scuba diving question

[dobie]

i`ve allways wanted to take dive lessons,but visability in lake Erie hasn`t been very good, but now that the zebra mussels have invaded, the lake has become quite clear, so i`m thinking about signing up for lessons over the winter. i have a couple questions, if you dive down to around 100 feet, how long can you stay down on a tank of gas? how deep can you go before you have to be concerned about decompressing as you come up(not sure if thats the right term)?
from the township of north east,pa. to Ripley,n.y.,and over to port dover.can., there are dozens of sunken ships, a lot have been dived to death, but theres lots to be discovered yet, i don`t have any treasure tales on any, just thinking of trying to find a few
thanks

 

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[packerbacker]

Everything is relative while diving. Some tanks hold more than others and the more you exert yourself, the faster you will consume your air. Depth has a lot to do with it also. You ALWAYS worry about your depth and how fast you come up. Every 30 feet is another atmosphere. Hard to explain without getting too windy here. Say you fill a balloon with air at 30 feet. At the surface that would be twice as much as that balloon could hold. Now, imagine taking a breath at 30 feet and then surfacing without exhaling; yep, lungs would burst. Make sure you get good training. At 100 feet, the dives begin to get very complicated. Most recreation divers get an Open Water Certification which trains you to dive around the 60-foot range. I got certified through PADI but there are others. Good luck
btw, a normal 1-tank dive will last from a half-hour to 45 minutes on average....for me anyway. That's with 2800 to 3000 pounds of air to start.

 

[spez401]

dobie... the depths you're talking about are at the limit of sport diving, and you shouldn't even consider attempting them without advanced training. Like was already posted, everything is relative in diving. Bottom times will depend on lung capacity, amount of exertion, depth, your relative calm in the water, etc.

Ive done several dives around 100'. Bottom time was between 3-10 minutes. And you have to worry about all the decompression stops on the way up. Unless you're diving nitrox (mixed gasses) you ALWAYS have to worry about "decompression", even at shallow 30' dives. Get the training anyway, you'll still find tons of good stuff in shallow water. Wrecks abound in shallow water, and you can also detect swimming areas (docks and diving platforms are great spots).

For the short term, forget about getting certified and then doing 100' dives the next week. Get some experience first. When I got certified, we had a kid in my class who was always pushing limits, times, and talking about going as deep as possible. My dive instructor summed it up in a few words: you screw up, you die. A small, amateur mistake can cost you your life @ 30', let alone 90. Diving is an inherintly dangerous activity, so remember: safety first. Just be careful and you can combine it with detecting and have a great time
steve

 

[dobie]

thanks for the reply, and i definitely would be taking a certified course before even thinking of diving, and then not getting in a big hurry to "prove anything", i am kind of surprised about one thing though,if i am getting this right, my search time is only going to be around 30 min. or so, if im in around 50 to 60 foot depth? so obviousally these shows where you see divers down for real long periods of time are edited then? it seems to me that searching a wreck for 30 min. would seem to go by pretty quick
thanks guys, i`ll take all the advice i can get, i`m really looking forward to enrolling in a dive course,,my plan is to walleye fish half a day and then do some diving when i get qualified
thanks again

 

[packerbacker]

dobie, you will need to find someone else with the same interests. One of the first terms you will learn is "Dive buddy". Some people I know, dive alone, but I never will. Too much can go wrong. One of my sons and I went to Lake Tahoe to dive one weekend. It's considered a high altitude dive although it's not too terribly high. We were putting on our dive gear when a tv station van pulled up. A couple guys got out of it, one with a camera, like they were going to interview us. One of them asked if we were there to help look for the body. Apparently a diver had drowned in the cove next to the one we were at. We still tried to enjoy our weekend but, it was tough. Knowing that there was a drowned diver somewhere in the lake with us had an unerving effect. Don't know what went wrong but look up terms like "nitrogen narcosis", "high altitude diving" or "the bends" and you can get a clue. Diving is fun but never take risks; things can go wrong quickly. Scuba diving looks like it's all fun and games on tv. Those people are paying attention to a lot of things that can effect them:animals, plants, things they may snagged on, how deep they are, how long they have been down, how much air is left, which way is shore or the boat, is the current going to get them, are they getting tired, do they have enough air to make their decompression stops when acending and where is their buddy. Have fun

 

[ThTx]

Like the others have said, GET TRAINING!

There are three or four major training agancies, PADI, NAUI, SSI, YMCA. The thing is that ALL agencies train to the same standards and generally accept divers for advanced training from other agancies.

You can expect to spend from $200.00 to $400.00 for the class, pool and open water certification. In most instances you will have to supply your own mask, fins, snorkel and booties. This may or may not be covered in the cost of the course. After your certification and several dives logged, you can take an advanced divers course and usually chose from among several specialities. I recommend "deep diving" (this is between 60' and 130'), night/limited visibility diving, computer diving, and nitrox for the first advanced training. This prepares you to dive in a lot of conditions. Being from the north, you would also want to consider a dry-suit speciality. It will be MUCH warmer.

I didn't make my first dive until I was over 50. My only regret is not doing it sooner. If I can be of any service or answer any questions, please PM me.

Hope this helps

 

[bill gent]

I read stuff like this all the time about people who just jump into things with out training even with the proper training there is no guarantee. Please please spare youself and family the horror of something happening to you heed this advice. Theres plenty to do in shallow depths that you can dive with out gear. If your still determined take the proper courses but stay away from anything over 30 feet until you get advanced training and never dive alone ever with a person who has lived that dive not just talked about it.

I'm certified and have gone to depths with some ex seals (dove to the Andrea Dora top mast (past)) but wouldn't even attempt to do it now (a little well alot older LOL!!!) and smarter. Pay no attention to shows they also show people getting shot and recovering in minutes so whats that tell you LOL!!!!! Besides documentary films only show experienced divers who are on mixed gas or have underwater decompression chambers, To show you stuff like that would be boring to film . Work loads greatly increase at each atmosphere . Don't kid yourself its dangerous work .

Bill g

 

[DCMatt]

I echo most of what has been said in the previous posts. I've been diving for over 15 years and been on my share of wrecks. It is exhilarating. It can also be dangerous - especially going deep. Pay attention to the training. Find a dive partner you can trust with your LIFE. Don't be stupid and don't get into the water with STUPID. You'll be fine.

DCMatt
Charter member - "El Pollo del Mar" Diving Club - DC Chapter