Posted by Gerry on December 07, 2000 at 11:19:54:
In Reply to: Diving Deep... posted by mattschechter on December 07, 2000 at 08:48:10:
Matt,
There is no single answer, some do it from a sense of mission - either externally or internally applied. Examples would be military or scientific divers with deep diving requirements. Others dive deep for reasons best described as "machismo" or "bragging rights".
The former usually maintain a low profile. Realizing their practice to be inherently more dangerous, they have no wish to tempt less skilled divers into areas where they don't belong. The latter on the other hand trumpet their "accomplishment" from wherever soapbox they can find. (What good are bragging rights if you can't brag?) The really interesting thing to me is the great length to which the braggers will go to justify their dives on non-macho grounds, not realizing that it's the bragging itself that gives them away.
GS