Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
From: Esat Atikkan <atikkan@ya*.co*> EA> Given the time constraints that define most OWI classes, teaching the use of multiple gases appears impossible. EA> What is needed is a unification of gas use methods. EA> The 1st could B the elimination of 'air'; nitrox then is taught along with the EAD concept, where air becomes a 'special' nitrox. That would blow out too much money for the major agencies to deal with. PADI Nitrox, when taught by the book, is probably beyond at least 20% of rec divers. Losing that many OW divers would drive too many shops under. Besides, we need those divers to help keep the environmental pressure on. EA> One now has to come up with a set of 'reductions' that would simplify incorporating heliox or trimix into the above concept. That may require coming up with a system of specific mixes that fall, from the standpoint of deco, within recreational limits, yet provide ease of use. This translates to the "blind faith" method of diving. It is an invitation to disaster. Nitrox divers are instructed to check their own mix. Many of those barely understand the signifigance of the numbers on the "little magic box." It will be much worse for trimix. Making this all idiot resistant is much trickier than it looks at first glance. The surface interval tables present one big challenge. On the third repetitive dive, we are already walking on thin ice by trying to represent multiple compartments with a single letter code. At least with Nitrox, the air surface interval tables (which are really nitrogen tables since oxygen isn't an issue) work for every oxygen/nitrogen combination and for the first two dives, they are adequate. Getting a table to represent helium surface intervals wouldn't be too hard, but would an OW diver be able to switch back and forth? There would need to be different surface interval tables for each combination of helium and nitrogen. I'm trying to picture "Lazy Elmer's Diveshop, Tattoo Parlor and Grill" in Road Narrows, MI, giving a newbie the right gas when all he knows to ask for is "YMCA mix 28/35", or worse yet "SSI mix B." For some reason, the image won't come to me. EA> In the pedagological sense this unifies 'gases', > 'tables' & 'decompression' for introcudtory level > classes & may b suitable to teach in a 20 h or so OWI > class. More like 100 h or so. Take a look at the PADI Nitrox video. Just putting the metric and imperial units in the same video makes the student's head spin. You are talking about putting an OW diver through three or four times that just to get wet. Can you say "bankruptcy?" BTW, that's "pedagogical." :) Don Burke Chesapeake, Virginia ____________NetZero Free Internet Access and Email_________ Download Now http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html Request a CDROM 1-800-333-3633 ___________________________________________________________ -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]