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Alan Wright wrote: >I think the major problem in the UK is BSAC's reaction to nitrox. They >have just invested a lot of money in their new tables and they can't >use them for nitrox. To change to the Buhlmann tables would be to admit >that they have made an extremely expensive mistake and politicians don't >do that. They have been pronouncing "bad" things about nitrox in an >effort to disuade their members - even up to the classic statement about >the N2 and O2 stratifying in the cylinder, just as it does in the upper >atmosphere (huh?). Hmm - not sure if this really was their motive. I was at DOC 92(?) when Chris Allen(?) gave his presentation on Nitrox in the BSAC. At first, he seemed to give a reasonably balanced view of the pros and cons of nitrox - ie. safer if you use air tables/more time if you don't, but go too deep and you'll regret it. OK so far. He then went on to compare the 'no stop' bottom times available with one of the common Nitrox mixes (don't remember which) with the bottom time achievable by a diver, showing that you couldn't use most of the extra time. Unfortunately, the model he chose was of a diver with a single 12l/232 bar cylinder breathing at about 25 l/min. Not exactly the profile of an experienced diver who'd consider using Nitrox!! There were then a few hand waving arguments about treatment of bent divers etc etc, and the horror story of people with Nitrox straying too deep and getting O2 hits. What that implied to me is that the BSAC don't trust us. Do they believe that we aren't competent enough to stick to a plan? Or do they think that we don't believe in O2 tox? If so, what's wrong with the training? Are standards dropping (perish the thought!)? I was expecting the BSAC to give a limited approval to Nitrox - for example, a special course available to Dive Leaders & over. What I didn't expect was the head in the sand attitude they presented. At least we didn't get the PADI whiplash - did you see SDM's reaction??? Their attitude was that 'this isn't for club dives - if you want to do it, do it on your own'. Well, thanks, I will. I'm off for a Nitrox course fairly soon. I think Alan's read a bit too much into the tables - sure, they've put a lot into the 88s, but couldn't they re-run the model for Nitrox mixes and produce a few more expensive books to sell us members? Keith hadlandk@lg*.lo*.co*
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