Entonox Dangers
Warning! ENTONOX NOT to be used in divers suspected of a decompression accident!!Here is a recent correspondence that I feel should be passed on:Question:This topic came up during a discussion…
Breath-hold Diving: Taravana
Taravana, What is it?Taravana, a condition first observed by E.R. Cross in 1958, and reported in 1958- is a diving syndrome seen in working Tuamotu Island natives diving the Takatopo…
Free Diving and Shallow Water Blackout
SHALLOW WATER BLACKOUT (Latent hypoxia)Shallow water blackout (SWB) is the sudden loss of consciousness caused by oxygen starvation following a breath holding dive. This was first described by S. Miles…
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a rare cause of problems when diving, it does occur when there is contaminated air in recreational diving tanks. CO poisoning is the leading cause of…
Nitrox Diving
Several agencies have begun training recreational divers with oxygen enriched compressed air (EAN). Recreational nitrox diving has in common with traditional compressed air diving the use of nearly all the…
CO2 Acclimatization
ACCLIMATIZATION YOU DON'T WANT - CARBON DIOXIDEJolie Bookspan, Ph.D.University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PAand(The Rev.) Edward H. Lanphier, M.D.,University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WIIn a US Navy experimental facility, testing for new…
CO2 Retention in Scuba Diving
CO2 retention with it's attendant dangers of death from convulsions and hypoxia (low oxygen level) is primarily of concern to the scuba diver due to "skip breathing". Other sources of…
Air Travel, Oxygen and the Diver
There is a recurring question that arises concerning the use of oxygen in divers returning by air after having had treatment for a decompression accident. Dr. David DuBois has written…
Nitrogen Narcosis
What is it?Nitrogen narcosis is an effect on the brain of gaseous nitrogen that occurs to divers who go below 100 FSW, due to the laws of partial pressures. Nitrogen…
Partial Pressure Physics in Diving
Partial-pressure effects: The partial pressure of a gas is determined by the concentration of the gas and the ambient pressure, eg, the concentration of O2 in air is about 21%,…