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Alan asks about CO2 buildup.

Alan may well be a CO2 retainer.  Aquacorps #4 ("Mix") has a good article by
Ed Lanphier on CO2 and diving, which discusses CO2 retention.  CO2 level in the
blood triggers breathing, but apparently some people have abnormally high
tolerance to CO2.  This can allow their blood CO2 level to reach 
high levels without stimulating breathing enough to blow off the CO2.  If the
CO2 level becomes high enough, it can result in loss of consciousness (deep
water blackout) or and may provoke O2 toxicity.  CO2 retainers typically are
very good with air, since CO2 built up during exertion doesn't cause them to
breathe as much as normal divers.  There is speculation that people can build
up their tolerance to CO2 through bad breathing habits like skip breathing and
thus become CO2 retainers, but this apparently hasn't been proven.

Note that anyone can suffer CO2 blackout if they dive deep, exert
themselves, and/or use a regulator which has excessive breathing resistance.

jheimann@sc*.gt*.co*

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