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In the past fifteen years, six divers have died diving the U-352. They had loads of merit badges for diving and plenty of training in quarry diving. A few were instructors and dive masters. Most were using a single 80 with no backup and embolised bolting to the surface after running out of air on the bottom. At least one body has never been recovered. In fact, the U-352 has killed more people after WWII than it did during the war. And, more divers have been killed diving the U-352 than any other NC wreck including the deep ones. It is also the most visited wreck site. Most of the dead were divers from Ohio and all but two died in separate incidences. Running out of air is the killer. It's an easy dive ...and it isn't. As one major dive operator that runs to the sub noted, "we do everything but breathe for them- and sometimes even that is not enough." Rod On Mon, 23 Oct 1995, CHRISTOPHER RICHARDSON wrote: > > Date sent: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 10:26:22 +0500 > > From: rnf@sp*.tb*.co* > > To: techdiver@terra.net > > Subject: Re: new here > > > > > > > > > Chris Wrote: > > > >>Man, I hope your kidding about the U352. How about in a few hundred > > > dives? Wreck penetration is never "safe", you can however reduce risk > > > to what you consider acceptable with the PROPER TRAINING and > > > experience in practicing that training(an often overlooked part). > > > > > > > > > Dave, > > > > > > I totally agree with Chris!!!! Get some diving under your belt > > > first!!!! You mentioned getting more certifications. I suggest that you > > > don't even worry about becoming a certified wreck diver, deep diver, or > > > anyother type of diver. Experience and attitude will led you to the road > > > that you want to follow, but until then just get some diving in and have > > > some fun doing it. After all, fun is reason most of us dive in the first > > > place. You may decide that you don't really want to dive wrecks or deep, > > > but you don't know that until you get some experience! Just my opinion! > > > Have fun diving!!!!! > > > > > > Aloha > > > Tony > > > > > > > > > I don't agree with the "get a few hundred dives before doing the U-352". It's > > just a relatively easy recreational depth dive. Granted it's at the deep end > > of the recreational scale (about 120 feet) but it isn't particularly dangerous > > if you don't do deco dives or penetration. > The recreational agencies consider a 120 fsw dive to be one which > requires you to hold a deep specialty, which is an advanced > specialty, or a master diver rating. You are fooling yourself, and > the operators who take openwater divers on dives like this, > concerning the experience required to dive to 120. I aree that in > perfect conditions w/ zero ploblems the average diver could "go down > and take a look" however the average openwater diver with less than > a couple hundred dives is unprepared to handle any problems that may > arise. Then he/she is dead. Worth it just to do a dive that w/ more > experience it would be considered an fairly easy dive? (w/out > penetration) Plus as this is techdiver and the orginal message was > full of questions regarding tech diving, I think that the temptation > to "just go in a little" would have been present. How about it > everyone, your opion, am I being just to conservative when I > recommend much more experience for this dive?> > > > Of course, you don't get much bottom time, but the U-352 is pretty small and > > doesn't take much time to tour. On a no deco dive most people run out of bottom > > time before they do air, even on an Al-80. > > > > I dove on the U-352 at the same time as a couple that had fewer than 20 dives > > and they did just fine. They had done one or two other ocean dives at the 80 > > to 90 foot level and one on an artificial reef at 60-70 feet. > > > > That's kind of the normal progression in North Carolina diving. My fist ocean > > dive was on a wreck at 95 feet. I think it was my 15th dive. No big deal. > Never is a big deal untill something goes bad.> > > Of course, the water was 80 degrees (F) and the vis was over 100 feet, so it's > > not the same as making a 95 foot dive off New Jersey. > > > > Since the boat rides here are pretty long and sea sickness is a factor, I guess > > those that are not really dedicated don't bother to go. So you don't see many > > brain-dead divers, whatever their experience level, getting hurt around here. > > > > Rick > > -- > > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@terra.net'. > > Send subscription/archive requests to `techdiver-request@terra.net'. > > > -- > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@terra.net'. > Send subscription/archive requests to `techdiver-request@terra.net'. >
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