Nitrox Oxygen
Thursday, January 7th, 2010Nitrox Oxygen
Technical Diving
Within a decade, technical diving has moved from being the preserve of extremists to becoming a main stream, yet specialized, field. The rationale behind technical diving has been reached only after passing through a series of challenges and scrutiny in the past. In the late 1980s the International Association of Nitrox Technical Divers became the first specialized technical training centre, marking a revolution in diving. For the recreational Scuba diver, the diving depth limit is 40m and the diver should surface directly in up an unrestricted course. However, technical divers enjoy unlimited diving depth and the diver may need to resurface along a more restricted route such as in technical cave diving. Wreck diving also challenges the diver's ability to cope with unstable conditions and the maze-like corridors in a wreck. After a deep dive, the diver's body has absorbed a large amount of inert gas (mainly nitrogen). There is a life-threatening danger in surfacing without following a proper decompression process during the ascent.
Technical diving is a relatively risky activity; therefore, the training course follows stricter rules when admitting students. The instructor has the right to refuse non-suitable candidates onto courses such as technical cave diving and re-breather diving. Generally, students participating in basic technical diving courses should have at least two to three years of diving experience, perhaps even as certified recreational diving instructors.
The main difference between technical divers and recreational divers is not their experience or courage, but their mind set. Recreational divers are happy to swim over coral and fish, while technical divers are eager to test their limits. At a depth of 300 feet, the diver's personality, clear mind and technique are under massive stress. Even a minor mistake can lead to uncontrolled results in this environment. Therefore, psychological fitness is even more important than physical fitness for a technical diver.
How should you choose a technical diving training agent? There are about five international training centres in Hong Kong, including the founding agent IANTD and PADI. Several points should be considered when selecting a training centre: equipment availability and standard, insistence on reasonable and correct training procedures, the experience of the technical diving instructors, and the opinions of ex-students. Though cost could be another point to consider, the difference of a hundred or a thousand dollars is meaningless compared with the value of your life.
The course structure of a technical diving course is similar to a recreational one in that everyone starts from a basic level, even if you are a qualified instructor or experienced diver. The technical deep dive course comprises three different levels under the IANTD and PADI systems. The basic course is named Advanced Nitrox Diver (IANTD) or Apprentice Tech Deep Diver (PADI). It teaches the student the benefits, hazards and proper procedures to dive to a 45m depth using high content oxygen for rapid decompression. This is deeper than the recreational diver's limit. It is important to strictly follow the time and safety stops procedures for surfacing, otherwise decompression sickness (the Bends) could result. If a diver spends 30mins at a depth of 45m, they will need an extra 40minutes for decompression. After finishing the basic course, the student can move on to the Technical Nitrox Diver (IANTD) or Tec-Deep Diver (PADI). In this course, the student dives as deep as 55 meters with two oxygen-rich tanks (one is pure oxygen) for decompression. The 30-minute deep dive practice at 55m will necessitate another 50 mins for decompression. Apart from the deep dive practice, the student thoroughly studies the high pressure impact on the diver and psychological changes and works on improving posture and buoyancy control technique.
The final course is Trimix Diver. The diver uses a combination of low oxygen, low nitrogen and high helium gas mixtures for an 80m dive. This gas mix is essential for such a deep dive as ordinary pressurized air places negative impacts on the diver's body at depths of more than 55m. The 21% in air after 55m depth will cause the diver to conrulse and even lose consciousness - this is oxygen toxcity. Inappropriate usage of the trimix gases, however, will also cause problems; therefore, specialized training is a must.
All the technical diving courses include lectures, pool work and deep water practice. The ratio of instructor to student is much lower than in recreational diving courses in which one instructor handles 3 to 4 students and the ratio is even stricter for certain courses, to account for the more complicated nature of the course.
Technical Diving is still a risky activity, the technique and experience learnt from technical diving can feed back into recreational diving to improve the safety standard for the whole diving industry.
