Beiträge von neil richardson

  • Eure Geschichte: Wie seit ihr zum Tauchen gekommen?

    At Uni, friend told me to give it a go, i did, didnt like it so stopped soon after.


    Many years later, hot babe of a girl, walks up beach in Belize with scuba gear,,, i was a tad upset that i couldnt "hang out" with her going diving, and her stories of the diving she did off central America, rekindled my interest in SCUBA...


    The rest they say is history :-)


    What keeps me going however, is NOT the politics in this sport, but the people i meet, and the people i teach.... it is their enthusiasm that keeps me into this sport.

  • tekcamp - uk

    Zitat

    Die Tatsache das man sich hier praktisch weiterbilden konnte ohne an einem speziellen Kurs teilzunehmen ist sicher einzigartig.
    Außerdem hat man anhand der verschiedenen Agencys und Ausbildern (GUE,IANTD, TDI ) mitbekommen das es mehrere Wege zum Ziel gibt und auch jeder Ausbilder eine unterschiedliche Herangehensweise zum Schüler hat.


    Got to agree with that.... the more i dive the more i realise that there is NO standard, there can never be one standard, and there will always be differences of opinion.


    The classics being:
    Is O2 narcotic?
    Should we REALLY use 100% 02 on decompression knowing the risks?
    What is considered good labelling on stage tanks, as is too little to dangerous?
    and
    Drysuit or wing for bouyancy control?


    got LOADS more :-) but these ones always come up, and always interesting to hear the debates between people :-)

  • Whites Trocki

    Have you seen the Whites star trek ones???


    http://www.roddenberry.com/rod…n-sport-drysuit-skin.html


    Anyhow, i know a few people who dive them, and they're split into two camps, those who love them and those who wished they's spent the money on another dry suit.


    Getting them on an off isnt a problem, and people seem to like the "snug" ness of them.


    HOWEVER, people do complain about the undersuit gathering (do not know if that translates well in German) and that the pockets are far from the best in the world.


    All in all, the general recomendation are that they are great for recreational ie sub 40m, 1 sling tank diving, but not so good for advanced recreational or more serious diving, ie in a cave, wreck diving, etc etc...


    On a side, if you're looking for a GOOD drysuit for a good price, then the cheapest on the market is seaskin:


    http://www.seaskin.co.uk/


    However, bang for buck the best quality at an affordable price is Otter:


    http://www.otterdry.de/index.php?mitte=einsatz


    http://drysuits.co.uk/ (the german website does not show the new models ;-) )


    You should be able to get a top of the range drysuit for about 800e and the build quality makes DUI's look like trebants, as the attention to detail is just awesome.


    However, if you choose compressed Neoprene, then look at


    http://www.othree.co.uk/ if you want a custom suiit


    or even


    http://www.waterproof.eu/pages/prod_drysuits.html


    I rate Waterproof VERY highly, the detailing is just there, and all their suits are works of art.


    N

  • Deutsche Wracks im Kanal v. England

    As far i was lead to believe, its up to the country of ownership to decide if a wreck is a grave site or not.


    For instance, in Australia, there is a japanese submarine, which the Japanese Government declared to be a gravesite. Therefore, the Australian rules of protection for a grave site apply, hence, you cannot dive inside of it.


    Neil

  • SMB Aufbewahrung mit Spool

    Zitat

    Original von upev


    Since you are a member of the Fördeschlosser, I would like to meet and watch you.. how a SMB will be deployed in 20 sec. I have to admitt .. I need longer as 30 sec...
    Gruss


    Wenn mein tauchen gear kommt :-)


    Mein line is 40m lange, und wenn wie trimix tauch, mit ein erste halte nach 35m, mit 3 uder 4 oder 5 tauchenman, denn 3 oder 4 mal 1 minuten ist sehr lange....


