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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01BF6133.7F031CC0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi, my name is Mark and I am from Slidell La. I have been lurking here = since Sept. 1999. I posted once as I knew about DIR but not by that = term. I received numerous responses and felt a little silly, but put it = into perspective that the only dumb question is the one not asked. My = Intro to Cave instructor is also a GUE instructor so he schooled me in = DIR and I didn't even know it. I am planning on staying at this level = for awhile, probably till I get about 100 dives at this level, before = doing full cave. My partner is Full Cave and he used the same = instructor. Having said this, I don't know it all like some people who = show up, post, and then leave with their feelings hurt. I read all of = the posts about deep air, the analogies about drunk driving and the = rest. I did however read something I read before, but this time I saw = something different and felt this may also turn on the light to someone = who does not realize the injury potential of diving deep air when other = mediums are available. Actually the dangers are still there but when = there is a choice, and don't take it, shame on you. In the NSS/CDS Cave = manual, hey guys this is not just the WKPP guys saying this, it warns of = the potential downside of deep air. In the chapter, Intro. to Nitrox = and Mixed Gasses, it states No one is immune to the effects of narcosis. = As in drunk drivers some do not feel impaired, but they are. It goes = on to say many have learned to function well, as do alcoholics. (Some of = this is my thought as well, or a paraphrase, not an exact quote.) But = it states when, not if , an emergency occurs even experienced divers can = and have been injured or killed. In real life I am a police officer. I = deal with a lot of training and a lot of drunks. In training you learn = about FINE and GROSS motor skills. I'm not yelling, I just want you to = see this. You Practice, Practice and Practice.... to develop fine = skills. The gross motor skill are there and you will revert to them in = an emergency if you do not develop, practice and overlearn the fine = skills. Gross skills are running, punching, kicking, thing you can do = when under stress. Fine Skills are things like being able to stop, give = a loud verbal command, draw a weapon and shoot if necessary, and then be = able to take cover, check your shot placement and return fire if = necessary. This all has to occur in seconds. I've been there, done = that and as our agency overtrains, this came very easy, to my later = surprise. I say this because if we don't overlearn our skills, stress = will come and we won't be able to take our reel and tie it, to search, = or untie it even after the crisis is over. We may turn on the wrong gas = after a crisis and cause another. With fine skills we make them Gross = skill by practice. Back to where I was. Sorry. Even with practice, = narcosis is there in deep air diving. We can do a lot of normal, = routine, things until there is an emergency. Just like an alcoholic who = gets in a wreck. He did fine until someone stopped short and he = couldn't. When I get there this guy smells like a brewery. I do a = field sobriety test, and this guy walks the line, doesn't use his hands = to balance, and does the number of steps I instructed him to. When I = ask, he says he had two Really Big beers but the tests do not show this. = Is he impaired?, absolutely. Does he think so, no he doesn't. I = realize then he is an alcoholic and has adapted to living above the = legal limit for impairment. This guy has probably practiced my tests. = But when I check his eyes for impairment (Nystagmus) I find it bigtime. = This involuntary jerking of the eyes cannot be hidden or practiced for. = Then I know what I suspected, he is drunk, F'd up, whatever, but he = cannot function safely. When I draw blood, or put him on the = Intoxilyzer, it is also confirmed. Was he able to adapt to everyday = skills, yes. When he had to go beyond that he couldn't, and became very = Dangerous to others nearby. If you ask he says he is fine. Why did I = write all of this? We tend to avoid the stats and believe we are better = and tougher than everyone else, but somethings we cannot really = overcome. Narcosis is one of them. This doesn't come from a seasoned = full cave diver, PHD, or know it all. I do feel though that sometimes = we are quick to answer too cut and dried, and don't articulate what = someone of lesser learning should hear. I think this is important = because people on this list, despite the flames, seem to care and feel = strongly enough about a mindset that is trying to standardize the cave = diving community and make it safe, thus more fun. One day the time may = come that if things are not done DIR you won't be able to dive at any = facility because of safety and liability issues. Those who don't cost = landowners money, will get the benefits of their properties. Remember, = most of the caves in Fla. are privately owned and we are their guests. = Although some of us, actually most of us, don't go deeper than 100' or = so, and don't make the deep penetrations that the guys from WKPP do, = there is much to learn from them, beacuse they are proving it works and = works well. I may never get to dive with or be part of the WKPP because = of time, and money, issues, but I use the DIR mindset and methods, as = does my partner and we stay safe, have fun, and work less on our dives. = I do admire you guys from WKPP and do not mean any harm when I say I am = not one of you, I just want others to know it is not right just because = you guys say so, it's just right. Others show it too and it is not just = Your Way. With others also showing this there is nowhere for anyone to = say you guys don't know what you're talking about and you are just voice = recorders on playback. If you are, you are saying the right things and = those of us who don't know everything learn alot from it. Thanks for = bearing with my long wind, but I feel strongly about safety and fun = while diving and this is definitely a way to stay safe. Avoid the deep = on air when other options are available because it is just a matter of = time before a crisis will occur. Your ability to think clearly and = react may make a crisis, just an aggravation and may keep your buddy = alive as well. Mark Michaud ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01BF6133.7F031CC0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi, my name is Mark and I am from Slidell La. = I have=20 