Joel, in the WKPP we dive no air and no nitrox for
bottom gas. But what the fuck do we know relative to
Brett Gilliam?

We have found hat the insideous confusion zone is
the 100-150 depth . If you look at the huge number
of cave deaths in that range for which there is no
explanation, I think it becomes clear that air is
the big problem.


-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Markwell <joeldm@mi*.co*>
To: Techdiver <techdiver@aq*.co*>
Cc: Cavers <cavers@cavers.com>
Date: Monday, August 28, 2000 11:44 PM
Subject: Die Deep On Air


>I just had a friend who runs a dive operation in
the South Pacific recently
>email me that he had just completed a "deep diving"
class in which he and
>his student dove to 260 fsw on air. He described
the sharks he saw on the
>dive and how the class went, you know, the usual,
doing math at depth. I did
>the same thing when I did a course with TDI several
years ago. At 213 doing
>math.
>
>So I sent him some info about all the deaths that
have occurred in recent
>years while diving deep on air and in the process
ran across some articles I
>hadn't seen. One article quotes Rob Palmer in the
margin:
>
>"When you dive deep you can really enjoy the cosy
effect of nitrogen
>narcosis as it closes around you." --Rob Palmer,
shortly before he died.
>
>The article is at:
>
>http://www.divernet.com/safety/kamikaze699.htm
>
>My buddy, who I'm sure was slightly insulted,
replied that he had explained
>the dangers to his student. I would liked to have
been a fly on that wall.
>
>I think it's been well established here that deep
air diving is equivalent
>to playing Russian Roulette and there should not be
anyone, certainly not on
>these lists at least, actually doing these deep
dives on other than the
>correct mix. I also know that getting hammered at
260' is a hoot, but
>there's plenty of divers who hooted their last
getting high at depth. It's a
>drug folks, you're addicted. Drop the bottle and
back away from the boat!
>
>Jeff Bozanic of the IUCRR has done a lot of work
compiling some of the data
>from the accident files that have, I believe have
been kept by the CDS, the
>NACD and the IUCRR for some time and you can read
his efforts at:
>
>http://www.iucrr.org/aa.htm
>
>He has a link to an article entitled "Too far, too
soon" and the statistical
>information from his efforts can be downloaded in
PDF form here:
>
>http://www.iucrr.org/aa_fatalities.htm
>
>And clicking on the link entitled:
>
>fatalities.pdf
>
>I found this info while researching the note to my
South Pacific friend.
>
>Notice on page #22 of this file that fatalities
related to depth far
>outstrip all others. I had a discussion with a dive
shop friend today about
>it and he described a "deep diving" class he was
giving in which his group
>was at 100fsw and, right in front of him, his
assistant and the rest of the
>class, one of his students passed out. Went to
sleep at 100' from an O2 hit.
>I questioned him about it and he's absolutely
convinced that O2 toxicity is
>the only explanation. He got control of the guy,
held his reg in place and
>took him shallow. At 80' the guy woke up, looked
around, then fumbled for
>his SPG and gave the instructor an OK!
>
>At the surface the team told the diver what had
happened and he thought they
>were kidding! He had no recollection of anything.
As far as he was
>concerned, it was a normal dive. I would not have
previously believed that a
>hit was possible at a PO2 of .85, but other
factors, including CO2 make
>diving deep on air a crap-shoot at best. Apparently
almost anyone, anytime
>at almost any depth past 100' (or less?) can sleep
the sleep of the dead.
>
>We've almost all been guilty, but it's way past
time to go cold turkey and
>do it right. The recent discussions about 80/20 and
the astounding
>revelation that there is nitrogen in room air is
certainly an indicator of
>the lack of understanding that exists among divers.
If there's a lack of
>manners from some of the DIR crowd I think, in part
it comes from the
>frustration with the ignorance that is displayed
daily on these lists and on
>dive boats and dive sites around the world.
>
>There are dive leaders everywhere, every day who
will take a diver as deep
>as he wants. I've never had a problem finding one
and certainly liveaboard
>divemasters and boat captains are looking the other
way every day. It's a
>mad house out there.
>
>On another, but related subject, I understand that
the IUCRR is possibly
>working on an Accident Analysis report similar to
the one encompassed in
>Sheck Exley's BLUEPRINT FOR SURVIVAL. I hope that
document is forthcoming
>soon, there are obviously a lot of folks who need
the shock treatment and
>soon.
>
>Dive Safe,
>
>JoeL
>

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