Posted by Mike Meagher on September 06, 2000 at 21:09:57:
In Reply to: Re: Beware of the hypocrites about "Solo" diving? posted by tleemay on September 06, 2000 at 11:44:54:
Yes, I guess it all boils down to the person.
But I still feel that much very good diving, can still safely be done, if one sticks to the KISS principle. (Keep It Simple Stupid). Thats why I have not yet adopted the mixed gass lifestyle.
Tim Burke and I in the mid eighties located the Moody (mainly cause the dozen guys that knew of it then were swarn to secrecy, we had to find it our self.) and dove it many times from my boat. Back then, we used Air on a single 80, and made short dives, and real short deco times.
We mapped and reconned the whole area. We had done a lot of deep diving them and were mentally conditioned to function at those depths.
I've also got the perfectly exposed photographs to prove it. (Kodachrome to boot. you know how hard it is to properly expose Kodachrome!) You cant take photos if your mind is fried. My dives on the Moody are some of the ones that stick the most in my mind.
So I'm sorry, not all divers diving on air are as fried as you would ass-u-me.
Also for for that matter, we made many dives on the Matterhorn. Tim and I located that site also from the Shark Bait (my boat), (cause we could not find any dive boat willing to go out there. In reality, most of the ol'time captions were long gone) and we dove it several times. All on air, on single tanks.
The real reason we used single tanks was because the local dive shop owner refused to fill our twins. Fearing we'd go too deep! Since, he will fill them.
Yes, a new diver, going to 120'+ will be blitzed. No doubt. The first time I did, I was too.
But I made progressively deeper dives, learned how to concentrate, and adapt, and developed systems and procedures that allowed me to function. I've conditioned myself like an athlete for deep diving.
I tell you, if you want to really experience deep fun, come on up to the Puget Sound area where I live now. Water temp in the high 30's, low 40's.
Vis 10' average. Currents like mad. So. Cal currents are wussy currents compared to here. And have we got some wrecks up here! Barkely sound has as freighter in 130' thats full of Toyotas. Thats a fun dive.
The best piece of equipment a diver has is his mind. The ability to think, plan, execute, is the key to diving safety. Not technology. Thats my point.