when are you a Tech diver?
#1
Posted 11 April 2006 - 12:39 PM
is it depth? or equipment? or mixed gasses that determine this?
#2
Posted 11 April 2006 - 01:16 PM
I'm curious at what point you're considered a tech diver?
is it depth? or equipment? or mixed gasses that determine this?
In my opinion any dive that features an overhead environment qualifies as a "technical" dive, meaning that you don't have direct access to the surface. This would include dives involving a decompression obligation...
Bottom line, if you are doing a dive that demands that you cope with an emergency underwater rather than have an option of escaping to the surface, you're doing a "technical" dive.
Psalms 107:23-24
#3
Posted 11 April 2006 - 01:17 PM
For me this sort of division occurs when I leave the recreational dive plan realm and plan a dive that involves non-minimal decompression* (direct ascent here is not an option) where additional gear is absolutely neccessary.
* some people actively go into minimal decompression on a single tank with/or without a bail out/pony/additional air source. I don't categorize this dipping into the deco cookie jar type of diving as technical.
I have no issues calling this technical diving because when I do - people get what I am talking about. It's just like naming anything. If I say go get me a chair instead of a thing-a-ma-jig, you know what I am talking about. Arguing about terms (which happens all to often OFTEN by those divers who will certainly let you know they were diving long before the term was coined) is just arguing semantics to me and ultimately overshadows the issues people are often attempting to intelligently exchange.
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
#4
Posted 11 April 2006 - 01:22 PM
I'm curious at what point you're considered a tech diver?
is it depth? or equipment? or mixed gasses that determine this?
What does it mean to you, finGrabber???
Actually, the WORST day of diving is better than the BEST day at work...
and... my life is not measured by the number of breaths I take, but by the number of breaths I take UNDER WATER
"I see you are no stranger to pain." -- "I was married... TWICE!!!" HOT SHOTS, PART DEUX
#5
Posted 11 April 2006 - 01:33 PM
#6
Posted 11 April 2006 - 01:52 PM
I'm thinking all of them plus overhead environments; mostly due to increased dive planning and redundent systems
Yes... and I like the answer that "anything that causes a ceiling, whether physical or virtual, between you and the surface that prevents your direct ascent to the surface without some kind of stop involved". A hard ceiling of a wreck or cave, or a required deco stop that if ommitted gives you significant risk of death or injury. Those dives should be approached and planned from the "technical" standpoint, with contingency planning performed. In fact, I believe contingency planning should be a part of every dive.... asking the proverbial "what if" question continuously as you observe things that could alter your current plan. Even when done "subliminally"... we do this when we realize our buddy is too far away and we realize we could get lost (separated) or not have a "redundant" air supply within grasp... and we speed up or slow down to close that gap. We modify our diving continually without necessarily acknowledging there was a potential problem that could occur. So, maybe we are more technical than we might think when we are recreational diving... at least some of us! Then there are those of us that are oblivious to what is going on around us... that keeps a rescue diver/DM on his/her toes!
Actually, the WORST day of diving is better than the BEST day at work...
and... my life is not measured by the number of breaths I take, but by the number of breaths I take UNDER WATER
"I see you are no stranger to pain." -- "I was married... TWICE!!!" HOT SHOTS, PART DEUX
#7
Posted 11 April 2006 - 02:22 PM
Therefore, I don't consider that I do technical dives yet under other definitions I do.
#8
Posted 11 April 2006 - 06:25 PM
#9
Posted 11 April 2006 - 06:36 PM
my understanding of stage bottles is you use them to carry travel gas or deco gas, but you breathe on the bottom from your back gas
is this correct?
and, of course, any one who dives a configuration that includes stage bottles should have proper training from the proper agencies
#10
Posted 11 April 2006 - 06:46 PM
As for the pony bottle...I know a guy who carried a 40cft strapped to his tank. He ran out of back gas and sucked his pony down while looking for the upline instead of shooting a bag and doing a free ascent. SO I guess the size of a pony bottle is dependant upon the diver. But in reality...what would a 19cft bottle give you?
(Just my opinions! not trying to stir anything up)
#11
Posted 11 April 2006 - 09:14 PM
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
#12
Posted 11 April 2006 - 10:08 PM
#13
Posted 11 April 2006 - 10:22 PM
I use an Al40 for EAN50. I shouldn't need any more than this to do decompression from a moderate dive and I was forced to do the math in my Adv. Nitrox and Normoxic Trimix courses to confirm this. Boats like that size because it tucks under benches fairly easily.
I keep EAN36 in an AL80. Normally, I use this as a transition gas on deeper dives to allow me to do my deeper stops on a nitrox mix instead of my backgas. Again if one does their math, one can concievably come too close for comfort on deco gas amounts from deeper depths if that "transition" or "deep deco" gas is limited to 40 cubic ft.
Currently my O2 is kept in a LP45 to allow me to NOT have to use a booster and take enough O2 on a trip to do all of my shallow deco. Current plans are to change this to an Al80 because of the better buoyancy characteristics of that size tank.
My training is that I account for enough gas to get my dive buddy up with me if necessary. But my safety is my responsibility in the end. For that reason, I do NOT count on having my buddy around in an emergency. My dive planning revolves on being able to rescue my buddy if possible and get myself up. If I have an emergency and something happens to my buddy (out of their control) at the same time, I need to survive. One expression that I like to remember is that only I can breathe for me, only I can swim for me, and only I can dive for me. This is one philosphy where I have a disagreement with many other tech divers trained differently. If I think that I may need it to survive, I should have one and so should my buddy.
Oh, and my definition of a technical mirrors many of the other ones here. The minute that you plan a dive knowing that you HAVE to solve underwater problems underwater or those problems will lead to you not making it back up intact, you are doing a technical dive.
#14
Posted 11 April 2006 - 10:32 PM
One expression that I like to remember is that only I can breathe for me, only I can swim for me, and only I can dive for me.
I just finished training with the author of that saying. Anyone know who that is?
"For the diligent diver, closed circuit rebreathers are actually safer than open circuit scuba." Tom Mount
#15
Posted 11 April 2006 - 10:46 PM
One expression that I like to remember is that only I can breathe for me, only I can swim for me, and only I can dive for me.
I just finished training with the author of that saying. Anyone know who that is?
I know.....
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