Gee this sounds familiar.   Up here in PA we could not figure out why we =
had so many dives on this flooded power plant that I had mentioned =
before and nobody really had any definitive answers as to what exactly =
was in this building and exactly where in the building things were.  =
Situational awareness was very limited.  Even as shallow as 135 feet.  =
At 37 degrees f  we were "task loaded" with the warmth issue and the =
contingency issue. =20

We would also notice a lot of post dive symptoms during the drive home.  =
We have to go over a mountain at around 2000 feet so we usually relaxed =
at the dive site for as much as 6 hours or so before driving home.  =
There were still many nights that we slept in vehicles along the road =
because we could not keep our eyes open.  Really stupid shit !   I have =
seen people do everything from free-flow and stare because it looks =
really cool on air, to people that PASS-OUT !    That's right, pass-out =
at depth.  Narced, feeling really good, forgetting how to breathe =
properly, and BAM!  Deep water black-out from the CO2.  Talk about task =
loading for your partner!

Nobody was injured but, at one point or another, we all got the shit =
scared out of us.  Just as you mentioned George, it was never a big deal =
under water, we didn't give a shit!  Only after the dive when the =
realization of what took place "sets in" did we get really pissed at =
ourselves.  Why can't we do this more effectively, what is going wrong, =
we planned till we were blue.  Nothing solved the problems.  We =
considered mix.  Thought that was a waste of money at shallower than 200 =
feet. Especially up at 140 or so.   Even looked to "instructors" and =
they were using air too.=20

I was finally wearing down because I felt I was getting nowhere at this =
site.  It made no sense.  Why can I fly an airplane with passengers on =
board, to within 100 feet of hitting the ground on an instrument =
approach traveling at 120+ knots in the clouds (fog), and be relaxed =
enough to function with a very high degree of precision, yet, I can't =
tell you everything I saw during a dive that I completed two minutes =
ago?

We decided to change to a helium mix and the problem ended almost =
overnight.  It was like diving a new site.  Things that I had swam right =
past at least 50 times and never even knew were there suddenly came to =
light.  The decompression was much more comfortable, no post dive =
symptoms at all.   The only negative to the mix was the warmth issue.  =
We had been using argon all along but really noticed a difference with =
the mix.  That too was ended by simply adding a layer of undergarments =
and putting a weight between the tanks.

I guess the really sad part was that I, as a customer, put too much =
trust in the instruction I was receiving.  After all, I was supposed to =
be the student right?  Well I survived and learned the hard way and that =
past is long gone.  Sadly enough, the majority of so called =
"professionals"  today are barely worth the money they charge and an =
even fewer number could ever call themselves a "Professional" person

Now I have a very strong position against the stupidity that I was once =
a part of.  Like MADD (Mixdivers Against Deepair Drunks).

No longer do I  have trouble getting my stages clipped or tangled.  All =
of the really stupid stuff that used to happen and could not be =
explained in any logical manner other than I was NARCED is long since =
gone.  To anyone that I have ever dove with on air at this site, accept =
this as my apology for providing any perceived sense of security or duty =
as a dive partner.  This air to 130+ ( I don't even like to dive air to =
100')  really is the dragon that people say it is.  I was irresponsible, =
at best,   =20

If you think you are a tough guy and can handle it, I challenge you to =
give up AIR for ONE FULL YEAR of diving. Continue to dive the same sites =
you used to except now you are using a trimx.  At the end of the year ( =
normally I would say after your first mix dive but there seems to be =
some VERY strong positions on the list to support this air stuff),  come =
back and tell us all how you still believe you are diving responsibly on =
AIR at these depths.

YOU CAN"T !!!

I'll be waiting........


Jon Guizar

-----Original Message-----
From:	George M. Irvine III [SMTP:gmirvine@sa*.ne*]
Sent:	Monday, October 06, 1997 8:28 AM
To:	cavers@ge*.co*; techdiver@aquanaut.com
Subject:	Our experiences with "shallow" deep air pt 1


Snip....

Maybe I am just not the diver that the strokes are, but then , you
can't tell by the results, now can you? Or can you?

George, I guess it all depends on whose tainted eyes they are looking =
through.

Jon

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