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--part1_df.1906dcf4.28a9d480_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thom: I was a bit harder on you than I intended in my previous message, but I find it difficult to soften the message and still make my point. There are too many foolish deaths in diving, and more on the way most likely. Tech diving has become too accepted, too easy, too much the next step for divers that don't have the knowledge, training, experience, or equipment to do it properly. It used to be something the old timers did quietly. They mixed gas in their garage and didn't say much about the depths they planned to go to, since they were beyond the accepted limits. Then training became available. People started talking about nitrox and mixed gases. Aqua Corps magazine started publishing articles and the Tek conference was born. People could openly talk about it. Dive equipment manufacturers starting making black BCs with lots of heavy duty d-rings. Tech was out of the closet. Not only that, but it was the new fad. People who have no business doing it yet are literally dying to be a cool tech diver. There is a lot to know if you plan to go deep, stay long, or in any other way not have the option of coming directly to the surface at any time during a dive. Skills need to be mastered, the right equipment needs to be in place, and you need the knowledge and background to understand the risks in order to mitigate them as much as possible. You need to know what might happen and how to react if it does. You have to assume that not everything is going to go perfectly. You need to have the type of mind set that lets you handle stress without succumbing to it. When you first learned to dive, there were things you needed to know to do it safely. You didn't just toss on a tank and go. You needed to learn about equalizing pressure and breathing continuously, not holding your breath. It probably took a few times on scuba before the equipment did not feel awkward. It took a lot more before you had good bouyancy control. These things took time, and learning, and experience. In the same way, there is a lot to learn about tech diving. You don't even know what you don't know yet. Everyone starts somewhere, so there is no shame in not knowing. It is very risky for you to move forward to do dives with the wrong equipment and the wrong knowledge. Move slowly, there is no rush. As long as there are not too many foolish deaths, the wrecks will still be there. Don't experiment with unfamiliar equipment in deeper water. That's what pools and shallow lakes and quarries are for. Be smart. Learn, read, ask questions. Don't buy equipment until you know more and have evaluated if the risks are worth the benefit to you. Question everything. Don't take anything on blind faith. Listen with an open mind, but make up your own mind when all is done. Think about the gear. What could go wrong? What does adding this component do to the whole configuration? How does it affect the response pattern you have for solving problems? Will the configuration be distracting or uncomfortable during the dive? Are you streamlined and comfortable in the water with the equipment? Is there anything that would make you more so? There is enough to think about on a dive without worrying about equipment in the middle of it. Personally, I'd rather enjoy the dive. There is enough task loading inherent in tech diving that you don't want to add more. You want everything to be as simple as possible, as routine as possible, so that the extra tasks become ordinary. Switching gas on a deco stop, for example, while maintaining bouyancy, should be routine. Asking questions is great, and you should continue to do so. You also have to evaluate the merits of the answer, and not just throw it out because it is going to cost more or delay your ability to do something you are not really ready to do, or is not the same as a trusted friend's solution. Be prepared to spend a lot for good equipment and good training. Learn to think things through and think about what you are doing and how to solve problems. If that is too much, then stick to simpler diving. There is a lot of great diving in shallower water that does not require staged decompression. Ultimately, you need to ask how much you value your life. Is it worth an isolator manifold? Is it worth sticking to a buddy to make sure that you both make it to the surface every time? Is skimping on knowledge or equipment worth the consequences? If I'm being over dramatic, it's because there are too many deaths. I'm tired of it. They are unnecessary. I'm afraid I don't think the 26 year old with a wife and kids who died in Whitefish Point in June was cool. I think he was foolish. I think each death like that hurts the sport, as well as the loved ones of the diver who died. I'd like to see deaths like that drop to zero. Safe diving, Jan ---- Visit my web page with underwater and other photos at http://members.aol.com/jsuw3/index.html (new photos of Isle Royale wrecks finally added) --part1_df.1906dcf4.28a9d480_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT COLOR="#800040" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Comic Sans MS" LANG="0">Thom: <BR> <BR>I was a bit harder on you than I intended in my previous message, but I find <BR>it difficult to