Ping: Deep Diver

Maybe a name a girlfriend gave him? ;-)

John

Hi SteveB,

Unfortunately, I have not yet "dived" into the realm of Trimix, HeO2, Surface Decompression On Oxygen, or other exotic breathing gases or decompression techniques. Although I'd like to learn some of those skills one day.

I got the nickname from an instructor when I was getting my Divemaster certification many years ago (I've since earned my Instructor rating). He wanted to teach me the effects of nitrogen narcosis, but could never observe any symptoms in me, even past the "recreational limit".

Of course, JohnM's reasoning holds some merit too... :P

- Michael

I had high adventure from 1974 to 1980 in the Gulf of Mexico. Mixed gas, surface decompression in a chamber, underwater welding and cutting, setting explosives, building things, pipelining, and all sorts of things.

I started diving in 1969. Since I quit in 1980, I haven't had a scuba tank on since. I would like to do some shallow water diving, maybe in Central America this summer. You do so much, that it gets to be like work. Cold water. Bad weather. Danger.

It was a real adventure, and I am glad I followed my heart and did it. All diving is a kick, no matter the depth.

Once you got your head underwater, it's all the same, anyway. And diving where you can see is a pure D joy. A lot of ours was in muddy water with the feel technique.

As per nitrogen narcosis, it hits everyone different. Just like booze or drugs. The trick is to know when it has hit you, and to recognize when it's coming on. Some people can still stay focused though impaired. To learn our limits on CO2 buildup, we had to ride a stationary bicycle at the bottom of a pool of water until we passed out. That was fun. To learn our narcosis level, we just had to go into a chamber.

Take care.

Steve

I can see how the difficult work aspect of commercial diving can take some of the joy out of being underwater. Did you ever do much recreational diving?

I hope you get back into the sport of it. Particularly in a plaec where the water is clear and warm and filled with amazing things to see.

True. We all have to work for a living. Might as well do something adventurous, right? Something about only living once...

Yes, I know. And it even hits the same person differently on different days or under different conditions. I didn't intend to sound flipant about my experiences below that magic depth of 130', it's just that on those dives with that instructor where we happened to go deep, I didn't narc out. Of course, that's not to say that if I were to go deep the next time I dive, that I would still be resistant to the effects. One should never become complacent.

Sounds like some of the fun aeromedical testing and training I did when in the Navy.

You too. If you go diving this summer, have a safe and fun time!

Regards, Michael

I know a guy who's a commercial diver & welder. He's been at it for ten or fifteen years, and he's good at it: he's one of about a dozen people on the planet certified to weld the pressure hulls of nuclear subs while they're still in the briny.

He's the Manly Man type, but he says the work is just plain Godawful hard (plus there are lots of ways to die while doing it). To him, diving is about as exciting as laying bricks. But he's very, very well paid, works when he feels like it and doesn't when he doesn't. He has lived and worked all over the world -- name the place, he's had a job there. He knows the nightlife, the daylife, and the wildlife of places I can't even pronounce. Speaks enough fragments of enough languages to get around most any seaport in the world. Has lots of stories to tell, and if they're mostly lies, who cares? Now he's in his mid-thirties, lives on his very large property in the Philippines, works a couple of months each year, and owns a few businesses. Nice.

Me? Thank you, no. I really like my unexceptional life.

Pete

"DeepDiver" wrote .

Thanks. I had ten years of heart problems ending with a five way bypass and aortic valve replacement June 20, 2002. If I go diving, it will be on a limited basis in protected water where I can just putz around and look at things in shallow water. I get the urge now and again, just haven't done it. Might even rent one of those minisub things.

Steve

That's an amazing assertion. A "wet" weld can only have 80% strength and

50% ductility becaues of the quenching action of the water. There are only a couple of rods that will work underwater. How is it that a weak brittle weld would be allowed in a pressure hull weld? I don't believe I've ever heard of that cert.

It is just the elevator that takes you to work. You have to know what to do when you get there. It is far easier to teach a welder how to dive than a diver how to weld. You can teach a monkey how to dive. Diving is a blast when you can see. It's just that most of the time, you can't see anything. How does one weld when they can't see the weld?

But he's very, very

That's odd. When I worked, if you "didn't feel like working" when a company called you, they just didn't call you again. 80% of life is showing up, and when you won't show up, they will use a more reliable if less able worker. "Not feeling like it" was not a valid reason. There were no valid reasons unless you were injured. And you stayed until the job was done, even if that was six months working 12 hours a day.

Burnout is high. Most divers don't last five years due to burnout or injury(ies). Your friend, at fifteen years is either very lucky, or very talented, or very burned.

Repetitive decompression wreaks havoc on the body tissues. Please refer to dysbaric avascular necrosis in google. You just can't do it for long periods of time. Well, you can, but some people just have a higher pain threshold. It damages you for the rest of your life.

I have a friend that lives in ******** City, Kansas, named Tony. He retired after about five years with Taylor/Brown and Root and 900' of water in the North Sea. He went back home and bought most of his little home town. Most divers are a pirate mentality, and end up with little or nothing. If you read this, Tony, the welder, get back to me.

Steve, Ocean Corporation Class of Nov. 1974 Gulf of Mexico, 1974-1980

HOLY CRAP. THAT'S 31 YEARS AGO!

I wouldn't do that Steve. Even 'putzing' around entails lots of stress on the old bod. I have seen folks washed out of diving for lots less problems than you have. I would suggest just snorkling but I know (from bitter experience) that once you have tasted the freedom and the rush from that tank on your back you can never settle for that. Ken (certified since 1974)

Yeah, as I say, if I do any diving, it will be shallow water look around stuff. Besides, the best lighting and visibility is in shallow water, as well as plants and animals to view. Shoot, snorkeling in shallow water where there is a lot of stuff is a kick.

Ahhhhhhh. The rush of having a tank on your back. As a child, I had two recurring dreams. One was that I could fly, and the other was that I could breathe underwater. When I took my first breath on a regulator, it was just like that dream. Hesitancy to inhale, waiting for the rush of water, inhaling, and then there air and no water. Then the rush of "HEY!, this is cool." From then on, I was bitten. Of all my years of diving, and all my experiences, that one moment is the one I remember the most.

Steve

The dual dreams - flying and breathing underwater are *both* realized with SCUBA! Ya know.........

Ken.

Oh well now, this is fun. You're eager to start a dicksize war and I'm paralyzed by not caring very much.

The guy wasn't invited to address my welding class because he drove a forklift, but because he was a very successful welder and diver. You may want to know about the inspection procedures on nulear subs, but I don't. I don't care what kind of rod they use welding submarine oil pipelines, or bridges, or tanks, or tunnels, or the fillings in whales' teeth. Not interested.

If you want to learn how such stuff is done, sorry, dude, you'll have to ask someone else. Maybe read a nice book.

But you might want to make less noise about it. You sound like a framer who doesn't believe cabinetmakers exist.

Whatever. We can always go back to stories about "your friend."

I prefer only to talk about what I have actually done.

Steve

Good idea, Steve, give that a try. It's probably your best bet.

Yes, versus what my imaginary friend has done.

Steve