Posted by MHK on August 21, 2001 at 14:29:06:
In Reply to: so, Im poor! posted by CalAbDiver on August 21, 2001 at 14:02:12:
One of the biggest *problems* that I see with the recent proliferation of recreational divers jumping on th etechnical diving bangwagon, and the entry of PADI into the genre' has much to do with the mindset adjustment that is required when making the jump. I don't want this to seem like another PADI bashing thread so let me just say that overall when you decide to go from recreational to technical a diver MUST realize that the hand holding and coddling that happens in the recreational world will not cut it in technical diving. Recreational divers get everything food spooned to them and it results in a lackadasical and sloppy mindset. You saw what happened when I suggested that diver's abandon the use of the computer. There was a fire storm of controversy and what I took away from that exchange is that most people aren't willing to put in the work and would rather rely on a computer. That kind of logic will not work in tech diving..
The reason I bring that up is to reply to your comment about the various gases [ ie; 80% etc.]. The reason that some agencies teach 80% is because if you used 100% 02 at 20' you'd be running a 1.6. If you used 80% at 30' you're running a 1.5 and the thinking is that if you can't hold your stop [ie; you're bouncing up and down] then you are at a lesser chance of toxing.. In my view, if you can't hold a stop at 30' you have no business technical diving. But rather than teach that philosophy, and weed out potential customers they teach you about terrible deco gases that rather then help you off gas efficiently when you get to your 10' the 80% nonsense actually is loading you with 20% N2 and reduces your P02's to 1.0 at 10', which is virtually useless when decompressing..
To truely appreciate what is involved in decompressing you need to understand about gradients and 02 windows, neither of which you will fully appreciate if you continue to rely on computers and sloppy deco gases..
Hope that helps..
Later