Any scuba divers on here? How deep have you been ?

[Dave7]

Just reading about the tragedy in the Maldives where 5 divers lost thier lives in a 50 metre cave dive.
I am qualified both BSAC and PADI.
I have done basic cave and wreck diving but was never really comfortable with either, I much preferred open water.
My deepest was 44 metres in the Med, a place called the Midas islands and it was amazing.......just down there for 10 minutes.
I always preferred eg 20 metres for 35 minutes.

 

[presta]

I've been to the bottom of the deep end of the swimming pool (with and without scuba gear). I had to give up ambitions to join the local club though, when I read the bit on the application form where a doctor has certify that you don't have anxiety.

 

[FrankCrank]

My deepest around the same as yours. Have done some amazing cave dives in Phi Phi islands, Thailand. We stayed overnight on the island used for the movie 'The Beach', but a few years before they made it, so had yet to be ruined by mass tourism.

I draw the line at the narrow pot holing type cave dives - that gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it. Saw a documentary a few years back with Steve Backshall doing some serious and scary cave dives, he went up in my estimation after doing that

 

[gbb]

Never dived although the idea seemed attractive as I used to be BA trained for rescue etc... so was always quite comfortable in the gear
I did watch free divers in Egypt once, sitting on the floor.what seemed maybe 30 ft down. I assumed as I watched from the surface (snorkelling)...they were kitted up..but was shocked how after what seemed.like an eternity, they pushed off and came up...no scuba gear on

 

[Binky]

58metres in Malta

I regularly dived to 50 metres in UK on wrecks

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I did go once - a sort of "intro to scuba" thing on holiday

It was amazing but scary
I wasn;t worried but we went down in pairs with an instructor holding our hands
the other bloke had some problems and the instructor decided to leave me on the bottom - dunno how deep but I would think about 15-20m
and take him to the surface to sort his equipment out

I loved just standing there looking around
but did feel it was sort of dodgy as I have never dived before and they knew very little about me

They were rather annoyed with me when I finished as I have used well over half the tank which meant they couldn;t use it for someone else - but that was probably because I was down for quite a bit longer than normal !!!

It was great but I don't reckon I will do it again

 

[Dave7]

58metres in Malta

I regularly dived to 50 metres in UK on wrecks

I had a great 2 weeks diving off Malta. The vision was amazing.

 

[FrankCrank]

Only just read the story on the BBC. One body found at 60m, the others thought to be in the same cave. I think these depths are known as technical dives, using a special trimix of gases as I recall, so not your usual recreation dive. Sad news.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Probably about 10-15m in Zanzibar and Australia. I am not a scuba diver, just dives whilst on holiday / travelling.

 

[Binky]

View attachment 808338

Pretty meaningless though as that is what the different organisations say is their limit.

Divers won't necessarily adhere to that chart. Bit like speed limits and drivers. Everyone knows what they should stick to but in reality it might be different.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Pretty meaningless though as that is what the different organisations say is their limit.

Divers won't necessarily adhere to that chart. Bit like speed limits and drivers. Everyone knows what they should stick to but in reality it might be different.

They are there to protect you.

 

[Binky]

They are there to protect you.

Training, ability and experience protects me not a chart. Also seeing as PADI says 40m for recreational but BSAC says 50m then that's a big difference at that depth and believe me I know having done 100s of dives at those depths.

 

[Dave7]

Training, ability and experience protects me not a chart. Also seeing as PADI says 40m for recreational but BSAC says 50m then that's a big difference at that depth and believe me I know having done 100s of dives at those depths.

From memory does BSAC not say 30 metres ?

 

[Binky]

From memory does BSAC not say 30 metres ?

I'd have to check my manuals etc but I'm currently in Mallorca so unable. It will depend on classification of whether 3rd 2rd or 1st class diver for BSAC.
It's also a very long time since I qualified 😂
However, as with lots of things in life someone might qualify for something officially but in reality be incapable to safely go to the stated limit. Diving a specific example of this as some otherwise very fit and capable people I've seen go to pieces at thought of a low viz dive or even perfect conditions but they have been particularly prone to nitrogen narcosis so whilst they may have qualified to dive to a certain depth they realised it was unwise for them to do so.