been lurking here since Sept. 1999. I posted once as I knew about = DIR but=20 not by that term. I received numerous responses and felt a little = silly,=20 but put it into perspective that the only dumb question is the one not=20 asked. My Intro to Cave instructor is also a GUE instructor so he = schooled=20 me in DIR and I didn't even know it. I am planning on staying at = this=20 level for awhile, probably till I get about 100 dives at this level, = before=20 doing full cave. My partner is Full Cave and he used the same=20 instructor. Having said this, I don't know it all like some people = who=20 show up, post, and then leave with their feelings hurt. I read all = of the=20 posts about deep air, the analogies about drunk driving and the = rest. I=20 did however read something I read before, but this time I saw something=20 different and felt this may also turn on the light to someone who does = not=20 realize the injury potential of diving deep air when other mediums are=20 available. Actually the dangers are still there but when there is = a=20 choice, and don't take it, shame on you. In the NSS/CDS Cave = manual, hey=20 guys this is not just the WKPP guys saying this, it warns of the = potential=20 downside of deep air. In the chapter, Intro. to Nitrox and Mixed = Gasses,=20 it states No one is immune to the effects of narcosis. As in drunk = drivers=20 some do not feel impaired, but they are. It goes on to say many = have=20 learned to function well, as do alcoholics. (Some of this is my thought = as well,=20 or a paraphrase, not an exact quote.) But it states when, not if , = an=20 emergency occurs even experienced divers can and have been injured or=20 killed. In real life I am a police officer. I deal with a = lot of=20 training and a lot of drunks. In training you learn about FINE and = GROSS=20 motor skills. I'm not yelling, I just want you to see this. You = Practice,=20 Practice and Practice.... to develop fine skills. The gross motor = skill=20 are there and you will revert to them in an emergency if you do not = develop,=20 practice and overlearn the fine skills. Gross skills are running,=20 punching, kicking, thing you can do when under stress. Fine Skills = are=20 things like being able to stop, give a loud verbal command, draw a = weapon and=20 shoot if necessary, and then be able to take cover, check your shot = placement=20 and return fire if necessary. This all has to occur in = seconds. I've=20 been there, done that and as our agency overtrains, this came very easy, = to my=20 later surprise. I say this because if we don't overlearn our = skills,=20 stress will come and we won't be able to take our reel and tie it, to = search, or=20 untie it even after the crisis is over. We may turn on the wrong = gas after=20 a crisis and cause another. With fine skills we make them Gross = skill by=20 practice. Back to where I was. Sorry. Even with = practice,=20 narcosis is there in deep air diving. We can do a lot of normal, = routine,=20 things until there is an emergency. Just like an alcoholic who = gets in a=20 wreck. He did fine until someone stopped short and he = couldn't. When=20 I get there this guy smells like a brewery. I do a field sobriety = test,=20 and this guy walks the line, doesn't use his hands to balance, and does = the=20 number of steps I instructed him to. When I ask, he says he had = two Really=20 Big beers but the tests do not show this. Is he impaired?,=20 absolutely. Does he think so, no he doesn't. I realize then = he is an=20 alcoholic and has adapted to living above the legal limit for = impairment. =20 This guy has probably practiced my tests. But when I check his = eyes for=20 impairment (Nystagmus) I find it bigtime. This involuntary jerking = of the=20 eyes cannot be hidden or practiced for. Then I know what I = suspected, he=20 is drunk, F'd up, whatever, but he cannot function safely. When I = draw=20 blood, or put him on the Intoxilyzer, it is also confirmed. Was he = able to=20 adapt to everyday skills, yes. When he had to go beyond that = he=20 couldn't, and became very Dangerous to others nearby. If you ask he = says he is=20 fine. Why did I write all of this? We tend to avoid the = stats and=20 believe we are better and tougher than everyone else, but somethings we = cannot=20 really overcome. Narcosis is one of them. This doesn't come = from a=20 seasoned full cave diver, PHD, or know it all. I do feel though = that=20 sometimes we are quick to answer too cut and dried, and don't articulate = what=20 someone of lesser learning should hear. I think this is important = because=20 people on this list, despite the flames, seem to care and feel strongly = enough=20 about a mindset that is trying to standardize the cave diving community = and make=20 it safe, thus more fun. One day the time may come that if things = are not=20 done DIR you won't be able to dive at any facility because of safety and = liability issues. Those who don't cost landowners money, will get = the=20 benefits of their properties. Remember, most of the caves in Fla. = are=20 privately owned and we are their guests. Although some of us, = actually most of us, don't go deeper than 100' or so, and don't make the = deep=20 penetrations that the guys from WKPP do, there is much to learn from = them,=20 beacuse they are proving it works and works well. I may never get = to dive=20 with or be part of the WKPP because of time, and money, issues, but I = use the=20 DIR mindset and methods, as does my partner and we stay safe, have fun, = and work=20 less on our dives. I do admire you guys from WKPP and do not mean = any harm=20 when I say I am not one of you, I just want others to know it is not = right just=20 because you guys say so, it's just right. Others show it too and = it is not=20 just Your Way. With others also showing this there is nowhere for = anyone=20 to say you guys don't know what you're talking about and you are just = voice=20 recorders on playback. If you are, you are saying the right things = and=20 those of us who don't know everything learn alot from it. Thanks for = bearing=20 with my long wind, but I feel strongly about safety and fun while diving = and=20 this is definitely a way to stay safe. Avoid the deep on air when = other=20 options are available because it is just a matter of time before a = crisis will=20 occur. Your ability to think clearly and react may make a crisis, = just an=20 aggravation and may keep your buddy alive as well. Mark=20 Michaud</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01BF6133.7F031CC0-- -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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