Future of scuba and product ideas

[nimamot316]

Hi, I am working on my thesis abuot the Future Activities of Scuba and products and i was wondering if you guys could give me your thoughts on
(a) what you think the future of scuba is, (longer dives, deeper dives, u/w camping, scuba games etc..... whatever you think)
(b) any products or devices you need,like to have or see for scuba divers

i would appreciate any input, all the best, nima.

 

[deeperthebetter]

Future of Scuba

I think the future of scuba will be longer and deeper dives. Allot of training and ALLOT OF FUN. I was reading my original open water training manual and they had a thing called a water lung. It was suppose to extract air from water. Guess it never took off. Although with some one man submersables (sp?) being developed hopefully they will cross over to the Tech diver sector. I know that any diving is good diving.

 

[icarus pacific]

Very good question.

Having gone over and through this cycle many times over the years, I think the current state of diving is in a world of hurt. The time was that diving was understood to be a physically demanding and training intensive fringe sport. Diving certification has become more like an exercise in self promotion and financial spreadsheets with multi tier'd levels, Instructor numbers exploding and the overall quality of that instruction declining as divers with little more time than that mandated by the certifying agency. Combine the ease that diving is portrayed with the overall sad shape of the student and usually newbie diver, and the accidents that happen are fodder for the front page, doing additional damage to the sport.

I've just been assisting with an advanced SCBA Rescue program and am appaled at the access granted to individuals with little or barely enough time in the water to learn the most basic of skills- that of bouyancy control and gear handling. Divers cert'd by two of the big names with experience varying fro fresh out of the pool to two years but 4 dives were trying to attend to a victims situation while they themselves were doing little to assure their safty- from themselves. These divers were for the most part using ill-fitting rental gear, had not dove the training area before had not worn exposure suits for the locale and hadn't completed or even attempted to study the training materials foisted on them by the cert'ing agency at ridiculous prices. $65 for a video, a workbook and a pencil with a logo on it?? I'm in the wrong business!

As I see it, the current state of the economy is such that the students will be weeded out by sheer financial stress, making only those that truly want to learn apply and with these reduced numbers, be easier to weed out for the lack of physicla acumen. But these reduced numbers will also put the hurt on the small shop and force them to lowere rates and/or standards...

So... training standards are going to need to be looked at and made "real".

Other than that, the outfit that comes up with an affordable U/W communications setup- wireless diver to diver is going to be living the sweet life. I look to Oceanic and Scubapro/Uwatec as the deep pockets electronics folks to be able to absorb the R&D and marketing of these things. I'd pop for a $500 two person setup right now.


sven

 

[skank]

I am doing a similar final year design at uni in Melbourne Australia. What are things you hate about dive equipment (apart from the cost). One diver I spoke to hates the dry tank air and was asking about some type of wet reg's. What about transport of dive gear. What problems do you have there. One of the girls I dive with has huge issues with the weight of the equipment. Another area is dive equipment for the disabled. What would you like to see in dive computers - features so on.

If you haven't had a dive in Australia what are you waiting for. Apart from the big croc's, spiders snakes and white pointer sharks out here the place is great!

 

[Jon]

Smaller scooters with longer run times.

Jon

 

[cliffgollus]

Some good thoughts on this link, let me add a couple. The cost of the gear is too high but internet marketing is bringing it down. Unfortunetely, many small shops will not survive unless they dramatically change their way of doing business (stress service, training and gear maintenance, not selling overpriced stuff).

One thing I think you will see is a requirement for training recertification much like we have for SCBA with HazMat teams, etc. This is sorely needed - especially if the person has not dove in the last year!

Equipment wise, I think longer/deeper is the name of the game and computer controlled rebreathers are the direction of the future. One last thing, Nitrox will fade away.

By the way, as you pursue your research, look at the tremendous turnover in divers who get certified but quickly drop out. You might not know it by this forum of maniacs, but there are many, many, "used to" divers out there and a lot of gear being offered for sale.
Cliff

 

[Jon]

I agree with most of what you say Cliff, but why do you think that nitrox will fade away?

The only reason I don't use nitrox on many dives is because I switched to triox. I think that triox, or heliotrox as some call it, will be as common as nitrox in about 10 years.

For now, everyone that I know who is certified nitrox will use it every chance they get over air. It makes a big difference on tropical vacations where we might make 5-6 dives in a day. Plus, it also makes a HUGE difference in deco for those deeper dives.

Jon

 

[cliffgollus]

My thought was that as computer controlled rebreathers develop they will replace nitrox. It will still be an oxygen enriched decon (for example) but will be controlled by the interface between your dive computer and the rebreather controller (or the two being integrated into one unit). I would envision triox being controlled the same way. Perhaps a better way to put it is rebreathers absorbing nitrox.

Continuing the thought of where is diving going, consider it's history. First real advance was the face mask, second was compressed air, third is the dive computer. I consider all other things we use to be simply minor experiments or developments. The next major step would be computer control of breathing mixtures, bouancy, and offering constant real time information on your depth, decon status, body functions, - probably a lot of other stuff I can't even imagine. Which brings up the question; will training become simply "Read your meter", or will the science behind it and what to do in emergencies (read that "machine shits the bed") keep pace? Hope so.
Cliff

 

[will_tekkie]

i agree with cliff´s ideas: mask, open circuit regulator, and dive computer have been the real improvements in recreational diving... other things are merchandising....i would put maybe BC in this group mainly because it makes diving easier for the most divers with very limited in-water skills.

