Posted by Eric Poulas on October 19, 2000 at 17:38:03:
In Reply to: Re: Poor training or lack of experience posted by MHK on October 19, 2000 at 15:29:05:
I't may be true that I have a lot of experience compared to many. There are those that have even more. Even I know that a diver that refuses to learn and expand his knowlege base is a mediocre one. I'm in my late 50's right now and am just as active a diver as I was 20 years ago. I am fit enough not to require NITROX on every dive or dive force fins because they make my feet and legs feel better. I dive with as much zeal as those twentysomething kids on the two day trips doing 8 dives a day in wetsuits.
I used to dive solo. Please do not hold that against me. And that is what it is regardles if I am diving with 10 others without a buddy or leaving my buddy during the dive. Alone is alone, solo is alone, independent is alone. The end result is the same if I were to be in a life threatening situation. Maybe I would not die thanks to the skills I know and practice. I prefer to hedge my bet towards survival and dive with a buddy than not. You are by yourself when a problem happens like heartattack or something
else unforseen. Equipment problems are easily taken care of by yourself including what some might call "catastrophic" problems like losing a high pressure hose of joint or a reg that flat out dies and won't breathe. I used to have a set of Poseidon regulators for diving until the day one failed closed. I was able to safely get out of the crisis but it made me think long and hard about what kit pieces are better than others. I learned and continued on.
So far from what I have read from AADIVER does not lend him to be a safe diver. This is especially true if he really does dive with elevated oxygen partial pressures. I was tought that a tech diver breathing elevated oxygen pressures should maintain their partial pressures to the 1.4 to 1.5 area. I read where there was someone that said that TDI promotes the use of high partial pressure mixes for use as a bailout on wreck dives. This is just as stupid in my view.
I do hope to dive in the Great Escape soon. I read where you and some friends enjoy sharing your knowlege of DIR. I am not DIR diving right now but I am seriously considering such. At the same time I am considering other ways of becoming a safer and more efficient diver. I attended the demo JJ, you, Troy, and Teri gave last Summer. Very interesting stuff and extremely well though out. I am also thinking about going back to Florida and taking a cave class with the GUE people before I go to the Yucatan for my extended vacation next September.
I hope to see you or AADIVER soon. Meeting face to face cut's out all the posturing and gets everyone down to the issues at hand. Having the specific answers to the questions I asked AADIVER will go along way in deciding how I want to proceed.