The Deadly Lure of the Deep
Feb
18
2009
off

I feel that it is only fair to the diving community to illustrate why I am so vigilant against stupidly deep diving.

Look closely…

Dead Diver Gear

Tank. BCD. Regulator. Slates. The abandoned weight belt lies some twenty feet below.

The depth? 370 feet (112m).

The reason? A dead diver.

Mind you, I was never stupid enough to see this site myself whilst scuba diving. Even with a Trimix tec rig and a proper dive plan, this depth is more than a bit insane. No, this eerie shot was taken from the safety of Karl Stanley’s deep diving submersible Idabel.

Diving is a very safe sport when done properly— though complete safety is never guaranteed, proper practices have consistently shown to successfully mitigate risk. Done improperly, however, one can quickly and tragically discover how unforgiving an environment the underwater world can be. It’s this healthy fear and respect that keeps us, our students, and our customers alive as professional divers. No matter how alluring the deep may be, there is nothing down there worth dying for.

In conclusion, any time I consider doing something a bit rash with regard to depths, the sobering image of this diver’s gear dangling over the icy abyss in eternal darkness, his corpse long since disintegrated, sears across my neuronal pathways— as I hope it does yours.

Remember: Safety First!

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