Posted by kelphead on November 07, 2000 at 20:16:28:
In Reply to: Huh? To everybody posted by seahunt on November 07, 2000 at 12:17:33:
oh, yes, i realize what you mean about divers
having better skills and physical conditioning then
versus now, and i've heard a LOT about training
techniques (some which may even land an instructor
a lawsuit these days), but i thought that perhaps
divers were doing riskier things back then than now.
one thing i noticed in old photos is that a lot of
divers, especially spearfishers, didn't wear a
wetsuit then, but it is generally accepted today that
cold can contribute to getting a dcs hit.
i'm surprised to see you write that:
"Also, while there were some crazies then as now, there was
usually a larger safety margin back then, because limits were
not as accurately known. Any somewhat cautious diver tended to
be farther from the limits, because they were not as precisely
known then as they are with present computer."
i guess i have the 'macho' stereotype of diver in
mind and i would expect those guys to push the
limits whether they knew them or not. guess not.
the gear, there's no q there about; but when it
comes to info, for example, nitrox:
many divers today use nitrox for the anti-nitrogen benefits,
but obviously nitrox was unheard of back then, right...?...
whereas now, even if divers aren't interested in
personally using it, at least they know that it
exists and what the potential benefits are.
i do see your point, but i wonder if we'll ever
know which time period can be considered safer overall.
thanx! for your post.
kelphead.