What's your preferred Depth Range ?

[ponybottle]

Well Folks

It's obvious we've got a broad range of divers on the site, from novices with waterwings to crusty ol' barnacles who only turn on their gass when they've passed 30 mtrs.

So what is the member profile for preferred depth of dive ( assuming you can get it ).

Do you aim for ???

[ratcliffe]

I'm happy in 2 metres of water

I'll dive anything down to about 20 metres and be pretty comfortable, after that I have to think about it, unless I am on holiday where because things get clearer, I am more comfortable down to about 30 metres.

As long as there is something to look at, I don't mind what depth, although personally I don't tend to go much beyond 30.

[Mark Chase]

As a new diver depth is a challenge in its self. Many years were spent pushing my self on pure depth. 30m,40m 50m etc. I booked on a dive once not because it was a famous dive but purely to do a 70m deep wreck.
Then my buddy and I did a 100m dive in the Blue Hole, just to crack the 100 No other reasion was required.

You get past this stage but it shouldn't be ridiculed. We had a great time and the deep dives at each stage of progresion were very exciting.

These days please god give me intact untouched wrecks and great viz in 20m and that would be my preferred depth. Two hours on the bottom. Virtually no deco, perfect.

At the other end of the scale my preferred max in water time is three hours. I also do not like dives where we get less than 45mins on the wreck. QED my preferred max depth is 70m.

Past 70m and up to something reasonable like 120-130m, its not the depth that worries you as much as the deco. IE how long will the deco need to be and will such experimental deco work for you today or will you end up seriously injured.




ATB


Mark

[TerryH]

Depth Range?

I dive because something is there. Apart from training, i've never dived to
hit a mark or depth, it is after all just a number.

Thing is that I like it simple and clean. So while I can do what's required,
a dive that requires a stage is to me a pain. Dont like not having spare
gas and while i'll dive with a pony it's a bit lame as redundancy goes.
So the best for me would be a twinset with a common 32%. That
put's me in 35m territory and enough gas to do some decent bottom time
and maybe 15 mins max of deco.

So my "best" depth is about 35m, because that suits no-faff easy diving
and not having to worry about pee-valves

Besides my favorite wreck is a few short miles from where I am now,
sitting in 35m.

[purple vonny]

I prefer shallow diving. And more so as I get older.

My preferred range in the UK is 35 metres or less. I know the good stuff is below that but I have no desire to dive deeper than that in the UK and I am really happy and comfortable within my personal limits.

The reasons I don't want to go deeper are:

I get cold, no matter how much stuff I wear
I get narked
I get bored on deco stops
I have a small bladder
I can't walk accross the boat with heavy kit
I can't afford mixed gas or a rebreather
I like ambient light for photos
I know my psychological limits

I'll go to 40m abroad when:

The ambient light is better
It's warmer
I can pee in my suit
There's stuff swimming about to watch on stops
(but I don't stay long because I get narked)

I'm puzzled about those who do depth for depth's sake but I can understand the excitement of finding better sites/wrecks and enjoy reading about them!

[Garf]

I go to where the wreck is, as long as that wreck is in my comfort zone.

After a while, depth is just numbers. 60 metres feels no different than 30 assuming you are on a gas that keeps the END similar! I was at 60 metres on Sunday, but as Mark says, you are more aware of the deco than the depth, especially in terms of how bloody fast it is racking up, as well as the fact that the deeper you go, the less empirical evidence there is for the reliability of whatever deco model you are using. I wouldn't even bother planning a dive past 70 metres, as the bottom time and associated logistics just become ludicrous on open circuit. So I guess I'd call my limit about 65 metres. For me to plan plan dives at this depth, however, it needs to be a wreck I really want to do, everyone needs to be onboard about it, and the conditions need to be spot on. We do far more dives in the 45-55 range, although tbh this year ive been blown out of almost every bloody one!

My favourite range is 25-33 metres, where I just love the combination of 32% and 100%. You can do an hour on the bottom with just a few minutes deco, and there are loads of wrecks in this range. Lovely.

[swissdave]

For me 40m even though i'm qualified for 50m, i like to do a dive where deco is not mandatory but still enjoy the wreck, or if deco is required then its only a small amount and i can last without wetting me self

[ray]

Hi.
As shallow as possible , but there again I am a groveler not a hoverer, thats why my dry suit is the colour of whatever I am diving.

[SoggyFox]

i guess the comfort lies at less than 30m but the challenge is anything more. I enjoy the challenge of a deeper dive and hope to progress that slowly over the coming years but at the same time its so nice to dive in relative safety and comfort zone.

[davidcarson]

When we were diving in Malin Head there was good reason to train for deeper diving (40 - 60M range) as there are lots of wrecks. Here in Tenerife, unless teaching courses, I am happy to be in 30m range or less.