soften the message and still make my point. <BR> <BR>There are too many foolish deaths in diving, and more on the way most likely. <BR> Tech diving has become too accepted, too easy, too much the next step for <BR>divers that don't have the knowledge, training, experience, or equipment to <BR>do it properly. It used to be something the old timers did quietly. They <BR>mixed gas in their garage and didn't say much about the depths they planned <BR>to go to, since they were beyond the accepted limits. <BR> <BR>Then training became available. People started talking about nitrox and <BR>mixed gases. Aqua Corps magazine started publishing articles and the Tek <BR>conference was born. People could openly talk about it. Dive equipment <BR>manufacturers starting making black BCs with lots of heavy duty d-rings. Tech <BR>was out of the closet. Not only that, but it was the new fad. People who <BR>have no business doing it yet are literally dying to be a cool tech diver. <BR> <BR>There is a lot to know if you plan to go deep, stay long, or in any other way <BR>not have the option of coming directly to the surface at any time during a <BR>dive. Skills need to be mastered, the right equipment needs to be in place, <BR>and you need the knowledge and background to understand the risks in order to <BR>mitigate them as much as possible. You need to know what might happen and <BR>how to react if it does. You have to assume that not everything is going to <BR>go perfectly. You need to have the type of mind set that lets you handle <BR>stress without succumbing to it. <BR> <BR>When you first learned to dive, there were things you needed to know to do it <BR>safely. You didn't just toss on a tank and go. You needed to learn about <BR>equalizing pressure and breathing continuously, not holding your breath. It <BR>probably took a few times on scuba before the equipment did not feel awkward. <BR> It took a lot more before you had good bouyancy control. These things took <BR>time, and learning, and experience. <BR> <BR>In the same way, there is a lot to learn about tech diving. You don't even <BR>know what you don't know yet. Everyone starts somewhere, so there is no <BR>shame in not knowing. It is very risky for you to move forward to do dives <BR>with the wrong equipment and the wrong knowledge. Move slowly, there is no <BR>rush. As long as there are not too many foolish deaths, the wrecks will <BR>still be there. Don't experiment with unfamiliar equipment in deeper water. <BR>That's what pools and shallow lakes and quarries are for. <BR> <BR>Be smart. Learn, read, ask questions. Don't buy equipment until you know <BR>more and have evaluated if the risks are worth the benefit to you. Question <BR>everything. Don't take anything on blind faith. Listen with an open mind, <BR>but make up your own mind when all is done. <BR> <BR>Think about the gear. What could go wrong? What does adding this component <BR>do to the whole configuration? How does it affect the response pattern you <BR>have for solving problems? Will the configuration be distracting or <BR>uncomfortable during the dive? Are you streamlined and comfortable in the <BR>water with the equipment? Is there anything that would make you more so? <BR> <BR>There is enough to think about on a dive without worrying about equipment in <BR>the middle of it. Personally, I'd rather enjoy the dive. There is enough <BR>task loading inherent in tech diving that you don't want to add more. You <BR>want everything to be as simple as possible, as routine as possible, so that <BR>the extra tasks become ordinary. Switching gas on a deco stop, for example, <BR>while maintaining bouyancy, should be routine. <BR> <BR>Asking questions is great, and you should continue to do so. You also have <BR>to evaluate the merits of the answer, and not just throw it out because it is <BR>going to cost more or delay your ability to do something you are not really <BR>ready to do, or is not the same as a trusted friend's solution. Be prepared <BR>to spend a lot for good equipment and good training. Learn to think things <BR>through and think about what you are doing and how to solve problems. If <BR>that is too much, then stick to simpler diving. There is a lot of great <BR>diving in shallower water that does not require staged decompression. <BR> <BR>Ultimately, you need to ask how much you value your life. Is it worth an <BR>isolator manifold? Is it worth sticking to a buddy to make sure that you <BR>both make it to the surface every time? Is skimping on knowledge or <BR>equipment worth the consequences? <BR> <BR>If I'm being over dramatic, it's because there are too many deaths. I'm <BR>tired of it. They are unnecessary. I'm afraid I don't think the 26 year old <BR>with a wife and kids who died in Whitefish Point in June was cool. I think <BR>he was foolish. I think each death like that hurts the sport, as well as the <BR>loved ones of the diver who died. I'd like to see deaths like that drop to <BR>zero. <BR> <BR>Safe diving, <BR>Jan <BR> <BR>---- <BR><B>Visit my web page with underwater and other photos at <BR>http://members.aol.com/jsuw3/index.html (new photos of Isle Royale wrecks <BR>finally added)</B></FONT></HTML> --part1_df.1906dcf4.28a9d480_boundary-- -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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