What will be the next step?....rebreather looks a great candidate but they have to be more reliable, cheaper, simpler and easy to use in order to be more popular....the most of them ( i think all of them) are extremely overpriced and have a relatively hard to learn procedures for divers not interested too much in technical way of thinking...they´re looking for the simplest way to do things...

Why a simple full closed circuit rebreather can not be simpler and relatively cheaper??...a kiss based one with some some developments maybe could be a good point to start to the deep range within a recreational to advance..semitechnical diving...I love the good mix usage made for CCR and their PPO2 control closer to the optimal values...gas economy and decompression saving all included... SCR like dolphin are a silly expensive ideas but in my opinion with negative results always considering the price and the safety. (02 % in dolphin and ray units are in my opinion the worst aspect of their operation).

Maybe within USA the use of mixes specially ones like triox and others (different than nitrox) are a option but are not available at others locations. I read a report made for a rebreather diver about his experience diving in the Bikini lagoon ( depths very good to be dived with triox) but the problems related with the sources of helium and pure oxigen (and don´t forget the absorbent) reduced the rebreather advantages ...

In my opinion the next step will be a integrated system with make diving something very easy..divers in the future will see the diving gear more as a integrated life suport system than a group of several things put together...but i´ll be happy if in the future we will be able to see something underwater...we´re destroying reefs, overfishing and everthing bad we can...

Will tekkie

 

[will_tekkie]

what´s about a scotter powered by a fuel cell instead a battery...in order to fill the requirements of our friend jon...

this config will allow to designer to build a small unit, lighter with longer runtimes and quick recharge...just fill the tank with the apropiatte fuel..i think alcohol based ones would be the right design...forget the direct hidrogen convertion with or without metal hidride stored fuel ..the problem will be the oxidizer tank???..ussually small and cheap systems use the o2 in the air for that...

 

[cliffgollus]

Mercy! How about a surplus nuclear sub as a dive base? What a vacation! Never go near the surface for a week! (I'm being sarcastic) I do not think this sport will ever have the mass appeal of golf, so great "dive centers" (corresponding to a Pebble Beach golf course) will not happen. This does have implications for things like live-aboard dive vacations; since the market is limited, the price will always be high and very subject to economic gyrations.

My earlier posts re: computer controlled dive gear really envision integrated control that would make it much simpler. I have so many hoses hanging on me, free diving is like taking a vacation.

How goes the research project? Will we get any feedback from the person starting this string?

Cliff

 

[jeadiver]

I've enjoyed reading this thread, and would like to just make an observation on what sven said earlier. I've been an instructor for 8 years and I defintely think the future of diving now needs to focus on training, both standards and recertifcation. I can't believe the number of young people I see who can barely walk 100 yards with just an aluminium 80 and associated weights, reg and BC. These are the same folks who are going to dive Cozumel's wall when they go on their spring break trip, truely a disaster waiting to happen. It doesn't matter how easy, integrated or computerized we make the gear, Dalton's laws will not change. We must have divers who are fit enough, educated and practice their skills.

 

[cliffgollus]

Amen! When I started diving, even for basic qualification, there was a certain amount of "harassement" in the form of the instructor turning off your air, "bumping" (flooding) your mask, grab your fin, etc - all of which seems to be frowned on now. But, since most deaths/injuries occur when someone panics, what better place to practice panic than in a pool? Some of these new divers thrash around so much they make me nervous!

If you really want to see panic, place a small octopus on someones arm during a night dive. Interesting to watch the "clouded water" from both the octopus and the diver!
Cliff

 

[deeperthebetter]

I had a harrassment night when I was first certified and I learned allot from it. With today's law suits it's almost impossible to do the same type of training. :duh

 

[MaresMan1]

Dudes,

I hope that your point is to pay more attention to training details and not that we need to be harassed to perfection.

:naughty

Dive On
MM1

 

[Sharky]

gill implants.

save on refills

 

[deeperthebetter]

Harrassment for training!?!

More to let students know that things happen which weren't anticipated and expect the unexpected. Of course the harassment night went out with equipment changes like air guages and octopus's and out with double air hoses as well as the j valve. But the point needs to be emphasised just much as it use to still try stay on top of problems before they become a PROBLEM. :duh

 

[MadForIt!]

i agree with the posts about training standards.

i recently qualified as a diver with (arguably the biggest) international training agency and after 6mths diving have attained a 'professional' rating and have nearly 150 dives under my belt.

i still consider myself to be at only an intermediate level and learn more every time i go in the water.

looking back there is no way that, after qualifying, i was competent to dive safely without an accompanying guide or instructor.

 

[Erik]

I'm hoping for genetic manipulation or nano-tech to replicate mammalian diving virtues. Bigger spleens, crocodile eyelids, that sort of thing. Maybe even fins!
I am being serious! If you look at the technologycurve for the last 150 years, then I believe the sky's the limit. Can you imagine taking a pill when you get to your liveaboard boat that gives your body the ability to freedive to 1500 metres or bottom times that approach an hour? I can
Cheers,
Erik Y.

 

[icarus pacific]

the size of his WHAT??!!

Something in me says that rolling up to the hottie-heavy beach after your day and a half at 1000 meters, they're not going to wonder about the size of your spleen, compadre.