Deep Sea Diving... it's got a long way to go to test the SDDS! (long)

[JostheBoss]

With Rolex's enduring love of the deep now as strong as ever, let's take stock of diving as it stands today...

The release of the SDDS got me wondering exactly how far diving had come along. Well, let me say that the SDDS is overkill for today's (and most likely for all mankind's) individual diving achievements, both recreational and commercial. Hope the info helps

The world record for the deepest individual scuba dive was set by a South African man(woo-hoo!!), Nuno Gomez, in mid 2005. He dived to a depth of 318.25m (1044.13ft) in the Red Sea. It took him 20 minutes to reach his target depth and 12 hours to ascend!

Commercial diving is capable of reaching deeper depths due to the use of specialised equipment (suits, gas pipelines, helmets and bells) as well as different gas mixtures. In addition, these divers are extremely adept in this environment and do this for a living. Indeed, some jobs have seen divers work out of a bell at around 600ft, with divers leaving the ball for a short spell at a time. They can stay down there for 30 days!!! And their ascent/decomression takes an additional few days. Talk about cabin fever

I was not able to find exact figures and commercial dive records, but did find the following info...

A diver with a helmet and air supply is limited to 200ft.
A diver with a helmet and mixed gas supply can extend the dive to 300ft
A diver with a bell bounce can go to 600ft
A "full saturation dive" (whatever that means?!) can be conducted at 2000ft

But there is evidence that beyond this depth, divers are at risk of direct tissue damage! So that's where we are, much shallower than the SDDS and still well within the range of the trusty SD

Interestingly, Rolex holds on to its diving heritage for good reason. The deepest place is the Mindanao Deep in the Marianas trench, at 10,850m (35,588ft) deep. This place has only been reached once, by the two intrepid explorers in the Trieste Bathysacphe in the '60s. It has never been visited since!

And we all know which timepiece followed them down for the ride

[Courmayeur1]

Thanks for the information Jos, very interesting.

[Trurolexer]

Originally Posted by Courmayeur1

Thanks for the information Jos, very interesting.

X2!!!

[growla666]

I'm having a new power shower fitted in my bathroom so will need to upgrade from my submariner to the DeepSea just in case, you know, the pressure changes suddenly and I need to have that extra bit of depth safety built in. Do you think I need to use the helium release valve at any time with the new shower??

Let's be honest, unless we all decide to go diving in one of these....


do we really need 3900 metres worth of waterproofed protection...NO! Its just a clever marketing gimmick to help sell SDs with a make over, otherwise why not get the current model!

[padi56]

Yes and totally agree with you,that depth rating on the DS will be IMHO never used by any human now or in future.Fact there have been more men that have gone to the moon ,than have descended to over 300m underwater on scuba.A nice watch yes except for IMO a few cosmetic details, but in reality not needed except for the pure marketing hype.A bit like tourbillions in wrist watches,they make them because they can.But in reality not much good on wrist watches and no more accurate than the normal mechanical watch.More expensive yes but thats about it and some say they look good.And have used my SDs for what they were made for, and lost one in the Red sea. The SD in its present form is more than adequate for any purpose above water and below, past, present, and future.

[ezmoney46]

Originally Posted by padi56

Yes and totally agree with you,that depth rating on the DS will be IMHO never used by any human now or in future.Fact there have been more men that have gone to the moon ,than have descended to over 300m underwater on scuba.A nice watch yes except for IMO a few cosmetic details, but in reality not needed except for the pure marketing hype.A bit like tourbillions in wrist watches,they make them because they can.But in reality not much good on wrist watches and no more accurate than the normal mechanical watch.More expensive yes but thats about it and some say they look good.And have used my SDs for what they were made for, and lost one in the Red sea. The SD in its present form is more than adequate for any purpose above water and below, past, present, and future.

[rob]

your right but Doxa came out with the sub 5000, MTM came with the seal 39,600 ft so Rolex had to do something deeper!

[timackerman]

So my Submariner will probably be suitable for any diving I am planning to do eh!!! LOL

Thanks for the info.

[daveathall]

I cant swim!

But I do take my SD out in the rain, covered by my cuffs and gloves of course, and if it is really pouring down covered with a plastic bag sealed with an elastic band with my hand in my pocket.

