Would you go?

[boydski]

I wouldn't go. 24 hours in transit to do a bunch of dives I wouldn't remember? Nah.

Lynne's humorous comment had me thinking. I remember the deep dives very well (but I cheat and take a camera to help my feeble memory). But which is actually more dangerous in the tropics, depth or penetration?

This photo was taken at 170' in clear water and benign conditions with a deco ceiling, but nothing else over your head:



This next photo is of a very famous artifact, which is not deep, but requires extensive penetration to access (down through the engine room vents, down two sets of stairs, traverse the engine room, down another set of stairs, into a little tiny machine shop):



Sorry for the thread hijack, but in my mind, the shallower dive with significant penetration into a very tight area is actually more dangerous than the deeper (helium free) dives. What do you think?

[rjw]

the shallower dive with significant penetration into a very tight area is actually more dangerous than the deeper (helium free) dives.

I agree.

[60south]

I did that sort of trip, only it was to Espiritu Santo (Vanuatu), there was no nitrox, and I paid for it all myself.


Planned on a long week of diving but after five dives and two equipment failures (blasted rental gear!) I scared the bejezus out of myself and spent the rest of the trip sipping foo-foo drinks and enjoying the Norwalk virus.

Would I go again? You bet. But I'd take my own gear next time.

[Gill Envy]

if there was something to see on the way up from 130-200 range, I'd definitely go. If these were square profile dives with no shallower nearby reefs to noodle around on on the way up, not thanks, i'd stay home.

a rebreather makes these kind of dives more tolerable and the gas logistics much more dealable.
g

[lamont]

Here's a spinoff of the Extended Rage topic.

Here's the question:

You're buddy is standing in front of you with tickets for a trip to Truk lagoon followed by a trip to Bikini Atoll. He's picking up the tab for the entire 2 week trip all you have to do is pack and dive. All of the planned dives are between 130' and 200' and not a single cubic foot of Helium is available. You can have all the Nitrox and O2 you want in any blend.

Do you refuse the trip and stay home or do you go?


As you probably expected, I'm going!

I spent enough of my misguided youth running around high out of my mind doing stupid shit while *not* under 20 stories of water. My cutoff for definitely needing helium is probably around 120-130. Definitely when you start getting the whop-whop-whop-whop helicopter noises while underwater you are doing something stupid. You can experience those effects far more safely and for only a couple hundred bucks by getting tickets to burningman and a pile of nitrous oxide.

And my 401(k) has been in cash since 2003, so i'll totally pay for the helium -- if its really that good, its worth the $100-$200/dive price on fills.