30m - deep?

[MarkP]

30m was alluded to in Howard's thread, initially as a "shallow" depth.

I think everybody, inculding techies, needs to take a moment to reflect on how deep 30m actually is. It's 100 feet in the old money and used to be regarded as a fairly hardcore depth.

Modern equipment has made 30m easily attainable, but the physics hasn't changed. 30m is still a long way from the surface when things go wrong. Stress induced raised SAC will still empty a tank 'king quickly - couple this with shallow breathing elevating blood CO2 levels and you have a recipe for disaster.

I do wonder at the casual way 30m is tossed about, almost as a base level for diving. It may seem that it isn't deep when you're part way through your stops, but it's still a long way to the surface and the pressure is still 4 bar.

Enjoy depth if that's what floats your boat, but remember just how potentially lethal a "shallow" dive can be.

[Buoyant Babe]

This is what 30m looks like. That's me at the bottom. I think it's deep.

30Metres.jpg

[SoggyFox]

I can't breath water, so anything where i can't stand up is potentially life threatening. Deep starts the moment you leave the surface, its not 3m 30m or 300m.

pass out with your face in a puddle and you can drown.

[Mal Bridgeman]

Originally Posted by MarkP

30m was alluded to in Howard's thread, initially as a "shallow" depth.

I read it differently.....we all have a depth which is well within our comfort zone......and depths where we start taking *extra* care. Although all counsel to not be complacent in any of our dives is spot on, one can be comfortable in a depth which can still hurt you a lot.

Mal

[wilbo]

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

This is what 30m looks like. That's me at the bottom. I think it's deep.

Jesus BB - be careful of those snag points and the viz was cracking that day..


I agree with Mark - it is deep - for the vast majority of recreational divers its on the maximum edge of their cert.

Any dive should be treated with respect - but to be honest I don't think thats how Howard meant for it to come across. I think he meant exactly what you said Mark - that 30 metres is more attainable by more people nowadays and could easily be treated as an easy dive. when it shouldn't be.

[RogerViking]

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

This is what 30m looks like. That's me at the bottom. I think it's deep.

Attachment 5310

ah but your only a half pint anyway hunny

[Paul Evans]

You can drown in 1m of water, let alone 30m

Everytime you get in you should be aware of it.

[David G]

Originally Posted by Paul Evans

You can drown in 1m of water, let alone 30m

Everytime you get in you should be aware of it.

Even less than 1m, you can drown in a sinkfull.

Someone once said to me something like:

"You run the risk of drowning when you immerse yourself in any volume of water that you can not drink in total whilst holding your breath"

Found that quite a good thought meself

David.

[Mark Chase]

So what do you consider a shallow dive?

Is a 15m dive a shallow dive?

I bet most divers with a couple of years experience consider 15m a shallow dive but when I told them this at Whips Cross i was informed that in Hyperbaric terms anything past 6m is considered a deep dive.

Divers with a great deal of experience with deep diving will have a totaly different perspective. A shallow dive for me is anything less than 40m, a simple dive only involves one deco stage or just back gas deco.
Ill do warm up dives in the 40m zone if i haven't been able to dive for a while and keep below 30mins deco.

I did my first try out dive on the KISS on a 45m wreck I considered an easy dive.

There is no point telling us off for this, its just the comfort zone we have built up over the years. Its not big or clever its just the way things go. With experience at any depth you will soon find the "comfort zone" is 10 or so M less than the depth at which you regularly dive.

ATB

Mark

[warmwaterdiver]

some people seem to have there head well up there own arse, but its never 30m in