[CoopJr]

Originally Posted by daveathall

I cant swim!

....I can't either...but I still have my Subby!

[JohnEaton]

Originally Posted by daveathall

I cant swim!

Originally Posted by CoopJr

....I can't either...but I still have my Subby!

We almost always walk...


Because of the increased drag of water and pulling hundreds of feet of umbilical around, when "walking" or "running" underwater, you are not upright like on land [say 90 degrees], you move practically in a push up position [25 to 40 degrees] you run on your toes, that's why the stainless steel spikes are on the toe of my boots, should you stop suddenly you would go to your knees. I use a car inner tube and cut out a type of chap, it is cheap and easily replaced, keeps a rough bottom from wearing out my several thousand dollar suit and should I have to be upside down prevents the legs of my suit from filling with air, [something you really don't want to happen]

In some suits it is possible for the legs to completely inflate leading to a run away with the diver helplessly rushing to the surface, facing bends or embolism, in extreme cases drowning is possible while your feet and legs extend two feet above the surface of the sea.



PS: Jos, I will be speaking with Marion Spence today

[frostie]

Very nice info Jos thanks for sharing

[pol]

Very nice information Jos!

[TempoKing]

..I can only go 300m horizontaly......LOL

[Subfiend]

"Mindanao Deep in the Marianas trench"

That's the "Challenger Deep".

[JostheBoss]

Originally Posted by Subfiend

"Mindanao Deep in the Marianas trench"

That's the "Challenger Deep".

That's correct. The Mindanao Deep is the second deepest trench in the world. Challenger Deep in the Marianas is the deepest

[frostie]

Originally Posted by TempoKing

..I can only go 300m horizontaly......LOL

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by TempoKing

..I can only go 300m horizontaly......LOL

[Alex Stylianou]

Woah !

[JohnEaton]

Originally Posted by JostheBoss

A diver with a helmet and air supply is limited to 200ft.
A diver with a helmet and mixed gas supply can extend the dive to 300ft
A diver with a bell bounce can go to 600ft
A "full saturation dive" (whatever that means?!) can be conducted at 2000ft


And we all know which timepiece followed them down for the ride

Air becomes toxic due to increased partial pressure of O2 causing Central Nervous System tremors and eventually seizures. Decades ago I was taught not to exceed 2 atmospheres absolute O2, so pure O2 rebreather [old school, no diluent] was limited to 33 feet. A quick air bounce to 300 feet was possible and up to 250 feet for around 45 minutes.



Depending on the mix 2000 feet is possible.



Saturation means all body tissues are "saturated" with the mix [breathing] gas, no further amount of inert gas [usually He2, sometimes very deep a little H2 and a little N2 to calm He2 tremors, the ppO2 is so low at these depths that combustion does not occur] can enter the body tissues.

Normal diving [non-sat] uses tables [such as Buhlmann] and computers utilize a halyidean algorithm of 12 or 14 tissue on gas /off gas times.

When saturated the amount of decompression is fixed at off gas rate of the slowest tissue and such calculations are not necessary.

Sat diving allows much more work to deco time than a normal deco dive and should be used at greater depths.

Hope this helps...

[unclesallie]

Originally Posted by JohnEaton

Air becomes toxic due to increased partial pressure of O2 causing Central Nervous System tremors and eventually seizures. Decades ago I was taught not to exceed 2 atmospheres absolute O2, so pure O2 rebreather [old school, no diluent] was limited to 33 feet. A quick air bounce to 300 feet was possible and up to 250 feet for around 45 minutes.



Depending on the mix 2000 feet is possible.



Saturation means all body tissues are "saturated" with the mix [breathing] gas, no further amount of inert gas [usually He2, sometimes very deep a little H2 and a little N2 to calm He2 tremors, the ppO2 is so low at these depths that combustion does not occur] can enter the body tissues.

Normal diving [non-sat] uses tables [such as Buhlmann] and computers utilize a halyidean algorithm of 12 or 14 tissue on gas /off gas times.

When saturated the amount of decompression is fixed at off gas rate of the slowest tissue and such calculations are not necessary.

Sat diving allows much more work to deco time than a normal deco dive and should be used at greater depths.

Hope this helps...

huh?
best, dan

[JostheBoss]

Originally Posted by unclesallie

huh?
best, dan

I know... I had to read it three or four times too!

