Article in March 2006 issue of Scuba Diving

Was wondering what opinions people had about the article in March 2006
issue of Scuba Diving, page 83, "The Final Ascent".

The point the author makes is that "the trickiest part of your dive
might come after the safety stop". Being a relative newbie I
certainly have to defer to the author but there was a sense I had that
there may have been a bit of overstating certain "potential" problems.

Was wondering what you more experienced folks thought.

Sy

--
Please post and reply to sytech@yahoo.com

sytech@yahoo.com wrote:
> Was wondering what opinions people had about the article in March 2006
> issue of Scuba Diving, page 83, "The Final Ascent".
>
> The point the author makes is that "the trickiest part of your dive
> might come after the safety stop". Being a relative newbie I
> certainly have to defer to the author but there was a sense I had that
> there may have been a bit of overstating certain "potential" problems.
>
> Was wondering what you more experienced folks thought.
>
> Sy
>
biggest pressure change

Joe English wrote:

> sytech@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>> Was wondering what opinions people had about the article in March 2006
>> issue of Scuba Diving, page 83, "The Final Ascent".
>>
>> The point the author makes is that "the trickiest part of your dive
>> might come after the safety stop". Being a relative newbie I
>> certainly have to defer to the author but there was a sense I had that
>> there may have been a bit of overstating certain "potential" problems.
>>
>> Was wondering what you more experienced folks thought.
>>
>> Sy
>>
> biggest pressure change

Didn't see the article, but I can guess...

When you ascend from, say, 99 fsw to 66 fsw the pressure change
is from about 59 psi to about 44 psi, a one-quarter reduction
which will result in a 25% expansion of the air in yer lungs.

But when you ascend from, say, 33 fsw to the surface the
pressure change is from about 29.4 psi to about 14.7 psi and the
halving of pressure will double the volume of air in yer lungs
in the same 33 feet of ascent.

Just like English says.

Most new divers lack the buoyancy control to make a very slow,
controlled ascent from shallow depths (remember that the volume
of air in yer BC also doubles from 33 fsw to the surface!) and
risk all kinds of nastiness of the lungs and ears by popping to
the surface.

I start my safety stop at 20' and ascend about 3'/minute to 10'.
From 10' it takes me about two minutes to reach the surface.
Learn to do that and you will avoid lung expansion problems and
greatly improve yer overall buoyancy control.

m

"Joe English" <joeenglish2@wisperhome.com> wrote in message
news:444ec8e9$0$5100$ec3e2dad@news.usenetmonster.c om...
> sytech@yahoo.com wrote:
>> Was wondering what opinions people had about the article in March 2006
>> issue of Scuba Diving, page 83, "The Final Ascent".
>>
>> The point the author makes is that "the trickiest part of your dive
>> might come after the safety stop". Being a relative newbie I
>> certainly have to defer to the author but there was a sense I had that
>> there may have been a bit of overstating certain "potential" problems.
>>
>> Was wondering what you more experienced folks thought.
>>
>> Sy
>>
> biggest pressure change

Biggest PERCENTAGE pressure change.

Pressure change, in absolute ATM, is same from 100 to 85 as it is from 15 to
0 fsw.

According to the BASOD agency, you should bolt as quick as possible from
your last safety stop to the boat deck, so you'll be the first grabbing a
beer from the cooler.

> The point the author makes is that "the trickiest part of your dive
> might come after the safety stop". Being a relative newbie I
> certainly have to defer to the author but there was a sense I had that
> there may have been a bit of overstating certain "potential" problems.
> Was wondering what you more experienced folks thought.

The closer you get to the surface, the greater the volume change for each
incremental change in pressure. You are at your greatest risk of embolism
as you approach the surface, i. e. after your safety stop.

Lee

mike gray wrote:

> I start my safety stop at 20' and ascend about 3'/minute to 10'. From
> 10' it takes me about two minutes to reach the surface. Learn to do that
> and you will avoid lung expansion problems and greatly improve yer
> overall buoyancy control.

And I thought I was slow! But I do basically the same as you Mike. I
have been for years.

Dan,

I don't have the article handy but it just "seemed" that maybe the
author's emphasis on "theroretical" problems might have been overstated
but I've heard enough here to get the point.

Towards the end of the article the author advocated that because of all
these" theoretical" problems that could develop, it's probably not a
good idea for many people to board the boat with all that heavy gear on
because the effort required could excerbate any nitrogen retension
issues that may be at play.

Any thoughts on that?

Sy

<sytech@yahoo.com> wrote

> Towards the end of the article the author advocated that because of all
> these" theoretical" problems that could develop, it's probably not a
> good idea for many people to board the boat with all that heavy gear on
> because the effort required could excerbate any nitrogen retension
> issues that may be at play.
>
> Any thoughts on that?

Strenuous exercise is believed to exacerbate the potential for DCS problems.
I guess it all depends on your nitrogen status at the time and how strenuous
a climb back on to the boat is for you.

By the way, retention isn't the issue. Release is.

Lee

sytech@yahoo.com wrote:
> Was wondering what opinions people had about the article in March 2006
> issue of Scuba Diving, page 83, "The Final Ascent".
>
> The point the author makes is that "the trickiest part of your dive
> might come after the safety stop". Being a relative newbie I
> certainly have to defer to the author but there was a sense I had that
> there may have been a bit of overstating certain "potential" problems.
>
> Was wondering what you more experienced folks thought.
>
> Sy
>
> --
> Please post and reply to sytech@yahoo.com

I didn't read the article but I do know that it is easier to get hit in
the head by the boat at 5 feet than at 50.... OW!

Thus spake sytech@yahoo.com :

>Dan,
>
>I don't have the article handy but it just "seemed" that maybe the
>author's emphasis on "theroretical" problems might have been overstated
>but I've heard enough here to get the point.

I want to live in Theory. Everything works in Theory.

>
>Towards the end of the article the author advocated that because of all
>these" theoretical" problems that could develop, it's probably not a
>good idea for many people to board the boat with all that heavy gear on
>because the effort required could excerbate any nitrogen retension
>issues that may be at play.

The amount of exertion is minimal. I wouldn't do those 100 pushups
immediately aftwards, but climbing out of the water certainly won't do
anything to most people who were at least a little concious of their
nitrogen loading. And the others are going to get hit one way or
another anyways.

>
>Any thoughts on that?

Be aware of your nitrogen. As a newbie, I'd recommend diving well
within the tables. More room for error when you do screw up, and you
will.

>
>Sy
--
dillon

I didn't climb to the top of the
food chain to become a vegetartian.