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William Mayne writes:
> 
[...good comments elided...]

I agree with most of what Bill says.  I disagree that this air-based
"missed deco" procedure is worth trying.  This procedure is one of
those which has percolated around and bubbles up everywhere, despite
the best efforts of some people to stop it.  

This procedure was originally designed for Surface Decompression
(Sur-D) on pure oxygen in an on-deck decompression chamber, not for
in-water decompression.  Surface decompression is a MUCH different
experience than in-water decompression, both for the obvious factors
such as hypothermia and gravity of seizures, and for the (possibly not
as obvious) ability of the person controlling the decompression to
immediately enter a recompression treatment table at the first sign of
symptoms.

While we all know that prevention is better than cure, a cure is
sometimes necessary.  I would toss out this air-based recompression
procedure and instead look seriously at adding the necessary support
for the Australian method.  It's main selling point in my eyes is that
it can be interrupted whenever more qualified help arrives without
worsening symptoms.  Also, since you breathe pure O2 during the entire
treatment, your nitrogen accumulation never increases.

> "[...] This procedure should of course only be used with oxygen. It is
> less effective than treatment in a chamber, but when conducted properly
> it is regarded as being better than no treatment at all. [...]"

This is the portion I would focus on.  

Like Bill, I do not do decompression far from a recompression chamber.
If I were in fact quite far from a recompression facility, I wouldn't
be doing decompression.  I'd be using EANx or simply limiting my
bottom time to avoid decompression altogether, and I'd treat any blown
ascent rates or possible symptoms with 100% O2 -- at the surface.

Cheers,

David Story                        NAUI AI Z9588, PADI DM 43922, EMT
story@be*.wp*.sg*.co*		   Oxygen is a drug in California.

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