[entropydave]

So, essentially ALL Oyster cased Rolexes would do for scuba diving! They are ok to 330feet and that is not allowing for their (almost) certain margin built in....
I still want one though!

[JostheBoss]

Great info John! Thanks..that cleared that up :) I like your avatar! That's a diving helmet there. Are you a commercial diver? I have a few mates who work as commercial divers. They're, umm a special breed they are! Dunno if it's all that gas mixed into them but they're ka-raaayzeeee!!! LOL!

First thing they do (guaranteed) when they reach surface after a dive is get plastered!!! Real work hard, play harder bunch. Very hazardous tho, gives me the creeps. Justifies they insane $$$ they get paid for their work. Apparently they all retire after about 5 years. Too much pressure, and they've made their fortune anyway.

[JohnEaton]

Originally Posted by JostheBoss

Great info John! Thanks..that cleared that up :) I like your avatar! That's a diving helmet there. Are you a commercial diver? I have a few mates who work as commercial divers. They're, umm a special breed they are! Dunno if it's all that gas mixed into them but they're ka-raaayzeeee!!! LOL!

First thing they do (guaranteed) when they reach surface after a dive is get plastered!!! Real work hard, play harder bunch. Very hazardous tho, gives me the creeps. Justifies they insane $$$ they get paid for their work. Apparently they all retire after about 5 years. Too much pressure, and they've made their fortune anyway.

I was a commercial diver for over a decade, I have around 11,000 hours bottom time, I rarely dive anymore as I wish to keep my long bones [google Dysbaric osteonecrosis] a good buddy of mine who owns the dive shop in our county finally had his hips replaced by the Navy, Ron was an old sat diver.

My hat in the avatar is a Dive Systems International HeilOx 18B, in my opinion the best light weight work "hat" in the market [some call it a "cap" and use "hat" only for a full helmet.] If I needed a full hat I like the Kirby SuperLite and when on mix you can use the gas jewel helium reclaim. I've dove most of them Descos, Agas, Aguadynes, Savoys, even Mark Vs.

My HeliOx 18B is rated to 1800 feet.

Thanks for the questions, I loved my time as a Commercial diver, many new places, and many new friends, and yes we played as hard as we worked.

Looking back over my life I'd say that was the most "carefree" period I've ever had, sometimes I miss it so.

[JostheBoss]

Question to John...at 2000ft down, the pressure must be really high! How do you move around, physically? Do you need a special suit? Do you feel "heavy" What's it like? Dark?

[JohnEaton]

Originally Posted by JostheBoss

Question to John...at 2000ft down, the pressure must be really high! How do you move around, physically? Do you need a special suit? Do you feel "heavy" What's it like? Dark?

2000 ft X .445 = 890 psi over ambient or 905 absolute.

I've never been that deep, but I can tell you that regardless of depth I feel no difference in the way I move around, the suit I use is for protection and if the water is cold [like Alaska, or under ice] I would use a Argon pony bottle to fill my suit, it allows me to be less bulky and move faster and of course keeps me warm.

One thing you do notice at depth, over 250 feet the air is "syrupy" and you must breath slow, Helium helps out with this but again will get thick the deeper you go. Helium unscramblers are used on the Comms so you don't sound like Donald Duck, but after a while you get used to sound.

[JostheBoss]

Originally Posted by JohnEaton

Helium unscramblers are used on the Comms so you don't sound like Donald Duck, but after a while you get used to sound.

"What was that John?! Come back..Wonald Wuck?!"

[f16570]

Greta info Jos & John. SO we can conclude here that yet again the Rolex MArketing machine is at full steam.

[JostheBoss]

Nice one John! Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you took a big gulp of Life there. The hazards, both immediate and in the long-run, sound rather significant. Still, we have YOU to thank for many of the conveniences we take for granted in our daily lives...petrol on tap, high speed internet connection, international calling, so many things.

In my work as a doctor we have a Hyperbaric Unit in the hospital I work at. One day things went wrong and the patient developed O2 toxicity in the middle of a session. What a nightmare! He was fitting, thrashing about, injuring himself and pulling his lines out! Lucky we were on hand but just imagine this happening in the deep!!! Thatnks for the info about Dysbaric Osteonecrosis! I'll be sure to look it up...