A diver's body experiences decompression when it descends to a pressure lower than the ambient. The diver's body undergoes decompression during the ascent from depth. If decompression diving is done correctly, this can cause serious injuries. Learn more about decompression and decompression sickness. Read also about decompression-sickness penalties and standard treatments. These are some of common questions that decompression divers may encounter.
Deco dives
You will need to go through the V-planner's basic program before you plan a deco dive. You can then see how much deco you need to get the right visibility and depth. A V-planner can be used to plan a dive up to 35m. Otherwise, deco will have to be calculated manually if you are able.
A minimum deco represents a slow climb from half the average height. It is not as short-term as its name suggests, and takes far more time than one minute. Typically, you can ascend 10ft/3m within 30 seconds. You'll stop for 30 seconds to recover, and then continue the climb. You may want to make sure that you've decompressed fully before attempting to ascend. To do this, ensure you have enough oxygen in your tank.
Planned diving
A computer-generated decompression plan can be a useful tool for divers. The computer generates deco schedules according to a diver's chosen number of gases, decompression models, and conservatism settings. Divers can use this software to plan dives that have a certain decompression time and OTU loadings. Divers will be able to avoid the common mathematical errors that can occur when planning a diving trip manually by using the PC planner tool.
A decompression break is a series stop during ascent to allow the body's ability to expel helium and nitrogen. To adjust to the environment's pressure, a long decompression stop will be necessary. The decompression stop length depends on the diver's profile and the depth to which the diver has reached. Consider planning multiple decompression stops in order to get to the deepest depths.
Standard treatment of decompression sickness
Decompression sickness is treated by inhaling 100% oxygen through a mask and maintaining blood pressure. Fluids are administered to prevent oxygen loss. A hyperbaric oxygen chamber is used to reverse blood pressure changes and turn nitrogen into liquid. The body can then clear the matter in a matter of hours. Avoid diving if you feel decompression sickness.
In acute cases, supplemental oxygen is given to the diver and should be maintained until help arrives. It is possible to diagnose decompression illness, but symptoms may not be apparent immediately. However, it is important that the diver receives emergency treatment and be kept warm until assistance arrives. It is important to monitor the diver's condition and rule out neurological signs. If symptoms aren't visible after a few minutes, they could be indicative of air embolism.
Penalties for decompression diving
Penalties for diving under pressure can cause loss of consciousness, insufficient air supply to the lungs, and even death. Fortunately, there are many methods to avoid these consequences and to reduce the risk of decompression illness. Make sure you are familiar with what you are doing when you dive. Dive without the correct equipment can lead to decompression illness. Here are a few common mistakes that you can avoid when diving.
The first mistake to avoid is to underestimate the decompression time. Recreational diving is dominated by fast tissues. Maximum ascent rates should allow for direct ascent to surface. Decompression diving is more complicated than any other tank. Buhlmann ZH–L16 fixes nitrogen half-times at 2.65x more than helium. In addition, it adds a longer time for decompression if helium is higher than anticipated.