Wreckies

[Mark]

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Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Duiker @ June 12 2003,11:19)]What is the best route for a &quot;stroke&quot; to become adequately qualified to dive deeper, longer and on wrecks?

That really depends on whether you just want to become a deep wreck diving &quot;stroke&quot; or if you mean that you currently think of yourself as a &quot;stroke&quot; but would like not to be and want the best training available for the dives you want to do. Which is it??

Regards

Mark.

[Andy Phillips]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I was so carefull, I even mentioned Hogarthian configurations to head of the you've got to be DIR bit.

IT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andrew

[Mark]

<font color='#0000FF'>He mentioned the &quot;S&quot; word first   I only want to clarify what he meant by the quoted statement.  

Regards,

Mark.

PS.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ] IT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never said it was.

[Duiker]

Interesting you mention the BSAC clubs as I went along once to see if I liked the people etc. (just one club mentioned is active in any way, the Ranstad Harings)
To be honest I think I might have gone on a bad night as it was a bit of a disaster. They are a little far from me too (40 miles in heavy Friday night traffic).

As for the &quot;S&quot; word I guess I'm just using what TDave said:
[/quote]My personal opinion is that, in its most basic form, what Irvine was trying to get at is that a STROKE is someone who is not prepared (in your opinion) for the dive they are about to undertake with you. In an exagerated example, it could be likened to someone with no technical or overhead experience wanting to undertake a dive with someone who is.

Guess that description might include me if I were not trying to do something about it.

[Dr Stevil]

<font color='#0000FF'>Actually, my BSAC club is over 100 miles from me (they're in Bridlington , I'm on Tyneside) but as diving inherently involves long travel if i want to dive with them it's not tht much of a problem. Plus if I wanted to do one of the Skill Development courses, such as that &nbsp;ADT course I mentioned, I don't need to do it with the club as these things are run by the Regional Team, don't know if they have such a thing abroad though.

Should be no problem to find a TDI course over there though.
Chee-az
Steve

TDI Netherlands
Abdis Clementinastraat 2
NL-6041 VC Roermond
Netherlands Contact: Roel Nizet
PH: 0031 475 420 276
FX: 0031 475 420 277

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Steve W @ June 13 2003,11:44)]

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Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Some divers (I believe Mark Chase is one) limit theirselves to 45M for air and prefer to use normoxic trimix for +45m. Personally, I see myself going that way for +45m dives in this country, even though my BSAC limit is 50m on air, I just don't want to be narked at that depth.

40m in the UK, but thats close enough for jaz M8

Even then it depends on the dive. If I am planing a long deco or wreck penitration, etc. I will dive He in the mix below 35 to keep my head crystal clear.

If you are not advanced Nitrox then you will need that before Deco Procedures and you can do TDI .Entry Level Trimix]. That will qualifie you to 18% 02 max depth 60m. You can then upgrade later if sub 70m beckons

If you want to do Full trimix streight away you have to do extended range first which is costly.

From what you described you are an experianced up to 40m diver with single and pony. I sugest upgrading to twin's and geting your pony 02 cleen.

I started doing reg swaps to pony / stage on no deco dives and just simulating the deco then I mooved up to doing proper accelorated deco dives in the 30 -40m range using a rich mix of say 60% in the pony and planing no longer than a 15min hang with only 10m on the rich mix at 6m. This wil get you used to holding long shalow stops and breathing off of a stage. Dives should be planned with bail out deco on back gass as a definate option as a 3ltr is too small to carry significant redundent deco mix.

Keeping to a 50 -60 percent deco mix is going to alow a balance with back gas. A 10min plan on 80 or 100 % would be demanding a 30min reserve of back gas.

This will get you into run times, gas planning, and the use of deco tables.

Down load one of the free gas planing softwhere pacs and you can get into proper planning with run times and bail out plans etc.

Once you get past this stage in your development you will find that you require a 7ltr stage. At this point the BCD is a bit stressed in the lift department and your running out of D rings for that extra kit so a wing is a good move.

Personaly I went for full famalierisation with wing, twins and slung stages before the Deco Procedures course which made the course a bit redundent in the end, but I had a lot of help from my deep mentor. You can do deco procedures on a single and no sling, but whats the point?

As for wings I would look at CD, OMS and Halcion this is bassed on the fact I own a CD and all the people I know with the OMS and Halcion love them. See the thread on wings for comments on the CD rig.

For a first sub 40 dive I would reccomend a wreck that is depth flexable and will alow you to hit the bottom and spend 10 mins down there than come up to a more comfortable level for the rest of the dive. So a wreck that is 5+m prowd of the silt is a good idea.

I did the Moldavia which was 50 to the gravel 10+ m viz on most dives (Up to 30m on occasion) and allowed an interesting dive at 45m. Go for a nice big comfortable boat to kit up on preferably with a lift and a clam and experianced buddy. Planning and preporation is everything.


I have twin 12's
Custom Divers 50lb lift single bladder wing and SS plate
Two 7ltr stages
Apex regs TX50 main and rich deco TX40 back up and Alpher 7 travel gas ALL DIN. Long hose on the main reg. Omny swivel on the rich deco reg for comfort on long hangs.


I am not an expert by any meens but I started recently enough to remember a few problems and pit falls so any thing you want to ask please do.


Atb

Mark Chase

[peter k]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Mark Chase @ June 14 2003,09:26)]Go for a nice big comfortable boat to kit up on preferably with a lift and a clam and experianced buddy. Planning and preporation is everything.

Hi Mark,
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;What's a clam?

Peter

[Duiker]

Thanks guys, I'll check out the TDI course. Thanks for the details!

[Rob Evans]

Anything I can do to help as well mate - just wondering why you're so concerned about what's hanging off your bike - care to enlighten us?

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (peter k @ June 14 2003,17:07)]

Hi Mark,
           What's a clam?

Peter

<font color='#000F22'>Whops that would be a typo for Calm