Maximum Operating Depths

Maximum Operating Depths  (Part 1)

Cylinder labels – What to do?

Scuba diving is still claiming victims. Sometimes, reading newspapers, it is possible to hear about the diver’s oxygen cylinder that ran out. If you read this blog, you are probably a diver and therefore know exactly what I am talking about!
With today’s demand for advanced diver training these journalist could never be so far from the truth. Oxygen cylinders are dangerous, a bit like a loaded weapon. If mishandled, it is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ will it kill!? Unless…
As soon as divers enter in the Technical diving realm, they will carry along a variety of gasses either to extend their bottom time or to help during the decompression or ascent phase of the dive.

All you need is this!

Scuba diving cylinders are to be filled with air most of the time, or and that is becoming more and more popular, anything else than air. Not only it is important to get your ‘air’ fills in reputable filling stations but if the facility is filling also other breathing gasses, such as Nitrox or Trimix, it is important if not vital to analyse the scuba cylinder you are given. Do not assume, guess or gamble!
In Tech dive centers it is a moral obligation as well as a safety guideline to label correctly any cylinders that does contain gas with other content than 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen.* Pure oxygen must be marked as OXYGEN!!!
In order to warn the novice diver that some cylinders are not for his or her use but are either oxygen rich or lean mixtures. Be aware!! 
So let’s have a look at how and what sort of labels/stickers we’ll use to label our cylinders and what will be written on these ‘reminders’.
For divers using EANx mix in their bottom phase cylinders, it is recommended to write the Maximum Operating Depth (MOD) and a personnal identification to differentiate your cylinders from other team members using the same gas.
It would go as follow:

• for a Nitrox 32 @1.5P02=37m
• Diver’s nickname JRx

1.5 PO2 is used for this exemple as an MOD – I would have 1.4 as a TOD

Less is more!

By just giving the maximum depth this cylinder is safe to breath, I limit the confusion and potential danger of breathing the wrong gas at the wrong depth.
If taken to an extrem it can lead to confusion, look at this exemple:

Confusing?

 On the exemple above we must also admit a bit of Photoshop creation and not the use of a permanent marker!
So again, less is more!
We must fear the mishandling of labels and other marking system. More recently a tragic accident occurred during an exploration dive in the famous Wakulla Spring in Florida. A very experience diver and instructor died due to label error and gas switch at the wrong depth. Because this why divers die, switching at the wrong depth with the wrong gas.

Mix Gas Mixing Pannel

If you are diving using trimix blends, you MUST make sure your cylinders are properly and clearly marked. Some trimix blends hold a content of oxygen breathable from the surface to depth with an MOD defined by the PPO2 the diver accepts to expose him or herself. On the other hand, to dive below the 60m range, it will be required to use what is called a hypoxic trimix blend. This denomination simply means that the gas in the cylinder is only breathable at depth and DANGEROUS if breathed at the surface due to a too little oxygen content. Some very deep trimix blends don’t have enough O2 to support life, while at the surface.
In the Part 2 of this article, we will be discussing, where we should place these markings on the cylinders. Stay Tuned!

By Jason Renuox

Drt suits can be used every day

After spending the summer in Swedish waters I have now returned to Koh Tao and the swimming pool like conditions of the water. One of the experiences I have brought with me is the benefits of dry suit diving.

