]

I am one of those who dive as deep as the object of mu dive plan necessitates. On a few occasions that has specified depth for its own purpose. A few of those were training dives with other DM's as we "rehearsed emergencies of people exceed recreational limits on air, and went 135-142 feet under controlled conditions. I have also on three occasions ( all in Bonaire, interestingly enought, planned dives to 102 feet and took divers who had me as their private guide to that depth because they had never been 100 feet deep. We descended an inclined wall to depth, then slowly ascended up the wall looking a t neat things, so time at that depth was about a minute. I think a lot of recreational divers, once comfortable in the water, think about going a certain depth. I did for a while. It took years to get over it. I too can enjoy a weeks diving under 40 feet if there are things to see or do at that depth . I like the longer bottom time. Maybe that's why I like diving in the Keys.
DivemasterDennis

 

[iluvtheocean]

like many have said -- i dive to the depth of what i want to see within my training, abilities, and comfort zone whether it's a shore dive to 10-20 feet or a wreck at 120 feet. But always within my dive plan for that dive. To venture outside the plan invites the possibility of trouble especially if you exceed your MOD etc.

 

[Stoo]

I should have added a forth reason... If I want to see the buddy I've been diving with for the past 35 years or so, I need to go deep or he'll be GONE. He's bad that way...

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

I like the dive limits , If safer I wish we could go deeper . Shallow dives are great too , I just want to see it all . I drive the speed limit too , there are people driving 40 when speed limit is 60 ...

 

[Hank49]

My wife made me quit drinking so getting narced is my only vice.

 

[Rhone Man]

My wife made me quit drinking so getting narced is my only vice.

I must say I also really enjoy the guilty thrill of that sense of elation when you hit 140 - 150 feet. I have never done drugs (sheltered upbringing), but I assume that must be what smoking pot feels like.

 

[TSandM]

I think I know why the OP felt motivated to ask the question . . . I've known people who somehow just aren't SATISFIED with a dive if it doesn't hit some kind of arbitrary number that's deep enough. I agree with the poster who said depth is just a number that I use in dive planning. I'd much RATHER do a shallow dive, if it will get the job done; except on the occasions when I want to exercise my skills to keep them sharp, or when there is a specific structure or animal I am looking for . . . or on occasion, when I just want to see IF there are any interesting animals at a deeper level. Many times, my excursions deep have been disappointing, because life peters out as you get away from the sun. But Long Island Wall in the San Juan Islands has a fascinating ecosystem of sponges between 100 and 130 feet, and Davidson Rock is a place you can find tiger rockfish at that depth, which you simply will not see shallower. Equally exciting are the 20 foot lumpsucker dives NW Grateful Diver is talking about, where in addition to lumpies, I have seen market squid, stubby squid, and a whole variety of other eelgrass dwellers.

If it's underwater, it's diving. Shallow dives mean no gas planning and no deco monitoring, and that's just plain cozy. Deeper dives mean a lot of planning, and sometimes that's fun in and of itself, but it's also more stress and more risk, so it has to be worth it. Still, I'm glad I got the education and training to do those dives if I want to do them. It's nice to have options.

 

[DuboisP]

- why do you climb mountains ?
- because they are

 

[Hickdive]

As a frogman I never go further than knee deep, knee deep.

 

[faze]

Only when I have a purpose - most of the life is on the reef top at around 12m so love hanging around there, however:

We have a great wreck where the deck is at a depth of 28m with the hull below 40m so to visit that you are diving down to 40m;
We have a great patch of bright red coral at a depth of around 38m which is well worth a visit;
All the really big Rays tend to hand around at around 20m