George - I did a similar experiment.  When I was still doing the stupid =
air thing and beginning to suspect the breathing medium as the culprit, =
I took three random math problems to 180' on air (SIC).

After getting myself positioned with slate and light I noted the time =
and began the experiment.  The first problem was 25179 / 27.  My answer =
was exact at 937 but it took me three minutes and 45 seconds.   Next was =
to record my actual depth (178') and calculate the PPO2.  My answer =
1.3417 was good to 3 places (could not read my own writing and mistook =
the 9 for a 7).   This was great but I stumbled in the calculations a =
few times and it took me almost 10 MINUTES to do a 58 second Problem.  =
The last was the best.  I needed to add the following numbers, =
175984+524.886+32498 - 14577.698.   This was a total wash,  My answer =
was 87359.188.  I knew things were not going well and that my buddies =
were going to want to see things when I got back on the boat.  That =
started to put pressure on me because I would have to admit it.  I =
noticed my breathing rate start to change a bit so I started back for =
the anchor line.  The did the obligation and boarded the vessel and I =
was pissed.  Mr. Tough guy I-can-handle-it was about to make some =
serious changes.

That was many dives ago but I saved the slate just to remind myself of =
the stupidity I was involved in and the unbelievable risk I had been =
exposing myself to.   I switch to trimix, honed the procedures, cleaned =
up the gear, and the problems were GONE!   I am so paranoid about air =
and depth now that I get an uneasy feeling about the thought of 100+.  =
Everything I do below that depth is Mix.  Not sure what you guys are =
using as a limit but I have noticed quite a difference in my performance =
hear in the 36 degree water as opposed to the caves I have dove in North =
Florida at the same depths.

I think more people should try to take a good look at their =
"performance" on deep air.   Even when things are very relaxed and =
somewhat controlled it is not good.  Throw in a "real" problem or two =
and someone is going to be calling the sheriff's department for a =
recovery.

To all those diving "deep air", you owe it to yourself to prove this and =
change your ways.   If you don't, well, it's just a matter of time, look =
at the deep-air death list and then come on here and explain to us all =
what you know about deep air that makes you better than all those that =
have perished.

Don't forget to carry the ones,

Jon Guizar=20

-----Original Message-----
From:	G. Irvine [SMTP:gmirvine@sa*.ne*]
Sent:	Sunday, November 02, 1997 5:43 AM
To:	techdiver; cavers
Subject:	Math Under Pressure

Bill Mee and I were trying to do math at 100 feet on nitrox 35, and
could not. Today we are going to try the same thing with 20% helium and
35% oxygen and see what happens.

  I will be glad to match  my college board math score to any sum total
of three deep air instructors out there ( I think you get a minimum of
200 points for just signing you name, so four would be the maximum score
allowed, otherwise it may be a safe bet to say "four", given that some
of these mutants can not sign their name), and any five from Central
Florida,  and Bill Mee is a max out on any scale, so my guess is that if
we can not do it, the morons who recommend deep air can not either.
=20
  When I hear a FAS dive instructor tell me he is "good on air", I want
to know why he is not good at one ATA on air, and how it can get any
better deeper?=20

  I want to know why dive instructors are pretending that there is some
reason to "teach" this stupidity, when PADI takes people to 130 just to
show them the proplem. I want to know why I can do dives that none of
the big time instructors can do, yet I do not dive air. Why is that?
What do they know that I do not?	=20

  How did you deep air dopes do on the math college board? Want to have
a contest with me, and let me prove you wrong? Bring out you best guy,
let's go to 100 feet, and let's see what happens.

--
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