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Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] New means having alot to learn.
Hi,
>BTW, is it possible to "prep" for a dive by placing yourself in a
>zero-nitrogen environment? If so, how?
>Carl
It's possible to use helium/oxygen breathing gas mixture. However, you will
_still_have_to_decompress_ (only now it will be helium, that's dissolved in
your tissues, not nitrogen).
There are other advantages and disadvantages to helium/oxygen mixture:
The main advantage is that you are free from nitrogen narcosis (feels like
being drunk, that can happen at deep dives)
BUT:
-Helium has higher heat conductivity than nitrogen. You can get mighty cold
mighty quick.
-Helium/oxygen mixture is _expensive_
-You will sound like Donald Duck because of lower gas density. It can impair
communication.
For VERY deep dives they use hydrogen/oxygen mixture. Hydrogen/oxygen
mixture is explosive and can ignite at a smallest spark (static electricity,
for example). So they have to make it inert, by putting very little oxygen
in it (3% — compare to 20% oxygen in regular air). Therefore, this mixture
is only breathable below 150-160 feet, when partial pressure of oxygen rises
to breathable limit.
Advantages and disadvantages of hydrogen/oxygen mixture are pretty much the
same as with helium/oxygen plus the fact it's only breathable at 160 feet
and deeper.
Hope this helps.
Sincerely, Paul.
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