How Deep On Air?

[ianr33]

Always a good topic for discussion! How deep will you dive on air?

In perfect ,Caribbean type conditions I will do 150. Lake Travis around 130. In a cave,anything deeper than 100(ish) is probably going to be on trimix.

[DivingsInMyBlood]

isnt 150 the limit for air?

[ianr33]

Originally Posted by DivingsInMyBlood

isnt 150 the limit for air?

Well,that depends who you talk to. Some would say the limit on air is 100.

PO2 of oyxgen is not a problem until around 200 feet. Significant narcosis kicks in well before that. 150 is my certification limit for air.

And for what it is worth I rarely go below 100 feet on a single tank

[rainmaker]

This is from my SDI "Training Manual For Scuba Diving", page 27:

"At depths below 200 ft., (60 metres), the oxygen in compressed air can become toxic."

My max depth so far is 133 feet. I might hit 135 - 140 if/when I dive the Oriskany, but doubt I'll ever go deeper than that.

[plot]

I've done around 130 in a rock qaury, 107 in a lake. Don't think I'd go much deeper than that.

In the ocean I'd probably do 150ish if I thought I had enough air on me.

Buddy of mine did 180 feet on a single tank (100cu) of air in mexico with no problems. (Not that I'd recommend it...)

[coyote]

Around 100’s the limit for me. A quarry looks the same at 100’ as it does 150’ – cold, dark and lots of rocks…

I wouldn’t know personally, but the math says somewhere around 200 you’re asking for serious trouble using air. After that it’s no longer a matter of “if”, but a matter of “when”.
That’s what the math says anyway.

[BSea]

100' is my limit on air. I rarely go below 60 on air because nitrox is just safer, and is what I normally dive anyway. If I plan on a shallow dive, then I'll generally use air. It just depends on what tanks I have available.

[mwhities]

The deepest I've ever been was 96 fsw. I did that this weekend out in the Gulf of Mexico. I may venture down to 100' or 120' but, not further. I might hit 130' or so on the right blend of EANx.

I believe 212ff/sw is where air (20.9% O2) starts becoming toxic. Although some people have been to 400+ on air. Why? Stupid? How? It has a lot to do with how much exertion they put out. If you are task loading and kicking into a current and just not in the best shape, O2 toxicity will hit you soon and hard. If you are leisurely diving with no kicking and just allowing your weight to pull you down to 400', you can do it on air... I'd just recommend getting your (__Y__) back up and QUICK.

NOTICE: I recommend truly that NO ONE listens to what I type and try it. You would be an idiot much like the couple guys I talked with. (Of course, they came back up with a few 200lbs+ Amber Jacks). They know they were stupid and taking a risk for something that means little to their life. (They said the AJ was good eating.).

Michael

[finflippers]

130' is my limit

21% Oxygen (air) maximum Operating Depth
1.3 PPO = 171'
1.4 PPO = 187'
1.5 PPO = 202'
1.6 PPO = 218'

[cummings66]

My limit is based somewhat on how narc'd I get. There are days I could dive to 130 feet and still be thinking straight, I think, and days when I know I'm messed up.