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Maggie’s Motivational Pic Thread v2.0 - - New Rules - See Post #1

If you don’t find this motivational, may god save your soul.

This is one of the best things the NRA has ever done.

And I’m still cancelling my membership.
IMG_2090.jpeg
 
I did several multi day trips to deep wrecks where we could only bring 2 sets of doubles and 2 deco tanks. We had a compressor and 2 k's of O2 on the boat, so we started on the deepest wreck and kept blowing our doubles back with air. I started those trips with 8/92 heliox. The deepest wreck was around 280, so didn't need that mix for the depth, but it let me have decent mixes on the subsequent wrecks.

When commercial guys were doing sat dives to 800+ feet, they used mixes with even less O2.

The operative word being, "commercial." I'm not saying these mixes don't exist. I'm just saying, I, as a potential mix diver, would never be taught such mixes in the standard TDI/Cave agency curriculum.

And, yeah, Sheck was one of a kind. Died too early attempting to set a deep diving record in a Mexican Cenote. I get the desire and "ego boost" of doing things like that, but not at the risk of my life or risking the lives of the rescue divers that have to go in and fetch my body.

I'm crazy, but I'm not that crazy. :ROFLMAO:
 
Great Story
PERSONALS AD
To the Guy Who Tried to Mug Me in Downtown Savannah night before last.
Date: 23-01-17, 1:43 am. E.S.T.
I was the guy wearing the black Burberry jacket that you demanded that I hand over, shortly after you pulled
the knife on me and my girlfriend, threatening our lives. You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and earrings. I can only hope that you somehow come across this rather important message.
First, I'd like to apologize for your embarrassment; I didn't expect you to actually crap in your pants when
I drew my pistol after you took my jacket. The evening was not that cold, and I was wearing the jacket for a reason. my girlfriend was happy that I just returned safely from my 2nd tour as a Combat Marine in Afghanistan .
She had just bought me that Kimber Custom Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol for my birthday, and we had picked up a shoulder holster for it that very evening. Obviously you agree that it is a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head .. isn't it?!
I know it probably wasn't fun walking back to wherever you'd come from with crap in your pants.
I'm sure it was even worse walking bare-footed since I made you leave your shoes, cell phone, and wallet with me. (That prevented you from calling or running to your buddies to come help mug us again).
After I called your mother or "Momma" as you had her listed in your cell, I explained the entire episode of
what you'd done.
Then I went and filled up my gas tank as well as those of four other people in the gas station, -- on your credit card. The guy with the big motor home took 153 gallons and was extremely grateful!
I gave your shoes to a homeless guy outside Vinnie Van Go Go's, along with all the cash in your wallet.
[That made his day!]
I then threw your wallet into the big pink "pimp mobile" that was parked at the curb ... after I broke the
windshield and side window and keyed the entire driver's side of the car.
Earlier, I managed to get in two threatening phone calls to the DA's office and one to the FBI, while mentioning
President Trump as my possible target.
The FBI guy seemed really intense and we had a nice long chat (I guess while he traced your number etc.).
In a way, perhaps I should apologize for not killing you ... but I feel this type of retribution
is a far more appropriate punishment for your threatened crime. I wish you well as you try to sort through some of these rather immediate pressing issues, and can only hope that you have the opportunity to reflect upon, and perhaps reconsider, the career path you've chosen
to pursue in life. Remember, next time you might not be so lucky.
Have a good day!
Thoughtfully yours,
Semper fi,
Alex
 
The operative word being, "commercial." I'm not saying these mixes don't exist. I'm just saying, I, as a potential mix diver, would never be taught such mixes in the standard TDI/Cave agency curriculum.

And, yeah, Sheck was one of a kind. Died too early attempting to set a deep diving record in a Mexican Cenote. I get the desire and "ego boost" of doing things like that, but not at the risk of my life or risking the lives of the rescue divers that have to go in and fetch my body.

I'm crazy, but I'm not that crazy. :ROFLMAO:
Just remember much of what is taught today as crazy, was normal practice without consequences a few decades ago. Part of that is driven by overweight, out of shape, heavy breathing, shouldn't be there divers and the lawyers the families find after FAFO goes lethal.

So much of the calculations depend on gas consumption and diver physical condition. DPVs has allowed technology to replace good technique and a fit body.
 
Just remember much of what is taught today as crazy, was normal practice without consequences a few decades ago. Part of that is driven by overweight, out of shape, heavy breathing, shouldn't be there divers and the lawyers the families find after FAFO goes lethal.

Got that right!

So much of the calculations depend on gas consumption and diver physical condition.