    Die DSMB is bereift fum 40, und den aufgeblassen fum 35+. Die Aufgeblassed ist sehr shnell fum viele ubung ;-)

  • SMB Aufbewahrung mit Spool

    Yellow = Please investigate - NOT an Emergency DSMB, as i'll sometimes attach a slate to my yellow DSMB, and send it up my RED DSMB line, with a note on saying something like:


    Running low on 50% or 100%


    or


    Can someone bring down something for me to drink?


    or


    My iriver battery is running low and im getting bored ;-)


    My Yellow is stored on my left, bungeed, and bolt snapped to my back plate.


    Note: i hate carrying my DSMB in my pockets as well, as my pockets tend to get a tad full with things like:


    Spare mask
    Line cutter
    Back up run time slates & wet notes
    Compass
    Spare bottom timer / computer
    Quick fix tools



    Note, my backplate has lots of HOLES around the outside for me to clip things onto:


    http://www.customdivers.de/ind…mid=80&vmcchk=1&Itemid=80


    Which makes attaching DSMB's to the side under bundgee cord MUCH easier.


    (ohh and please reply in German, i must learn, and this is good practice for me)

  • SMB Aufbewahrung mit Spool


    That is the BIGGEST problem with a spool. The accidental discharge of line, and hence why with spools it is best NOT to pre-connect them and NOT to have them clipped to the outside of your garments, but to keep them in a POCKET until they are needed. Ive lost count of the amount of times ive seen line float off into the distance from people rolling into the water with the spool hanging off them (must be at least 100+ times).


    For this reason, i only ever use Spools in sheltered water or as a backup.


    My spool ibeing my "investigation" line, which is kept purely and totally, and dedicated for exploration. As a result, it is kept in my pocket, away from harms way


    My DSMB line, is as it says on the tin, DEDICATED to my DSMB. Hence, it is a SOLID piece of kit, dedicated and designed for putting up a DSMB as quickly as possible form depth, as again, anythign longer than 20 seconds is too slow, and anything longer then 1 minute is just bad skills.

  • Pete Measley's - Lust for Rust - new website

    Hi All,


    I've mentioned to some of you about my mate Pete's expeditions to Bikini, Solomons, Truk etc, well, just been informed he's gone live with a website giving details of his trips.


    http://www.lust4rust.co/


    As i said, he's a truly mad keen rust hunter, and i know him from having helped out, and been on his expeditions.


    So anyhow, if you guys ever think about heading over to Biikini, New Zealand, Solomons, Truk etc, keep Pete in mind.


    Neil


    (Note i have absolutly no commercial interest in Pete's venture, but Pete is a good mate of mine, and his trips are just too awesome not to be shared with you guys)

  • Viel Frags :-)

    Thanks everyone for these replies.


    Makes for really interesting reading for myself, especially regarding the legal aspect, as i thought there would at least be german standards, and guidelines which would govern and guide what we do.



    Thanks again everyone.

  • SMB Aufbewahrung mit Spool

    In open water:


    red DSMB, right, pre-connected to reel (kent tooling http://www.divingproducts.co.uk/reels.html 40m reel), bungeed to right of backplate, with reel clipped to RHS belt d-ring.


    THAT DSMB, i want to be able to deploy from mid water in less than 20 seconds, ideally 10 seconds. If i have to reconnect it in blue water, then im wasting precious time and non concentrating on my buddy, and likewise my deco. Further, i want to be able to deploy it from BEFORE my first deco stop, which would typically be at between 40 and 30, therefore i want AT LEAST 35m of line on that reel. Thats unless im just diving recreationally in which case 25-30m of line as a minimum, and to be deployed at around 23-21m.


    Yellow DSMB, boltsnapped and bungeed to left hand side of back plate.


    Spare reel / spool in right pocket, yo be used for line laying in wrecks or low vis, or as a back up reel.


    Both reels setup to fix to the DSMB by way of prusik knots. Again, a 5 second fix, MAXIMUM.


