T&T: Diving; WAS Paper charts or electronic aides

[Ricky L Carroll]

Hehehe....sounds like how I started out. Spearfishing with "ridin' rigs" on
the Louisiana platforms, diving in jeans to protect us from the wild rides
through the pilings hauling a big fish. Caving diving with colored clothespins
Sigh. Those were the days....we're lucky we ain't dead.
 
I even tried the
first analog dive computer, the now-infamous Benzomatic (Bends-Automatic, more
like it), diving with it "on the edge of red" for days, shooting fish off Palm
Beach.  It still sits on my shelf with a 1960's vintage  Voit.
 
Sharks? Never
had much trouble with them. Rarely saw one in my first 20yrs of diving. Now we
seek them out, heading off to the Flower Gardens in winter to see them school.
Hammerheads, silkies, you name 'em. Saw a Tiger two years ago. WAY big, came
within a couple of feet, but no bump. Jumped on a hammerhead off the boat by
accident 5-years ago. Scared him more than me. Somewhere on an old slide, I
have a 15mm upward silhouette shot of about 20 in one frame alone. Great
place, the Gardens.

 
However, after spending good money to go 110 miles
offshore for three or four days, 4 dives or more a day, there is no way we can
dive on the US Navy tables any more.....except, as you say, for one or two
dives or when the computers fail. One good dive and maybe another couple of
short ones is all you'll get on a trip to the Flower Gardens using
single-depth tables. These days, it's multi-level dive calculations and mixed
gas (enriched air) just to keep us old guys from getting bent up and to get us
the most bang for the buck.
 
It actually has made the sport safer in many
ways, maybe to compensate for the sorry state of training. While I agree,
diving and sailing and boating and flying have all become a bit too gizmo
dependent, I can also say these gizmos, when used with knowledge and true
understanding, make us all safer.
 
Ricky


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