Are you prepared for emergencies?

I agree 100%. Now, I always plan my entire day the night before. Not only for my safety , but for the safety of those around me as well. I see alot of people getting away from it because of computers. I hope this doesnt lead to alot accidents in the future. To me its part of diving and I enjoy the advanced preparatrion.
I learned a good lesson from it though. I went out and got HP120's shortly after. I get my air in advance . I learned you cant rely on others to make sure you have what you need. You'll end up short like I was. Plus, the whole time I was down I couldnt take my eyes off the computer. It was beeping like crazy and I had to keep shallowing up the tower every couple of minutes. I downloaded the dive in my computer afterwards. Most the dive was either in the yellow or red. Even my safety stop. At that point I didnt care If they got their tank back bone dry.

I know there's alot of people who just want to get their certification card and thats about as far as they go with the learning process. And rely on someone else to tell them how long they can stay down. And how deep they can go. Alot of people think the computer is like some cruise control, where you just set it and cruise along. I think we may see some problems with this in the future. Thank goodness for DAN.

I've been contemplating Tech Diving. I want to take it to the next Level. But I dont have anyone else thats interested , And its not my profession, so I would be all alone. I've thought about trying to getting into the field somehow, something other than teaching OPen Water. But Im not sure what the opportunities are and if it would be steady work.

Have you used a rebreather Tech Diver?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14115569#post14115569 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kenmx10
Have you used a rebreather Tech Diver?
Click to expand...

I never have. Thus far I've been strictly an open-circuit diver. For some reason, I've have never had the disire to try one.

As for finding someone with whom to learn/do technical diving, I suggest contacting tech diving instructors in your area. Their contact information can be found by going to the web sites of the various training organizations. My one suggestion is NOT to get trained in Deep Air (a course that some agencies like PADI actually offer). I feel such training is dangerous and violates a key point in tech diving which is not to get Nitrogen Narcosis.
 
The four that I can think of off the top of my head are IANTD, TDI, NAUI, DSAT (PADI). There are some others that are less well known or not fully recognized. Of those that I mentioned, I would go with someone other than DSAT (PADI). They only started their programs recently and the other three generally train you more rigorously (which is good). Of course, a great deal has to do with the instructor. I have used TDI myself because I was able to be trained by some of the top divers in the field.
 
NAUI has some pretty good material, TDI material is .... there (at best) both agencies leave the bulk of the instruction up to the teacher. If you want some serious training and it is not easy look into GUE. Their minimum standards are pretty tough. You start with their "fundimentals" class where you learn gear config, valve drills, proper trim (horizontal not at a 45), I had to do valve drills with no mask on while hovering less than a foot off of the bottom. I was instructed by an old schooler, who through multiple failures at me, buddy lost his mask, I was completely out of gas, my buddy had his back up reg fail, and we were in an over head invrionment. That was pretty easy, what was tough was learing to stay horizontal, go from 10 feet to 20 to 30 to 20 to 10 all with 30 second pauses at depths and then 30 second travel. Once we figured out how to do that, I lost my mask and had to do it... THEN you take their Tech 1 class....
 
Ive tried rebreathers.... I think they are a good tool. They scare the crap out of me and Ill stick with open circuit. However for photography, I think they're the bees knees. No bubbles gets the animals in closer.
 
I agree that some of the best training is through GUE. The only reason I didn't mention it by name is that not everyone recognizes that organization's certification program. As long as it has been brought up, you should take a look at the DIR approach to diving, or at least the Hogarthian configuration. This is the approach that I personally use, but some are reluctant to embrace it because it is very specific on how you equip yourself.
 