    In caves:


    Why carry a dsmb!?! but if required, in pocket, un connected. Reels and spools hanging from butt d-ring, dangling between legs.

  • Viel Frags :-)

    Ahh,, Navy,, which is probably why its not coming up.....


    thanks for that. I just wondered for my own sake where the nearest hyperbaric chamber is, should i have an accident.



    Again, thanks all for your answers, any more to follow?


    Neil

  • Viel Frags :-)

    ahh so...


    my iphone app was right when it said that the closest chamber to Kiel is in fact in Copenhagen or Papenburg....


    und danke,, ja ich habe BSAC insurance und DAN SEAP, but SEAP is Asia specific. So okay i have dropped DAN an email then. Ta for that.


    ohh and just thought of another Q:


    10. What is the legal responsibility for ensuring that 02 or a Defibrillator are available during courses or on commercial charters?

  • Viel Frags :-)

    New to Germany, so please help me out here:


    1. Re-compression Chambers - Any one got a list of where they are?


    2. Is there a German equivalent to DES (Diver Emergency Services)?


    3. What Dive insurance do people use!?!? DAN SEAP?


    4. Drysuit repairs - In northern Germany + around Frankfurt, where do people go?


    5. IS there a German equivelant to NAS (Nautical Archeological Society)?


    6. What are the local laws regarding teaching SCUBA? ie must all regulators be sterilised, is a snorkel required to be carried at all times, are instructors required to have an annual health check, must instructors recieve special certification to work with children below the age of 18 etc etc


    7. Where can i find the local regulations regarding testing of equipment?!


    8. Where is a good source of tools and spare parts for me to service my own regulators!?


    9. Which websites do people use to buy scuba equipment from!? and is there any restriction on imports into Germany?


    Grusse Gut.


    Neil

  • welchen trimixcomputer???

    Night Rider,


    Its more that in every part of the world there are fashions. There are also people who can fix what is in fashion in that area.


    In Australia for instance, a Liquivision has to be flown to the west coast, a Sheerwater to the east coast, an OSTC to Germany... Likewise, you get out an OSTC in Australia, people look at you in the "what is that" manner...


    Hence, although i think the OSTC is one of the best computers on the market, the support structure for it, is really not in place outside of Germany, in much the same way that a sheerwater is not really supported here, but is in Canada...


    But that aside, the choice is yours... i admit to having toyed with buying either the liquivision, the sheerwater, and the OSTC, as all are in my opinion, equal to each other, and i like each for various reasons. However, my Vytec does everything i want, so why buy another????

  • Gedanken zur Nutzung von Tauchcomputern

    Okay, with everything there are assumptions. Tables and computers are the same.


    So, i ask you a question, just one question:


    How do you imagine your body??? is your body:


    a) A slab, a solid slab of everything


    b) A solid pool of fluid, where only the fluid dynamics need to be considered


    c) A composition of a 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28+ types of body tissues, some hard, some soft, that operate independantly to each other


    d) A composition of a 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28+ types of body tissues, some hard, some soft, that interlink with each other


    e) none of the above


    f) a comnbination of the above



    And hence we have the problem. Each computer / Algorithm, takes an assumption on the above, and then fudges it.


    The VPM model in its true model, bubbles people. Hence it has been "fudged" a number of times to get the present model.


    The straight VHL -16a, hurt people (what you call the Buhlmann model) so they introduced b, which is a conservative b, and then in computers they introduced c, which is a more conservative version of b


    HOWEVER, the RGBM model is a VPM model, which is fudged to act like a VHL model... and thus you then get into the discussion about how much should you fudge a model... for me personally, i fudge the VHLb to a gradient factor of 70/20, or 75/15, NEVER any more on either, and thats following advice from an aclaimed hypobaric doctor.


    Ohh and also, off all the documents ive read, the only one which always stands true, is Haldanes surface tension analysis, that shows that your body should include a stop at 1/2 its maximum depth, to reduce bubble tension..


    Neil