Have you ever deliberately dived beyond your certification?

[Fathoms Down]

Seeing the thread about diving beyong you certification made me wonder, do people still do that? With the number of diving incidernts generally on the decline over recent years, the availability of high quality, low cost training and an increase in divers perception of risk are people still pushing the boundries?

So, have you ever dived deliberately beyong your certification? I'm not after a witch hunt and I've set the poll to anonymous but it would be interesting to know.

[tom]

My very first dive after OW training was beyond my certification. We just followed the dive guide.

Now that I know a little bit more, I dive very conservatively nowadays. I'm apparently certified for 50m on air - not doing it though!

[Gavin Smith]

Yes and I'll cough up to it.

Officially I'm only PADI OW so qualified to 18m (now doing Sport Diver) but I've regularly dived to 20-25m.

OK so that's probably not what you had in mind but it is honest!

[Moray]

Indeed I have, but time is making me more conservative. It is much better to be concious of what we do NOT know, rather than get fixed on what we think we know...

[Bantam]

Originally Posted by Gavin Smith

Officially I'm only PADI OW so qualified to 18m (now doing Sport Diver) but I've regularly dived to 20-25m.

I think there's a few people who would own up to that one.

I voted 'yes' because I did a few Deco dives before I certified as BSAC Sports (15 years ago!) and a few dives before I certified as Novice/ Novice II (16 years ago). Does that count?

Also, I suppose Solo Diving is diving beyond your certification in some respects.

However, I've never done something like Nitrox dive without a nitrox ticket, for example.

However I did do 66m on air once (single 15l with a pony). Just for the craic and it was as close to a 'bounce' dive as I'll ever get. Never again, though.

And like the others, I'm also getting a 'comfort' diver in my old age. My gear has to be warm, redundant, and I want to enjoy every dive I do. That way I remember more, I'm not flustered, and it's more fun!

Mark.

[tom]

Originally Posted by Moray

It is much better to be concious of what we do NOT know, rather than get fixed on what we think we know...

Yep - takes a while to discover how much you don't know though!

[Moray]

Originally Posted by tom

Yep - takes a while to discover how much you don't know though!

Yes, and on any subject! It is quite frightening really. The only sure thing is to be aware that what we do not know ALWAYS exceeds what we know...because we don't even know what we don't know, if that makes any sense...

[Fathoms Down]

Originally Posted by tom

My very first dive after OW training was beyond my certification. We just followed the dive guide.

I did the same but I wouldn't class that as deliberate. I followed the guide and then noticed my depth on my computer before returning to 18m. Oddly enough, now that I'm an instructor, I'm very mindful of new divers and them following me below their permitted depth!

[Bantam]

Originally Posted by tom

Yep - takes a while to discover how much you don't know though!

I can't give you a green for that pearl of wisdom as I need to spread it around a bit, but that's definitely a "Dr Tom's Quote of the Day"

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by Fathoms Down

So, have you ever dived deliberately beyong your certification? I'm not after a witch hunt and I've set the poll to anonymous but it would be interesting to know.

I used to.
I did deeper (44m) when RD, this was UK not some wimpy warm water, high vis site.
Deco on PADI qualifications.
Nitrox and then, when qualified, richer mixes than on the ticket.
Trimix before the normoxic course and a hypoxic mix before full trimix.
I'm also diving an oxygen rebreather I have no training for what so ever.

And yet none of this was bravado but rather putting plans in to be able to go and see the things I wanted to see. I think I am a very cowardly person. So much of this was to reduce the dangers of my personal limitations.

I don't think limits will be streched again. My current qualifications permit things that scare the living daylights out of me.

nigelH