not to scare anyone - but I've gone through 700 pounds in 3-4 minutes... so, the question is - how much do you need to make sure you AND your buddy get to the surface safely (i.e. controlled ascent).So the way to help yourself is to keep diving, but more importantly, to work hard to improve your skills, and your knowledge about diving. Coming up with 500-700 pounds will put you in good stead with people who don't plan their dives. But it will get your excluded from dives with the "dive Gods" who know that doing that would likely not leave enough air to breathe to get you and your buddy to the surface on many dives. So learn WHY that's not the best idea, and begin to plan your dives a bit better.
I'm still new myself. Everything that I have been taught says that 500-700 pounds is a good dive. What am I missing here??
If 700 lbs is not enough then what is considered enough.
Maurice
Most dive boats throw a general number to hit the ladder with - like 500# - I guess the first question I'd ask is how big is your tank? AL80 @ 500# is a lot different than a steel 104 @ 500#.
Who's diving? My SAC is about 3-4x Wreck Wenches (she actually generates air sometimes) - so you should learn your consumption and adjust accordingly - If WW and I both hit 15' with 500#, she could hang there 4 times longer than I could - 500# is not equal to 500#.
How deep are you going? If you're coming up from 100' you need to start sooner than you would from 50' since you're fighting physics that's geometric with depth. It'll only take you about 1 minute longer from 100, than 50, but you'll be pulling much more gas out with every breath at 100 vs 50
Picture this - you've had a great dive - and along comes your buddy - totally OOA, and their OOA signal is to grab your reg out of your mouth from behind, taking your mask off with it (ask me how I know about this scenario) - your buddy is going to have lots of issues, and really poor SAC at this point - and now you're maskless, and wondering WTF, and finally find your Octo - and assuming you don't put it in upside down and get a mouthful of water to boot - you're going to be kinda excited about now. You had 700# just before your mask came off - now you have two in extremis divers sucking off the same tank.... need I go further?
Like folks have been saying - enjoy, but learn, practice, dive more. If you're on an SD trip, you're likely to have a few fairly experienced divers along, most likely an instructor or two, and always at least one DM (WW). Use the surface intervals to pick their brains - ask - no such thing as a stupid question.