Precisely. And I've been "on hiatus" for a bit because I did get way "out of shape." I'm starting to get back into shape, at present. I'm losing weight, and I was just recently cleared by my cardiologist to resume diving (I had an "abnormality" show up on the 12-lead)... a "Right Bundle Branch Block." The cardiologist indicated that it is common in 30% of the population and not a contraindication for diving. A "left" one is a bit more serious, though. Funny how "medicine" and "politics" seem so "in sync" these days... :ROFLMAO:

Upon my return, though, I'll start real slow and work up to where I was before... but with a significant difference. Much to the disappointment of my cave instructor :cry: , I'll need to go "sidemount." My back can't handle manifolded doubles anymore. I mean, diving with them is fine, but getting out of the water with them and back to the car/table is a huge PITA. After I get that mastered, I'll consider mix training.

DPVs has allowed technology to replace good technique and a fit body.

Correct... until the point where the DPV breaks down and you have to lug it out of the cave. I've heard of DPVs being used for longer distances or traverses (eg. Full "Peacock" traverse or maybe Ginnie to the "Henkel"). But if it were to break down, I'd have to leave it there and come back for it later. I'm not going to be able to lug it out.

Not worth it, and I'd rather benefit from the exercise.
 
Well, according to some research, divers did reach at least 155 meters (511.5 ft). Quite an accomplishment, given the deepest "pinacle" cave dive in Florida is "Diepolder II."

iu


The "Grand Ballroom" you see here is at 270ft at the bottom. But it goes deeper than that (to 365ft.). I don't know how many people are able to get to the deeper portions because time at this depth is extremely limited (9 minutes at most) before you have to start back up and start your decompression schedule. And this is with you being on 10-70 Trimix for Bottom gas. You'll have 2-3 different gas switches enroute and upon return. It takes years to work up to this dive, even after trimix training.

NOPE!

Ship's Diver, US Submarine service (STS1 SS/DV). Commercial gold dredger at age 15. Cave and hard rock mine explorer as a young man. There was a time I would cave dive, but NOPE!

Now a "victim" (enlightened man) of adult onset claustrophobia. Seriously, it's all I can do to stay on a plane knowing they are going to shut the door. First Class flying is a medical necessity. :eek::cool:

Gold-Mining-on-the-Mokelumne.jpg
 
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NOPE!

Ship's Diver, US Submarine service. Commercial gold dredger at age 15. Cave explorer as a young man. There was a time I would cave dive, but NOPE!

This reminded me of a friend... she dove recreationally and trained to do underwater recovery. Did it once. Found/recovered a family in a station wagon that had been underwater for however long (week or more?). She said "nope", never did it again. I think she gave up diving all together not long after.
 
NOPE!

Ship's Diver, US Submarine service. Commercial gold dredger at age 15. Cave explorer as a young man. There was a time I would cave dive, but NOPE!
Now a "victim" (enlightened man) of adult onset claustrophobia. Seriously, it's all I can do to stay on a plane knowing they are going to shut the door. First Class flying is a medical necessity. :eek::cool:
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Understood. First Class is also a necessity for me, but for other reasons... :ROFLMAO:

The other thing I also have to consider is what "Medicare" has to say about people who cave dive, and how it might affect my Medicare insurance. I was not on Medicare when I was cave diving. I have to hope that they won't raise a huge ruckus if I choose to go back. Otherwise, I might not be able to.
 
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This reminded me of a friend... she dove recreationally and trained to do underwater recovery. Did it once. Found/recovered a family in a station wagon that had been underwater for however long (week or more?). She said "nope", never did it again. I think she gave up diving all together not long after.
When bodies have been in the water that long you have to wrap them up in blankets or everything but the bones will just strain through the stokes litter or rescue basket, ask me how I know.
 
I got bent in 1986 after doing about a dozen bounce dives to 60'. We had about a dozen divers and used two in the morning and two in the afternoon. We would do 8 to 15 bounce dives from 40 to 130 feet on air, of course if we were diving deep our dive numbers were reduced. At the time the accent rate was 60'/min. Our unit had been diving like this for several years with no problems. As far as I know, I was the only one to get bent. After the adjustments to ascent rates were changed, they had to make some changes to the program.
 
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Understood. First Class is also a necessity for me, but for other reasons... :ROFLMAO:

The other thing I also have to consider is what "Medicare" has to say about people who cave dive, and how it might affect my Medicare insurance. I was not on Medicare when I was cave diving. I have to hope that they won't raise a huge ruckus if I choose to go back. Otherwise, I might not be able to.
I’m 77. Was a PADI Master Instructor and IANTD Deep Air/Advanced Nitrox Instructor. Medicare, as best I can discern will not cover dive accidents. I’m going to start diving again later this year and will purchase DAN insurance. There are other companies that offer insurance and I believe will cover Technical Divers - Divemaster is one I believe.

