Decompression happens when a diver descends at a lower pressure that the ambient. During ascent from deep, the body of the diver undergoes decompression. If decompression diving is done correctly, this can cause serious injuries. You can read more about decompression diving or decompression syndrome. Also read about decompression sickness penalties and standard treatment. These are some of the most common questions a decompression diver might have.
Deco dives
Before you start planning your deco dive, make sure to review the basics of your V-planner. By doing this, you will be able to determine how much deco is needed to achieve the proper visibility and depth. To ensure you are familiar with the settings, if you plan to dive to 35m you can use a Vplanner. Otherwise, deco will have to be calculated manually if you are able.
A minimum deco represents a slow climb from half the average height. The name is misleading because it takes more than a minute. You will usually ascend 10ft/3m in 30 secs, then stop and recover for 30 secs before you repeat the process. Before you attempt to climb, it is a good idea to ensure that your body has fully decompressed. The best way is to make sure you have enough gas in the tank.
Planned dives
Divers can use a computer-generated plan to decompression dive. The computer generates deco lists according to the diver's choice of gases, decompression methods, and conservatism settings. Divers can create dive plans using this software. They can choose a decompression period, OTU and CNS loadings, and the gas requirements for each depth. Divers can save themselves from making silly mistakes when planning a dive by using the PC planning tool.
A decompression stopping is a series if stops that occur during an ascent. This allows the body and its helium to escape. It is necessary to adjust to pressure in the environment. The profile of the diver as well as the maximum depth reached will affect the length of the decompression breaks. Plan multiple decompression stops if you plan to reach the deepest depths.
Decompression sickness: Standard treatment
Decompression sickness is treated by inhaling 100% oxygen through a mask and maintaining blood pressure. Fluids are administered to prevent oxygen loss. Intensive treatment consists of using a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to reverse the changes in blood pressure and drive nitrogen back into liquid form, which the body can clear over hours. If decompression sickness is severe, you should avoid diving until the symptoms subside.
For acute cases, the diver should receive supplemental oxygen until assistance 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. The diver's condition should be carefully monitored and any neurological signs must be ruled out. Air embolism is possible if symptoms persist beyond a few minutes.
Penalties for decompression diving
Penalties for diving under pressure can cause loss of consciousness, insufficient air supply to the lungs, and even death. There are many options to prevent these issues and minimize the risk of suffering from decompression. Be sure to know your limits when diving. Dive without the correct equipment can lead to decompression illness. Avoid these common mistakes when diving.
The first mistake to avoid is to underestimate the decompression time. In recreational diving, the NDLs and depth limits are largely concerned with fast tissues. Maximum ascent rates are designed to allow the direct ascent to the surface. It doesn't matter what type of tank it is, decompression diving involves more complex calculations. The Buhlmann ZH-L16 algorithm fixes nitrogen halftimes at 2.65 times longer than helium's, and it adds an increasing time for decompression if the helium fraction is higher than expected.