Posted by Max Bottomtime on September 30, 1999 at 18:01:02:
In Reply to: Re: Deep Air Diving posted by chris on September 30, 1999 at 16:42:20:
PO2 maximum for air is 1.6, which is 218fsw. I haven't been quite that deep yet, but when I do choose to go deep on air I only spend a minute or two there, then slowly ascend and look around, making deep water stops in addition to my required stops. Walls are great for this type of diving. When I dive a wreck such as the Tuna Clipper or the Caissons, I stay at the wreck for 15-23 minutes, then sit through long decompression. As far as narcossis goes, I've been narced a few times, but have always aborted the dive the minute I felt the effects. I'd rather dive a spot another day than to risk my life for something I wouldn't remember later anyway. I know Mike will disagree with me, but I feel that the Matterhorn, Sacramento and the Triple Crown are the only spots in Southern California where Trimix is necessary. I do know divers who have done these and the deeper pinnacles at Farnsworth, Tanner and Osborne Banks on air, but I will stick to my own comfort zone.