Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
Gerrit, some people complain when I report on the cave dives, even though they
are what anyone would call advanced technical dives. I think it is nice for
everyone to see that the decompression algorithyms hold up on truely extreme
exposures.
The really interesting thing, and many of you who follow our diving may have
noticed this, is that as our bottom times get longer , the deco barely gets any
longer. In fact, from 80 minutes to 120 minutes at 280-300 feet, the deco
changes shape, but does not really get much longer. I did 7 1/2 hours for a 90
minute dive, and 8 hours for a 120 minute dive, but the stops start deeper for
the 120, and are longer in the 180-80 foot range. It is interesting that we use
two airs, two 35% nitroxes, but only one 50% (used from 70 feet through 40
feet), and only two oxygens (all at 30 feet in a habitat). With the in-water
stuff, we have to do the 30 foot stop on 50%, requiring another bottle, and
then
the oxygen at 20 and 10, making for a less clean deco, and much more
physiological stress.
With the water clear like it is now, the time spent in the water is really
nice, and when we are in the habitat, we can look out the hatch and see the
cave
below and around us - really beautiful.
We have lowered our oxygen percentage down to 11-12%, and are breaking to
that gas during the whole deco, starting deep. I even went to my first gas
break
at 180 feet. We are not taking time from the deco to break, but are considering
it deco time. This means we are spending as much as 100 minutres on air or back
gas during the 480 minute deco.
The fact is that we really do not need the massive decos that most people
think would be required, and we all know why that is true for our group -
something that the magic carpet players have yet to consider, but which is in
fact an extremely important part of this kind of diving.
It is also really nice to see that scuba is in fact a viable means of
doing extreme diving, and is so completely reliable, especially when the
teamwork aspect increases redundency sixfold, not counting stages, and that by
actually konwing what to expect and how to handle it, this stuff bescomes a
really enjoyable adventure, rather than a terror trip, as it would be with
makeshift or experimental gear. But then that is why nobody does it any other
way but the way we do it, and that requires a lot of prepartation, which nobady
is willing to do, for which I am also glad - more for us to explore.
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]