I have a pretty good one.
A couple years ago we went out for opening night of lobster season.
When I came up, as soon as I got to the boat, fog came in REALLY heavy, thick, and it came in fast.
I was lucky I got to the boat first, but many other divers didn't.
The fact it was opening night made it worse, due to the fact it was a total zoo of boats/divers.
Coast gaurd came on the radio, and said ALL boats w/out sonar were to drop anchor and stay put till it lifted.
Many divers, not able to find their boat spent the night on boats owned by new good friends!
That was a long cold night for me in an open boat in a wet wetsuit!
To make matters worse, we weren't far out of harbor, and not far from shipping lanes.
No one admitted fear, but when we heard the loud engines of big ships, well, we were all awefully quiet!
Especially knowing the current was pulling that direction, and we were anchored in sand.
I now make sure to keep a sealed bag w/ dry warm clothes, and 2 whistles attached to my gear(one whistle w/ a back up compass).
It made me think about how most of my night bug dives were from shore, and what if that happened then?
So I also check compass readings b4 dives(I also learned this year that thanks to getting older and needing reading glasses, I can't see the numbers well, so I have 2 strips of duct tape marking way to shore)
And I don't think I'll do another opening night so close to a zoo of boats/divers and that close to the harbor mouth!
 
A very important item to always carry with you is a light - even during the day. Remember, if you are washed out to sea, day will eventually turn into night and the easiest way to be found in the dark is with a light. You can even signal SOS by moving your hand over the lens. But don't signal by turning the lamp on and off, because you might eventually break the switch.

By the way, I also need reading glasses so I have a mask with +2 diopter magnifyer ground in. Works like a charm!
 
Most of my dives are at night for lobbys these days, so I have 2 lights, and my main light has 2 bulbs as well on seperate switches.
The reading glasses are very new(and I didn't realize that once you start using them, you're pretty blind w/out them)
I need to figure what I'm going to do.
My vision is fine except small letters/numbers
My concerns are;
A- in 30yrs of diving, I finally got a mask that fits absolutely perfect, comfy, and seals well even w/ a goatee.
B-how expensive is a mask w/ magnifier
C-am I going to lose perception/start chasing shorts!LOL
 
A - You can keep your mask and have just the glass replaced.
B - If I recall it costs about $120 just for the glass and $170 if you buy a whole mask.
C - They are actually bi-focals so your normal view is unaffected. To use them you look down. I don't even notice that I have them.
D - I don't remember the manufacturer.
 
A friend of mine uses some stick on magnifying lens from the drugstore. The sort of thing they sell for folks that don't want to give in and go to the eye doc for a proper prescription. They stick on at the bottom of the mask lens so they don't interfere with normal vision, yet allow him to read his gauges.
 
I actually tried those but was disappointed in their quality. They are made of flexible plastic which made the image too distorted and the lenses kept coming off too easily. They also cost about $50.
 
Watch what you eat before you dive.

wetsuit.jpg
 
I got certified 4 years ago when I was 13. My was one of the divers that retreived the boosters off of the Shuttle for 26 years so I was around diving all my life and always bugged him to go. Well when i got certified we went down to the keys and the first dive since getting my certification my dad came ove rto me and knocked my mask off and ripped the regulator out of my mouth. I freaked out and started to surface when he grabbed my ankels and held me down and made me slow down and put my reglator back in and go find my mask. When he sufaced later he gave me as stern talking to and told me that was a test to see if I could would know what to do. Im glad he did it then because I now know what to do and how to handle the situtation.
My worst experience was when we where spearfishing offshore in 120 feet of water of the coast of Port cannaveral and my dads friend and me had just got down when he swims over very quickly saying that he is out of air already. We had to buddy breath and make our safety stop from 120 feet. When we got on the boat it turned out that someone else had put the empty tanks into the compartment where the full tanks go and he grabbed an empty tank instead of a full tank. Luckily I was their.
 
I like Henry Cho's Emergency Program...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7toJkB82vTM&feature=related

When he dives, he never dives with anybody he knows... When people try to be friendly and try to talk to him... He's like, NO, I don't need to know your name... (At the 1st sight of a Shark, I'm taking my knife and may have to stab you to run away) :D

Sorry, could not find the exact quote... But this is as close as I remember it...
 
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