Tropical Drysuit Diving

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The past month everyone have been looking at me rather odd and I can hear whispers behind my back. Ready to jump in 29 degree water I stand before them in my dry suit.
So why would I ever go trough all this trouble?
If you ever have been diving in tropical waters during your vacation then you probability did it in a pair of board shorts and a rash guard. But as soon as you decide to stick around for a while longer then quickly you will realize the water is not that warm any more. You will be coming up from the dives shivering. When i first started diving I did it in my boardies, a few weeks later and 3mm shorty felt OK. The weeks went by and so did my tolerance for the cold. An upgrade to a full 3mm wet suit felt fine for some time, but then the monsoon came. Bye bye 3mm and hello 5mm full wet suit, gloves and hood. It kept me warm. But now I dive in my Fusion Tech shell dry suit from Whites.
When I ask other divers what their take on dry suits are most say ice diving or winter back home. And this is true, if you want to dive stay warm and have a good dive you need a dry suit. But there is so much more to it. Diving around the world in your dry suit is like carrying a multi-tool in your pocket. You can use it everywhere and all the time. It all depends on what you wear under the shell. Right now I use a thin wool undergarment to transport any perspiration away from me. When I´m in the water the suit it self does not provide any insulation. If I feel warm I would let some of the air which is acting like an insulator. If I feel to cold I just add some. If I decide to go back to Sweden for Christmas all I do is to add an extra layer of isolation. As a technical diver I keep all my diving configuration the same all the time. The benefit from this is that facing any emergency I act the same way every time, not different for each configuration style. Even in warm waters the duration and depth usually is greater than recreational dives which affects the thermal exposure. A wet suit will compress during descent and thermal protection will decrease with it. Descending in a dry suit you would add air to equalize the suit. Water will cool down your body approximately 25 times faster, in a dry suit you are not at all affected by this in the same way.
Especially now during monsoon season I clearly see the benefits of diving dry. On the dive boats after the first dive people come out of the water with blue lips seeking shelter near the compressor or engine room covered in all the towels they can find. Meanwhile I stand on deck with the zipper open venting out some air. With a big smile across my face I am ready for the second dive.

NEW Razor Harness & BAT Wing

http://gosidemount.com/

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Add this please

Side Mounts Diving

Diving Sidemount  

The Natural Way of Diving

Diving sidemount means you take one or two cylinders and place them on either side of your body, rather than mounting them on your back.

Sidemount equipment has been the preferred choice for cave divers. It is now becoming very popular for many recreational divers, including wreck divers & technical divers. Personally I have found that diving sidemount with one or two cylinders is more enjoyable and gives me greater freedom.

Why I use Sidemount equipment

 Buoyancy control is better and a more streamlined profile reduces drag which makes fining and moving through the water much more efficient. This reduces air consumption resulting in longer dive times.

There is a much greater comfort level because the sidemount harness and equipment is custom fitted to each individual. This accommodates divers of all shapes and sizes.

Much easier for divers with any disabilities or back problems because you carry the cylinders separate from your harness .Once in the water you attach your cylinders negating the need to carry cylinders from the kiting up area to the dive site.

Safer option in terms of air management as you have an easier access to your cylinder valve.

One harness and BCD does it all. The same sidemount equipment is used for more advanced types of diving.

Can My Buddy Still Use Standard Equipment

Yes .All you need to do is note the differences in equipment setup on your pre dive check.

Side Mounts Diving

Try something new

Dive With Side Mounts

Sidemount Distinctive Specialty Diver Course has boomed in recent months. Recreational divers love it because it introduces the benefits of diving with twin cylinders and gives them a taste of technical diving without all the theory and skills required for decompression diving.  

Side mount isn’t new, but it has undergone rapid equipment evolution.  Kiting up is easier as you put each cylinder on in the water. This will appeal to anyone with back issues, or other injuries.

Side mount is the new “cool” way of using doubles cylinders.This means that divers put a single cylinder on each side of the body instead of two on their backs.  

With long no stop dive times you achieve with a dive computer and enriched air, using two cylinders doesn’t necessarily mean you’re making a decompression dive.  It’s a great option for underwater photographers or any divers who want increased bottom time in shallower depths.  Want to learn more look at the side mount diving link.

Below H2o Diving

we have loads of \pleasure diving going on over the summer please view website, face book and the calendar


Specialty Courses Deep, Wreck, PPB, Photography, SideMounts, Enriched Air any others pease ask

PADI Advanced Open Water & Rescue Courses are also going on please ask

thanks Tony
Below H2o & Dive Sidemounts
www.belowh2o.co.uk
www.divesidemounts.com
07521 526 080