About the Author
Clare Hudson helps people to understand
Botox Injections
. She shows them who is the right candidate for Botox Injections, the procedure and
cost of Botox injections
.
 |
 Scubapro Galileo Sol  US $1,000.00
|
 UWATEC Smart COM dive computer GOOD CONDITION US $202.50
|
 OCEANIC DATA TRANS PLUS NITROX PRO SCUBA COMPUTER US $200.00
|
 Genesis DIN K convertible Nitrox Ready Scuba Tank Valve US $49.99
|
 O Rings FKM 50 pieces 011 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.25
|
 O Rings FKM 50 pieces 012 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.26
|
 O Rings FKM 50 pieces 013 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.26
|
 O Rings FKM 50 pieces 014 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.28
|
 O Rings FKM 50 pieces 015 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.30
|
 FS Aeris 750GT dive computer w wireless transmitter US $152.50
|
 5 EXCELLENT MILITARY SCUBA DIVING TRAINING MANUALS CD US $4.99
|
 SUUNTO Mosquito Wrist Computer NITROX New Battery US $50.00
|
 PST steel doubles US $310.89
|
 Suunto Mens D4 Wrist top Dive Computer Blue watch SS0 US $399.95
|
 MARES ICON HD DIVE COMPUTER TRI MIX COLOR SCREEN US $910.00
|
 New Oceanic Veo 180Nx 2 Gauge Scuba Dive Computer US $299.95
|
 New Spare Air Package With $98 Bonus US $239.95
|
 Suunto D9 Titan with Transmitter Warranty US $1,550.33
|
 O Rings FKM 25 pieces 022 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.45
|
 O Rings FKM 25 pieces 111 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.39
|
 O Rings FKM 25 pieces 112 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.40
|
 O Rings FKM 25 pieces 116 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.45
|
 O Rings FKM 20 pieces 214 Mil Spec M83248 2 US $.70
|
 New Analox O2 EII Nitrox Oxygen Scuba Tank Analyzer US $199.95
|
 New Oceanic Atom 20 Transmitter Scuba Computer Kit US $799.95
|
 OCEANIC Personal Dive Computer Veo 250 US $199.99
|
 Oceanic VT3 Hoseless Air Integrated Dive Computer US $959.99
|
 NEW SUUNTO VYTEC DS WRIST WATCH COMPUTER MONITOR SYSTEM US $449.99
|
 Oceanic VT3 Wireless Air integrated Dive Computer US $880.00
|
 Oceanic EOS Scuba Diving Regulator DVT Swivel Dive Reg US $519.96
|
 Suunto Zoop New in box Brand NEW US $234.50
|
 Suunto Cobra 2 Air Integrated Computer With SK7 NR US $100.00
|
 SCUBA Viton O ring Kit 30 Piece for NITROX US $8.95
|
 New Sherwood Wisdom 2 Computer w Compass and QD US $759.99
|
 Suunto D4 Black 2 years Warranty US $429.92
|
 Lightly Used Oceanic VT3 Dive Computer no Transmitter US $425.00
|
 Steel 95 cu ft LP Scuba Tank US $20.50
|
 Aeris 750GT dive computer US $125.00
|
 AERIS ATMOS AI DIVE COMPUTER CONSOLE W COMPASS US $123.49
|
 Aeris CompuMask Scuba Dive Computer US $500.00
|
 ScubaPro Ladyhawk Womens ML BC w Reg Dive Console US $400.00
|
 TDI Understanding Nitrox Manual for Scuba Diving US $31.95
|
 5 Brown Viton Scuba Orings for Yoke Valves NIB US $3.75
|
 SCUBA NITROX O RING KIT VITON CHRISTO LUBE MCG111 US $29.95
|
 suunto viper air dive computer with transmitter US $850.00
|
 Commercial Diving Manuals Deco Software US $20.00
|
 Suunto D6 Wrist Computer US $649.95
|
 OXYCHEQ EXPEDITION NITROX ANALYZER NEW US $225.00
|
 SCUBA NITROX O RING KIT 12 SIZES 33 PC SAVE DIVE REFILL US $6.79
|
 SCUBA NITROX O RING KIT VITON 12 SIZES 166 PC 90 DURO US $22.95
|
 |
NAUI Nitrox: A Guide to Diving with Oxygen Enriched Air Sale Price: $29.95 Used From: $22.00  |
|
A comprehensive text that focuses on the practical information a diver needs to know to use oxygen enriched air. The text is presented in 14 chapters. It reviews gases, explains the all-important concept of partial pressure, covers oxygen physiology, as well as oxygen limits and tolerence techniques, tells how to select the right mix and to have the right amount of gas, includes both procedures and tables to manage no-stop dives, incorporates dive computers and dive planning software, reviews mixing and how to obtain a tank of enriched air, and provides an introduction to technical diving, as well as contingency procedures... |