My deepest dive was to 201 feet on air in a mine in West Virginia In 1993. Fun. Same mine where Edward Suarez Jr died in 1994.
 
Sheck was also in the earlier days before we had the level of understanding on the dangers of deep air we have today.

there was still a lot of the machismo in diving where people felt they had something to prove by going deep on air.

And sheck was uniquely immune to narcosis.


Is it possible to do a 400-500' dive on air...I mean its been done...but your PpO2 is at a 2.6+ and most people are going to be heavily narc'd....assuming you dont tox out, one thing goes wrong and you're not coming back
Everyone narc’s at a different point, I learned that early on……
 
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I’m 77. Was a PADI Master Instructor and IANTD Deep Air/Advanced Nitrox Instructor. Medicare, as best I can discern will not cover dive accidents. I’m going to start diving again later this year and will purchase DAN insurance. There are other companies that offer insurance and I believe will cover Technical Divers - Divemaster is one I believe.

My deepest dive was to 201 feet on air in a mine in West Virginia In 1993. Fun. Same mine where Edward Suarez Jr died in 1994.
If you dive out of the country, I would make sure emergency air ambulance service in covered. I know someone who has neuro problems, she was not able to hold her depth while diving on a coral reef. Her insurance would not cover the air ambulance, which would have helped dramatically.
 
Oh no, there were plenty of consequences...a lot of people had to die/ get injured for us to get the knowledge we have today...

Just because someone did something dangerous and survived doesn't make it "safe"


I have never seen an overweight tech diver...


I think the more we learn about decompression, the more we realize we don't fully understand it.

There are plenty of good divers who get bent doing a dive they've done a dozen times before...you can do everything "properly" and still get bent.

Largely where many of the "overly conservative" standards are stemming from.....that unknown....


I have never seen anyone on a dpv that wasn't an already great diver.
Not saying there were not consequences then or now, just saying that some groups are cult like with forcing there is only one way to do it right.
I was lucky to learn from John Chatterton, same guy as book Shadow Divers. He would talk at equal length about people ignoring good info. Sometimes that got people hurt, sometimes it got people hyper focused on things that were not important.

And I don't know where you dive but I've seen plenty of out of shape and / or stupid tech divers. I've helped a couple of them cheat death.
 
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I’m 77. Was a PADI Master Instructor and IANTD Deep Air/Advanced Nitrox Instructor. Medicare, as best I can discern will not cover dive accidents. I’m going to start diving again later this year and will purchase DAN insurance. There are other companies that offer insurance and I believe will cover Technical Divers - Divemaster is one I believe.

My deepest dive was to 201 feet on air in a mine in West Virginia In 1993. Fun. Same mine where Edward Suarez Jr died in 1994.

Mine was to 141ft at Zuber Sink (aka - "Forty Fathom Grotto" - if you know what/where that is) but on EAN28. (Jersey Mix). It was for my ANDP class. But it was just a bounce dive. My instructor (same one as my cave instructor) was just wanting to see how I handled the deco and how "controlled" I was (neutrally buoyant, at each stop, etc.).

Yes, I had DAN insurance at the time and I could probably get it again. I'll look into that as my decision point approaches.
 
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If you dive out of the country, I would make sure emergency air ambulance service in covered. I know someone who has neuro problems, she was not able to hold her depth while diving on a coral reef. Her insurance would not cover the air ambulance, which would have helped dramatically.
DAN insurance is a must have.
 
If you don’t find this motivational, may god save your soul.

This is one of the best things the NRA has ever done.

And I’m still cancelling my membership. View attachment 8354447

My all time favorite NRA propaganda sent out to me will always be the one with, 'The MAN' , Charlton Heston.. I keep it pinned on wall above my reload bench.
..."I'll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands"
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Charlie.jpg

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It's a lot like John's


View attachment 8354333
This statue is outside the new High School in Lemmon South Dakota. The artist is a local guy named John Lopez.
 
This statue is outside the new High School in Lemmon South Dakota. The artist is a local guy named John Lopez.
There's a similar style metal Buffalo over by Agency Village south of Sisseton. Out in the country on an paved country road intersection. Used to drive by it on my route. Just a random field/pasture. You drove by the first time and your like wtf is that?!?

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Found it on Google maps using the street view.


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This statue is outside the new High School in Lemmon South Dakota. The artist is a local guy named John Lopez.
It was in front of the old high school up on the north end of town before that.
I've known John and his family for many years as he grew up on a ranch that bordered a ranch we had up until the mid 90s.

John has done a lot for the small remote community.