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Just read this crazy Gem in the mailbag section of the UK Diver magazine: "I have just read your article on deep-air diving with great interest (Kamikaze Divers, June). i am the British record-holder for deep air diving and the only instructor in the country under the banner of the Professional Scuba Association. Hal Watts is the owner and director of the PSA and has been training students in deepair techniques since 1962. I have just started to theach his techniques here in the UK - my aim is to educate existing technical divers in the safety factors of being able to dive deeper on air. We train people to deal with narcosis and to realize that we all get it - there are no exceptions. All the skills are based on depth, air, time and awareness (DATA). I regularly dive beyond 100m on air for up to 10-minute bottom times, and my descent rate is 50m per minute. I have just returned from the USA after more training with Hal and travel to the philippines in July to attempt to break the world-record air dive, currently set at 147m by Dan Manion in 1994. I am sponsored by Poseidon UK and O'Three drysuits and my dive will be to 155m. <part snipped with some blabla about how good Diver has become> Was signed, Mark Andrews." I am always struck by dual feelings when I read something like that. On the one hand I feel that Mr.Andrews must have very big cojones to dive to such a depth on air, and on the other hand, I feel this is about the stupidest thing a diver can do. I wonder if anyone on this list knows what he means with 'we train people to deal with narcosis'? I hope he has some standby divers using trimix. Wasn't the record dive of Dan Manion the one where he lost consciousness at depth (the wah-wah strikes again), and regained consciousness while speeding to the surface? I suppose we have to keep an eye on the Philippine newspapers (obituary section?) to find out if Mr. Andrews made it. Very nice is the mention in the News section of the same magazine of the WKPP world cave-diving traverse record, swimming 4267m from Big Dismal to Cheryl Sink in Wakulla County, Florida. Well done, guys, you're famous now! It further says they broke a previous record set by British divers (3261m) in northern Englands Three Counties System. Have fun Adri Haine -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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