RE: ambient preferences

[Alex Wolfe <awolfe_98@yahoo.com>]

  Nathaniel- Thanks for the input!

  You're right.  The air consumption issue is a huge one that's been
bugging me.  Does anyone have figures on the amount of ventilation
required for a dead space of given size with a normal sized adult male
of typical respiratory function?  I know that's a heck of a lot of
airspace and the ventilation alone will be quite wasteful.  A KM
Superlite has a rubber ventilation mask built in to reduce dead space
associated with respiratory tidal volume.  From what I've heard, this
allows considerable reduction of air utilized in free-flow operation as
opposed to say the MK12 Navy hat (aquarium on the head anyone?).  As
such I was considering a medical/aircraft type mask for use internally
to help with ventilation.    
  A semi-wet or wet design would certainly help with the air
consumption upon depth change, but I'm not sure being flooded up to the
chest would be much different than a dive sled with an air bubble to
pop your head into.  Has anyone else wrestled with and conquered/built
a dry ambient pressure vehicle?  I would really appreciate any and all
insight; technical, philisophical, safety, and otherwise!  Thanks.

Alex Wolfe

Dive Safely!
 

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